Your body after pregnancy

Your body changes in so many ways during pregnancy and after giving birth that it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But it’s really important to concentrate on letting your body recover – be kind to yourself and try not compare your body before and after birth. We explain more about the postpartum (postnatal) body changes you might experience, including advice on dealing with bloody discharge, piles, stretch marks and swollen breasts. And check out our tips on body confidence and coping with some of the difficult emotions you might experience.

How will I feel about my body post pregnancy?

Giving birth is an overwhelming experience and an amazing achievement, and you'll respond in your own way when you meet your new baby for the first time.

Depending on how the birth went, you may feel alert, happy and relaxed. Or you may feel bruised, exhausted, and tearful.

If you had a tear or cut to the area between your vagina and anus (perineum), you'll be feeling sore (Steen and Wray 2014).

If you've given birth by caesarean, you won't be able to move around easily, but you should have pain relief to ease your discomfort.

Be kind to yourself and your body and allow yourself time to get your strength back. With plenty of rest and support, you should recover fairly quickly.

How will my body change after my baby’s birth?

Your body has spent months nurturing and growing your baby. Now, all the changes that helped to bring your baby into the world go into reverse (Steen and Wray 2014), which will affect your body in lots of different ways.

Bloody discharge

You will have some bloody discharge from your vagina after birth called lochia, whether you gave birth vaginally or by caesarean (Steen and Wray 2014).

The lochia is red at first, then brownish, and finally yellowish. Lochia usually lasts around four to six weeks, but can take up to 12 weeks to tail off (RCOG 2016). The more you rest, the lighter the lochia will be. For about 10 days it will be like a heavy period. After about a week, you may notice it getting heavier for around 24 hours - this is perfectly normal.

Find out more about when your periods will start again after giving birth.

Weak pelvic floor

Your pelvic floor may feel stretched and a little numb, but it should firm up as long as you do your pelvic floor exercises (Kegels) (NHS 2020a).

You can start doing the exercises as soon as you feel able to after your baby's birth (NHS 2019d).

Exercising your pelvic floor helps to reduce swelling and speed up healing around your perineum. The exercises also reduce your chance of experiencing a leaky bladder (stress incontinence) (NHS 2020a), which affects many new mums.

Exercising your pelvic floor will help to tone up your vagina, and make sex more satisfying – when you're ready to try it again (NHS 2020a).

Perineal swelling and pain

It's normal to feel bruised and washed out after having your baby. Grazes and small tears to your cervix, vagina and perineum should heal quickly.

Stitches may be painful for a few days or even weeks (Steen and Wray 2014).

If you had an episiotomy or more severe tear (third-degree or fourth-degree tear), it will take longer to heal and you may be able to feel some of your stitches for up to three months (RCOG 2019).

You can take paracetamol to reduce pain and swelling in your perineum (NICE 2015). Applying a cold compress or pack to your perineum will also help to ease aches and pains. You can make your own cold pack by leaving maternity pads in the freezer before you use them.

If you're worried about how you are healing, ask your midwife or GP for advice.

Afterpains

Afterpains feel like mild labour contractions (Steen and Wray 2014) and often happen while you are breastfeeding.

This is because the hormone oxytocin, which encourages your womb to contract, is released while you're breastfeeding (Steen and Wray 2014) .

If you need pain relief for afterpains, you could try taking some ibuprofen or paracetamol (Lowth 2017). Both are safe to take if you're breastfeeding, as only small amounts get into your breastmilk (NHS 2018 b, NHS 2018c). Stick to the recommended dose and take it for the shortest time possible (NHS 2018 b, NHS 2018c). A hot water bottle or a warm bath may also help to ease afterpains (Lowth 2017). Afterpains generally disappear three days after giving birth (Lowth 2017).

Swollen and sensitive breasts

After birth, your breasts will be fairly soft, as they contain colostrum, the first milk your body makes for your baby. A little colostrum goes a long way, because it's protein-rich and creamy. It's also full of antibodies that help to protect your baby from infection (LLLI nd).

After a few days, your breasts will begin to make milk and may feel swollen and tender (NHS 2018a). It's your body's way of making sure that there's plenty of milk for your newborn. Any engorgement will ease as your baby feeds and your breasts adjust to their needs (Inch 2014).

At first, your nipples may feel sensitive, with the first 10 or so seconds of each feed feeling uncomfortable (Inch 2014).

This usually eases after a few days as your nipples adjust. If it doesn't, ask a midwife to check how well your baby is latching on to your breast. If you're struggling with breastfeeding, ask your midwife to refer you to a lactation consultant or support group.

What other postpartum body changes might I have?

• Piles (haemorrhoids) usually disappear without treatment, but tell your midwife or GP if they are troublesome. You may need a prescription for an ointment or suppository. Eat fibre-rich foods, such as wholegrain rice, and drink plenty of fluids to avoid constipation and make your poos softer after birth (NHS 2019b).
• Stretch marks after birth on your breasts, tummy and thighs may take a few months to fade from purple, red or brown, to silver, pink or light brown, depending on the colour of your skin.
• Swollen ankles may last for a week or so, as you get more active and lose the extra fluid you retained during pregnancy.
• Hair loss might happen if your hair was thicker and fuller during pregnancy, as your pregnancy hormones drop. Don't worry, your hair will soon return to what it was before you were pregnant.
• Soreness around your c-section scar may linger for a while. Try to move around as soon as possible, though. This will help to speed your recovery after a c-section and prevent blood clots (NHS 2019c).
• Pregnancy hormones can affect your joints for up to five months after giving birth, so keep exercise gentle and be careful when doing high-impact exercise like aerobics or running (NHS 2019d).

Find out about the postnatal symptoms you shouldn’t ignore.

How long will it take to lose baby weight after birth?

It took you nine months of pregnancy to get to where you are, so it’s no surprise that your body may need about the same amount of time to recover. It takes most women at least six months to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy, so don’t put yourself under too much pressure, especially in the early weeks and months (PubMed Health 2018, Amorim Adegboye et al 2013).

In the first few days after you give birth, you’ll lose some weight quickly. The extra water you carried during late pregnancy is expelled in your postpartum sweating and weeing, so you may notice more visits to the toilet and a few sweaty nights (Steen and Wray 2014). As your blood levels return to normal, your womb will get smaller.

After this, weight loss tends to slow down but it will continue gradually as long as you eat healthily and keep active (NICE 2017, Amorim Adegboye et al 2013). You're more likely to keep the weight off if you lose it slowly.

Try not to worry that your body doesn't snap back to its pre-pregnancy shape after you've had your baby. It’s been through lots of changes during pregnancy and labour and needs time to recover.

The extra fat your body stored in pregnancy is used as energy to help with breastfeeding. Although breastfeeding can help you to lose weight, especially if you breastfeed for six months or more, it’s not guaranteed. If you take in more calories than your body is using, you will gain weight whether you breastfeed or not (NICE 2010, Amorim Adegboye et al 2013).

What about my tummy fat after having my baby?

It's completely normal for your tummy to be a bit flabby and wrinkly after birth. But there are things you can do to help this.

Start gently by exercising your pelvic floor and tummy muscles as soon as you feel up to it. Beginning these exercises early will help you to get back into shape, gain strength and help protect against back pain (PHA 2016).

Healthy eating and regular exercise, such as walking, or joining an exercise class for new mums, will help you to shed the weight (Amorim Adegboye et al 2013).

Diastasis recti (DR), a condition that leads to abdominal muscles separating in late pregnancy, might make it harder for you to lose your tummy after giving birth. Always get medical advice before starting exercise to try to improve your DR.

How will I feel months after the birth?

You should be offered a postnatal check-up with your doctor about six weeks after you've had your baby, although some surgeries require you to book this yourself (Willacy 2019).

Some surgeries combine this check-up with an appointment for your baby's first vaccinations at about eight weeks. Your doctor should give you enough time to talk but if not, don’t be afraid to make another appointment.

You can talk to your doctor about how you're feeling physically and emotionally (PHA 2016). If you have any concerns, such as postnatal depression or anxiety, soreness from stitches, or bladder leaks (stress incontinence), don't suffer in silence. Ask your doctor for help. It’s a good idea to take along a list of questions or concerns with you, so you don’t forget anything.

There are lots of benefits if you breastfeed for at least six months (NHS 2020b). Once you stop breastfeeding, your breasts will probably return to almost their pre-pregnancy shape and size.

If you are formula-feeding your baby, your breasts may be uncomfortably full until the levels of the milk-producing hormone, prolactin, fall (Inch 2014, PHA 2016). This will send the message to your body to stop making milk and your breasts will, over several months, more or less go back to their pre-pregnancy size.

Your body will have changed after pregnancy and childbirth but try to be proud of it. It's done an amazing job of bringing your baby into the world.

• Learn more about diet and exercise after birth.
• Check out these surprising facts about your body in the fourth trimester.