The excess pounds post-pregnancy can sometimes be difficult to dislodge. A balanced diet, associated with moderate physical activity and adapted to the young mother, will help you regain your figure. However, be sure to follow your perineal and abdominal rehabilitation before starting any resumption of sport.

During pregnancy, your body has undergone many changes. After childbirth, it takes about 2 months for your uterus to return to its original position and your blood volume to return to normal.

It is therefore important to give yourself time to regain your healthy weight. Keep in mind that your body has prepared for 9 months for you to welcome your baby. Allow yourself at least as much time to regain your figure. Even a whole year: this is a very good average for your weight loss to be sustainable.

Rushing weight loss by going unnatural would not be productive, especially if you are breastfeeding.

If you have gained between 10 and 15 kilos during your pregnancy, it is also possible that naturally, without making the slightest effort, you will lose a few extra pounds if you make sure to keep a diet that is as balanced as possible and that you practice a minimum. daily physical activity. And if you are breastfeeding, it will probably be even easier because the production of milk requires a great expenditure of energy (and therefore of calories) and breastfeeding inevitably causes contractions of the uterus, which will allow you to find a belly more easily. flat.

Childbirth is a real sporting feat in itself, which exhausts the organism. The priority is therefore to rest to regain all your energy so that you can refocus on yourself, on your baby and on your family life. If you are one of the women who feel great after giving birth, be vigilant because it is not uncommon to observe physical exhaustion a few weeks after the birth of the child.

Give yourself time to find the right rhythm with your baby: the time will come to consider a diet only when you have regained your dynamism, your vitality and a certain degree of availability in your daily life.

Anyway, as soon as you give birth, continue to watch your diet because beyond the calories it brings you, real fuel for your body, it is a precious provider of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. , essential for your good moral and physical balance.

To regain your figure after childbirth, there is no question of embarking on a strict and restrictive diet. By following the basic principles of a balanced diet, the needle of the scale should naturally descend steadily and gradually.

The fruits

 At each meal and even as a snack, be sure to consume a fruit preferably raw to benefit from all its nutritional benefits. If you choose the fruit juice version, even squeeze your fruit and do not delay to drink your homemade drink! The fruit juices of large surfaces, whatever they are, do not have real nutritional interests, in terms of vitamins in particular. You can also opt for compotes, but again, prefer the homemade versions which require very little preparation time. Turn off the heat as soon as the fruit is cooked and always taste before adding sugar: the fructose in the fruit is often sufficient on its own! Ideally, count 3 portions of fruit per day Tip: for a portion of fruit, count 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 orange, 1 nectarine, 1 peach but 2 kiwis, 3 plums, 3 clementines, 2 tangerines and 1 small bowl of red fruits !

The vegetables

 At noon and in the evening, always eat vegetables in quantities at least equivalent to starchy foods. Ideally, make sure you always have at least one serving of raw vegetables per day: green salad, grated carrot, cucumber, white cabbage, tomatoes, etc. To fill up on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants but also fiber, consider vegetable pies, woks, pan-fried foods, soups, vegetable juices, etc.

Starchy foods

Often shunned during a diet, they are nevertheless necessary to avoid the frustration that inevitably leads to snacking. Do not run away from them but simply control the quantities: count 100 to 150 g per day according to your appetite. Vary the sources of carbohydrates by alternating pasta, rice, quinoa, sweet potato, bulgur, etc. And from time to time opt for legumes, also called “pulses”: red and white beans, chickpeas, split peas and lentils.

Proteins: meat, fish or eggs

 Proteins are essential for the proper functioning of the body by participating directly in the construction and renewal of cells and tissues. They will not only allow you to get full, but they will also prevent you from feeling hungry between meals. Consume a portion at noon as in the evening and to take advantage of all the amino acids, alternate between white meats, red meats and eggs, which you will preferably choose from hens fed on flax seeds. Also remember to eat fish or seafood twice a week to benefit from their Omega 3.

Dairy products 

Consume between 2 and 3 dairy products per day, possibly at 0%, and feel free to vary the pleasures between yoghurts, white cheese, faisselle, Swiss cookies and milk. Once or twice a week, allow yourself a serving of cheese (30 g).

Fatty substances

Criticized and too often banned during diets, fat nevertheless plays an essential role in the proper functioning of the body. The key is to choose them of quality, and to have a light hand. In the morning, opt for 10 g of butter (for its vitamin A intake) and at noon and in the evening, season your meals with the equivalent of a teaspoon of olive oil, rapeseed oil, walnuts, hazelnut, or grape seeds for example.

The drinks

Remember that only water is absolutely essential. On the other hand, nothing prevents you, except in cases of high blood pressure, from choosing sparkling or sparkling water. You can also add a slice of lemon or orange or possibly opt for a 0% syrup to flavor your water. Also consider tea, herbal teas and coffee, which are great ways to hydrate yourself while giving yourself a moment of pleasure and relaxation.

Right after childbirth, gentle, regular and non-excessive physical activity is beneficial to gradually regain your physical condition, at your own pace. To start, walks with baby are ideal: you can gradually lengthen their duration and intensify the pace of your walk.

To find a really flat stomach, the key to the secret remains postnatal rehabilitation which includes rehabilitation of the perineum but also of the abdominal strap and the back of the young mother. Why ? Because during pregnancy and childbirth all the tissues and muscles have become stretched. The perineum – a sort of hammock stretched between the pubis and the coccyx and made up of three muscle layers – relaxed under the effect of the hormonal upheaval, the weight of the fetus and stretched during childbirth. In addition to working on the tone of the perineum, it is therefore also important to learn how to use the deep muscles of the abdominals, and in particular the transverse muscle which helps to tighten the belly. These perineal and abdominal rehabilitation sessions are covered by social security. Do not miss the opportunity to follow them, as much as necessary.

Subsequently, if you manage to free yourself for an hour a week, sport is ideal for refining and toning your figure. However, here again, no rush: wait for the postnatal consultation (6 to 8 weeks after childbirth) and the advice of your doctor to begin. Start with a gentle sport, to spare your perineum and thus avoid the risk of incontinence or uterine prolapse (commonly called “organ descent”).

Here are ideas for gentle physical activity for your perineum, which you can do, by adapting the intensity and frequency, according to the evolution of your physical condition:

• Fast walk
• Swimming
• Bikes
• Aquatic gym (Aqua-gym)
• Pilates

Regarding sport and physical activity, remember that regularity takes precedence (clearly) over intensity! From the 6th month (earlier if you feel particularly fit and with the advice of your doctor or midwife), go gradually: change the duration of your sessions from 30 minutes to 45 minutes , and the frequency of 1 to 3 times a week. This will allow you to regain flexibility, strength and endurance in a progressive and lasting way.