Lose the Mommy Pooch Postpartum with These Powerful Tricks
Your stomach is not the same after having a baby. But there is a lot that you can do to lose the mommy pooch postpartum and get flat abs again. If you are dying to get rid of the mommy pooch after giving birth these powerful tips, tricks, dietary changes, and exercises will help you to heal your core and get those flat abs you long to see again after giving birth.
**This post may contain affiliate links, please read full disclosure here.**
What is a “Mommy Pooch”?
A mommy pooch is the extra skin and fat around your stomach that can be left after having a baby. Though it is more common than not, having a mommy pooch postpartum can make you feel self-conscious about your body and how it looks after having a baby and have you googling “how to lose the mommy pooch” pretty quickly.
That mom pooch can be a combination of fat, extra skin, and abdominal separation. Just know that it is super common (almost every woman suffered from this postpartum, just some recover more quickly than others) and there are absolutely ways that you can reverse and repair it.
How to Lose the Mommy Pooch After Giving Birth?
There are a few causes of the dreaded but super common “mommy pooch.”
We will go into detail about the causes and how to rectify each of them in this post. There are lots of simple diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes that you can make to get rid of your mommy pooch.
RELATED: How to Safely Lose Fat While Breastfeeding
DIASTASIS RECTI
The main cause of the mommy pooch is abdominal muscle separation called diastasis recti. This occurs when the linea alba, a connective tissue that runs down the center of your abs, stretches and thins out during pregnancy. The linea alba is what helps to hold your abs in place so when it stretches, your abs are no longer as supported. This can cause the mommy pooch or that protruding stomach after having a baby.
So first and foremost, check for diastasis recti. This is super common and about 2/3 of pregnant women suffer from DR.
For some, this separation will close itself after pregnancy, others need more help. Even those who do not suffer from DR can have a mom pooch after birth too though, so be sure to read the full article so you can tackle this mom pooch from all angles.
How to check for diastasis recti causing your “mom pooch”
- You can check for diastasis recti by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground.
- Then place your fingers just above your belly button pointing down toward it.
- Slightly lift your head and neck up so that your muscles tighten.
- If you can easily press down your fingers between the abdominal muscles, then you likely have DR.
- Then check a couple of inches above that the same way.
- Then check below your navel as well.
- Some people suffer a full diastasis and all these will be separated, or it could only be in one or two locations. If your fingers sink in or you can’t move them, then you don’t have diastasis recti.
How to Get Rid of a DR Caused Mom Pooch
There are two main types of exercises to help heal diastasis recti: transverse abdominus focused exercises and oblique specific exercises.
Transverse abdominus focused exercises will help to heal diastasis recti by bringing the abdominal muscles back together.
Oblique specific exercises help to take the pressure off of the linea alba by strengthening the oblique muscles.
Both are important for helping to close a diastasis and get rid of a mom pooch postpartum.
The best way to learn about fixing the mommy pooch caused by your diastasis recti is by reading this post featuring a physical therapist and mom of 4 who specializes in this! Or you can just pick up that same Doctor of Physical Therapy’s Ab Rehab Program to learn exactly how to repair DR postpartum at home gently and effectively.
Mom Pooch Exercises (with videos)
As mentioned, if you are suffering from diastasis recti or even if you aren’t it’s important to properly repair your core postpartum to get rid of your mom pooch.
- Focus on exercises for your TA such as heel slides and knee drops.
- Focus on oblique exercises like side crunches and side planks.
- Focus on repairing your pelvic floor through the exercises within that post. You need to focus on repairing this part of your core as well to get rid of your mom pooch postpartum.
- Avoid exercises that work your 6-pack abs. Crunches, etc. This will actually be counterproductive to flattening your core postpartum.
RELATED: The Best Diet Plan for Losing the Mom Pooch
Dietary Changes to Get Rid of Your Mom Pooch
Most of us suffer some constipation and digestion issues postpartum. For some they resolve quickly and for others like myself, not so much.
Additionally, there are certain foods that cause abdominal inflammation anyways, let alone in that postpartum period when your digestion isn’t quite up to par. Foods like those mentioned below can contribute to a mom pooch.
To get rid of your mom pooch after childbirth try eliminating these inflammatory foods that specifically inflame your midsection:
- Processed foods
- dairy products
- alcohol
- wheat
These should be avoided if you want to lose your mom pooch postpartum.
Eating whole foods and avoiding those I mentioned will help to decrease abdominal inflammation and help you lose your mom pooch.
Diet and Exercise to Lose the Mommy Pooch While Breastfeeding
Once you have repaired your diastasis recti and weak pelvic floor (if you discovered that those are some of the sources of your mom pooch) begin a specialized postpartum exercise and diet plan like the Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan.
This is the best postpartum diet and exercise plan aimed at weight loss while breastfeeding, perfect for the final touch of losing your postpartum mom pooch.
The 28-day diet and exercise plan includes quick yet highly effective 20 minutes workouts specially designed to regain the strength you lost during pregnancy with a new mom’s schedule and physical needs in mind.
And the diet plan helps you increase your milk supply while losing weight and flattening your mommy pooch.
The Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan helps you to lose the excess weight postpartum, regain strength lost (which in turn helps flatten that mom pooch for good), AND helps you to increase your breastmilk supply at the same time. So that even though you are learning to decrease calories and fat and lose weight your baby gets even more and even more nutritious milk! Talk about a win-win.
Check out the Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan now.
Wrapping Up How to Lose the Mommy Pooch
So, there you have it! Some exercises to help get rid of your mommy pooch postpartum, dietary changes to make, tips on how to check for diastasis recti, and more. You can now tackle all the causes of a postpartum mom pooch from all angles.
If you’re still struggling with getting rid of your mommy pooch after all this advice, don’t hesitate to reach out for more help. Remember, every body is different and will lose the weight at different rates. Be patient with yourself and keep up the good work! You can do it!
