A friend of mine Ananya, who has a 2 years old daughter told me, “I had gained close to 20 kgs during pregnancy and lost almost all those extra kgs but my hips have widened and none of my old dresses fit me anymore. I just can’t believe it, will my body ever go back to what it was before?”
I remember reading a Reddit user’s post that her hair had gone curly (only from behind) and they just won’t go back to being straight which is so annoying for her and it has been 3 years for her now.
Another user wrote that she had 0 stretch marks till pregnancy and then they were everywhere on her body – arms, legs, somewhere around her knees. She said that in a fun way but was surely worried about the permanent body changes after pregnancy.
A mom’s body changes so much, from wider hips to stretch marks to extra pounds, these could be the permanent body changes after pregnancy. Pregnancy is a transformative journey, marked by the miracle of bringing new life into the world. While it’s a remarkable and joyous experience, it also brings about significant changes to a woman’s body.
Permanent body changes after pregnancy
There are so many permanent (and not-so-permanent) body changes you go through after your child’s delivery. You won’t believe how many women and friends I have spoken to and how many hours of research I have done on understanding “what are permanent body changes after pregnancy”.
Beyond the baby bump and the immediate postpartum recovery, there are numerous lasting transformations that occur as a result of pregnancy. These changes are a testament to the incredible adaptability of the human body and the sacrifices that mothers make for their children.
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My Personal Story
Why talk about anyone else? I became a mommy to a cute, little son in December last year.
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I have seen so many hormonal changes after pregnancy. I have never had issues with my periods before but after pregnancy my menstruation cycle has gone for a toss, my thighs have grown bigger, the tummy flab just doesn’t go away (I workout atleast 4 times a week), I am not fond of wine anymore and I was oenophile once upon a time but I have much clearer skin than before, so that’s definitely a good one 😀. Believe me when I say this, but I had zilch idea about these permanent body changes after pregnancy.
I was so low on confidence 6 months post delivery that I would spend my time just Googl-ing stuff like “How can I look good back again after pregnancy”? Or “Do your thighs go back to normal after pregnancy?”
Now after almost a year my mindset has changed, I have gotten used to the fact that these permanent body changes after pregnancy are bound to happen and it happens to everyone. We women have created mini humans, which is a miracle in itself so instead of running away from these changes we should welcome them with open arms. I want you to understand and be mentally ready for these changes but not feel anxious about them because these are scars that make you a warrior.
So now let’s talk about these permanent body changes after pregnancy and how long does it take a woman’s body to adjust after childbirth? At the same time I will also recommend every woman who is planning for the baby to take a session with their gynecologist on “what are the long term effects of pregnancy”.
Your Periods and menstruation cycle change
For women who are not breastfeeding, periods can be either lighter than before, heavier or might return back to normal. For the ones breastfeeding, chances are they might not get periods for atleast 4-5 months after delivery. But there is hope here as there are women who got easier periods after childbirth and it remained permanent for them so it is not all bad news. This means that mensuration cycle might not one of the permanent body changes after pregnancy.
You will get stretch marks
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As per the stats, up to 90% of the women get stretch marks on stomach, thighs, hips, arms, backs mainly and these marks are generally red, pink or black colored lines. These weird colored marks happen because of the weight gain that happens during your pregnancy. For a few women stretch marks go away post delivery but for a lot of them, they stay and fade away with time. These postpartum stretch marks are a reminder for you of the incredible accomplishment your body has achieved, why not flaunt this instead?
Your allergies might go away
Did you have a particular seasonal allergy and it stopped all of a sudden after delivery? This happens for quite some women. Hormones generally trigger these allergies and changes in hormones are the contributor. Expert says that seasonal allergies are the most common ones like dust and skin allergies, it is rare for a food allergy to pop-up after pregnancy but having some mild allergies during and post-pregnancy because of hormonal changes is one of the permanent body changes after pregnancy.
Wider hips
For most women the large shape and bones go back to normal but for a few the changes never go away and become permanent. I remember reading a blog on Reddit where a user wrote that her hips stayed wider and it was great for her because she had no shape before pregnancy. Yay! great for her, lol.
Those extra pounds
This doesn’t have to be permanent for all women but again quite common. As per that stats, 25% or more women will have those extra 5 kgs or more after childbirth. While this is not a large weight gain but it significantly keeps adding with 2 or more babies.
Abdominal separation
This is one of the most common postpartum body changes and isn’t discussed enough. This is basically expanding of the muscles to accommodate growing belly of a woman which sometimes creates a gap in between the stomach muscles.
Loss of bladder control
Childbirth can put women at stress incontinence. or loss of bladder control. Specially a vaginal birth can loosen out those muscles that are needed for bladder control. Women those who have delivered larger babies are more at risk of this. Statistics say, one in 3 women who have had a baby may experience leakage at some point.
Change in breasts shape
Changes in the shape and size of breasts is one of the permanent body changes after pregnancy. Breast shape changes happen irrespective of you choosing to breastfeed or not. During pregnancy most women gain weight and that is one of the reasons of change in breast size compared with before pregnancy. Other factors are mother’s age, genetics and weight gain during pregnancy. A lot of women find stretch marks on their breasts too
Hair fall and changes
One of the most common but not so permanent body changes after pregnancy is hair fall. An average person shreds around 50 to 100 hairs per day but this number increased for a woman after delivery because of hormonal changes after pregnancy, due to decreased levels of hormone estrogen. The hair starts coming to normal for a lot of women and their hair texture and color also changes but these changes are not very common. I have covered this topic in detail in my other blog.
Increase in alcohol sensivity
There are multiple reasons because of the increase sensivity towards alcohol. You most likely wouldn’t have had alcohol during your pregnancy which means there would have been a gap of 9 months and then breastfeeding too. Therefore, having alcohol after a gap of 15-16 months could easily make you feel buzz even after a small amount of drinking. Another contributing factor is sleepless nights with a newborn. Without being well-rested, alcohol reacts differently to different bodies but this is certainly one of the common body changes after delivery.
How much time postpartum recovery takes?
Every mother has a different birth story and experience and that makes it her own motherhood journey. Similarly, the postpartum recovery process also varies and shouldn’t be compared because that can unnecessarily add to the stress and anxiety. Typically 6-8 weeks post delivery is defined as the “postpartum recovery” phase where your postpartum body changes showing but at the same time you also start recovering from the pain and stitches. This is defined as the minimum timeline but how long this can last will always depend on the health of the mother after the childbirth.
How do models get back in shape after pregnancy?
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Lot of celebrities chose to take the route of liposuction or surgeries to remove the fat and reduce unwanted weight. They are on strict diets under the supervision of expert dieticians and train with excellent coaches. There is nothing wrong with any approach and things work differently for different people but it is very important to remember that it is a very delicate phase and should be handled very patiently, there are no shortcuts.
There are examples of so many celebrities who didn’t choose the extreme ways and did put in a lot of hardwork to get back into their old shape. They do gym atleast 4-5 times a week, these celebrities are balancing their life with a good rest sleep, models are part of fitness programs and diet plans, lots of hydration, breathing exercises under guidance and a lot more.
Final Note
I know it can be very overwhelming to hear about all the postpartum body changes but all these changes bring your baby into your life and nothing can be more beautiful than that. Some body changes will be permanent and some not-so-permanent, you will be a different person (in a good way) after this miracle. And trust me, nothing else will matter when you will have your bundle of joy in your life.
Just give it some time, enjoy and don’t forget to have fun !
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There is a detailed study by Michael Cackovic, which explains the post pregnancy body changes scientifically. You can read his blog here. Michael Cackovic, MD, is a maternal fetal medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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