Unless you're a celebrity or a fitness model it's likely that your tummy has not regained it pregnancy shape mere days after birth. However, there is nothing to feel worried about. Your abdomen stretches during the nine months of pregnancy to accommodate your baby. Therefore, it is natural that it shall take at least that much or more time, to tighten back to its original shape.

How fast your skin gets tightened usually depends on how active you were during your pregnancy. Also several other factors are responsible like your genes and bone structure, how much weight you have gained,

Here are some tips that will aid in tightening skin and overall regaining your shape after pregnancy:

1. Increase Your Water Intake
Water is an elixir for your body. It not only hydrates your skin but makes it more elastic. It helps in burning calories more efficiently  It is a great way to keep your skin healthy and tight.

2. Breastfeeding Helps
Apart from being a healthy source of nutrition for your baby, breastfeeding is very important for you too. When you breastfeed, your calories are transformed into milk, thereby helping you lose the extra fat. It's like a workout on your couch!

3. Exercise is Essential
It is important to indulge in activity or exercise regime once your body is ready post-delivery. Make sure your doctor gives you the go-ahead to start before you begin. You can start with daily walking or postpartum yoga. Rigorous exercise like aerobics or cardio can work wonders on your abdomen.  It also helps in strengthening your stomach muscles and burning calories.

4. Consume Proteins
Protein is good for muscle growth. It also contains an important nutrient called collagen which helps in firming your skin. It also helps you stay full making it easier to stick to your eating plan and avoid sugary snacks.

5. Exfoliate Your Skin
Another good way to tighten your skin is to use an exfoliating scrub on your belly when you take a shower. It helps in increasing the blood circulation by increasing the flow of blood in the area. It also creates new, healthy and more elastic skin.

6. Use of Lotions and Massage:
There are plenty of creams and lotions available in the market which contain collagen as well as Vitamin A, C & E.   Apply such lotions on your loose skin as it will aid in skin tightening after pregnancy.  You can massage with the lotion to improve the blood flow. Do this at least twice a day for good results.

7. No To Crash Dieting
When you opt for strict dieting, you might lose weight faster initially. But once you stop your regime the weight will bounce back faster.

To revive your body & mind and get your muscles back to pregnancy condition your can also book a Massage Mama postnatal massage in comfort and convenience of your home.

Mastitis is an painful infection usually caused by a build up of milk in the breast. Left untreated it can progress quickly and even require hospitalization. It is often initially overlooked as mom is tired and run down post birth and adjusting to life with a newborn. It is so important that moms take time out to take care of themselves during the postnatal period. 

If you are experiencing any of the following accompanied by a fever, headache, and body aches, contact your doctor immediately.

• a red, swollen area on your breast that may feel hot and painful to touch.
• a breast lump or area of hardness on your breast.
• a burning pain in your breast that may be continuous, or may only occur when you are breastfeeding.
• nipple discharge, which may be white or contain streaks of blood

In breastfeeding women, mastitis is often caused by a build-up of milk within the breast. This is known as milk stasis.
Milk stasis can occur for a number of reasons, including:

• a baby not properly attaching to the breast during feeding
• a baby having problems sucking
• infrequent feeds or missing feeds

In some cases, this build-up of milk can also become infected with bacteria. This is known as infective mastitis.
In non-breastfeeding women, mastitis most often occurs when the breast becomes infected as a result of damage to the nipple, such as a cracked or sore nipple, or a nipple piercing.
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​It is critical that you take care of yourself during the postnatal period. There is so much focus on caring for baby that moms so often forget how import it is to replenish their own bodies. Timing time out for yourself occasionally allows your to give 100% 

Imagine yourself as jug full of water filling glasses until you are empty. You have to go to the tap and refill before you can give again. What is it that refills you? Make time to be refilled in your schedule regularly!

As new mothers we spend many hours of the day and night feeding our babies. Too often we unconsciously slouch into positions that stress our joints, ligaments, and muscles. This habit aggravates postpartum postural problems, and can cause painful muscle spasms and injury. Most couches and chairs are designed for style, not ergonomics, and provide insufficient support to the lower back. When it comes to furniture, one size definitely does not fit all, especially for women.

Without proper lower back support, it can be almost impossible to avoid rolling back onto the tailbone or sacroiliac joints as we sit and feed our babies. This position curves the spine, collapses the chest, and rounds the shoulders forward. Sitting for long periods of time with poor posture further stresses already lax postpartum ligaments, compresses vertebral disks, and increases muscular imbalances in the torso and shoulder girdle. And the result is PAIN!

Many new moms tend to bring their breast down to their baby during nursing, rather than bringing their baby up to their breast. Rounding the upper back makes the nipple hang downward at an poor angle for feeding. Large-breasted women often feel that they must lift the breast and turn the nipple with one hand so that it faces directly outward while nursing. This places a lot of strain on the wrist. In most cases, the nipple hangs at a poor angle because the mother’s shoulders and upper back are rounded. When the spine is in the neutral position, the nipple automatically lifts to an advantageous angle for feeding.

Because carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries of the hand and wrist are common after pregnancy, continually supporting the breast while feeding is not advisable. Also avoid crossing the legs, or placing one ankle across the opposite knee, while nursing. These positions stress ligaments in the lower back, reducing the integrity and stability of the pelvis.

Give your body a much needed break by setting up an ergonomic breast-feeding station in your house. You’ll need a well fitting chair with arm rests and one or more pillows to ensure that your spine and shoulders are in the best position possible. A large water bottle is a good idea too.

In the ideal sitting position, your pelvis and spine will be in a neutral position, with the natural "S" curves of your spine intact. If not using a foot stool, your feet should rest flat on the floor with a right angle at both your knees and hips. Your body weight should rest on the bottom of your pelvis -- your "sit bones". Most chair backs tilt slightly back. This means that your spine will be neutral and on a slight back diagonal.

You can use a lumbar support pillow, or roll a hand towel into a cylinder and place it behind the small of your back to help support your spine. Lean your upper torso back into chair and allow your shoulders to drop down the back. Lengthen the back of you neck and roll your chin toward your chest. The center of your ears, shoulders and hips should form one long line. Since the neutral position increases the distance between your breasts and your hips, you might need an extra pillow to elevate your baby to the correct height.

If your breasts still need support in the neutral position, roll up a small towel or receiving blanket and gently wedge it underneath your breast to increase comfort. Ideally, your baby should be well balanced and at the correct height, so that you do not need to continually use your arms and hands to support her body weight during feedings.

Pregnancy and childbirth alter the dynamic structure of your body on many levels, leaving you in a weakened state that is vulnerable to pain and injury. By utilizing good postural habits while caring for your newborn, you can avoid and/or solve many common postpartum physical complaints.

Info from Helene Byrne. For more information visit www.exerciseafterpregnancy.com