Get rid of mommy pouch/pooch with these 3 steps

So you dedicate your body to 9 months of growing another human being (which is no small feat) and after the birth of your baby its nothing but sunshine and rainbows. Am I right?!

Ok, no, not really. There are BIG adjustments happening. Not only are you welcoming another human in this world, that completely depends on you, you also have a body that is recovering and looks a bit different than before. It might also act a bit different too. For example, do you pee a little bit when you sneeze? Do you have a general heavy feeling ::down there::? Are you constipated or have low back pain? All of these things are COMMON, but not NORMAL. And I don’t want you to read this and think there is something wrong with you. What I want you to read is that these concerns should not be taken lightly and there are simple exercises you can do to help with these symptoms. These are all signs of pelvic floor dysfunction.

After the birth of my first child, I started to sneeze & pee. It was pretty annoying for me. And I felt as though when I focused on controlling it, it was really uncomfortable. I am not sure how to word it, but it was super frustrating when I was fairly active and considered myself to have pretty strong core muscles.

Then, while having a dead hang competition off a pull-up bar with my husband one night, I felt a tiny pop happen above my belly button. Cue the umbilical hernia. This should have been my big warning flag that my core was not that strong. And at this point, I had not even considered strengthening my pelvic floor. I didn't realize that was a thing. So now reflecting back, my core was weak AND my pelvic floor was weak.

What exactly is pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD)? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “a PFD occurs when the muscles or connective tissues of the pelvic area weaken or are injured.” Different things can cause PFD, such a childbirth, certain surgeries, or old age. Unfortunately, not all PFDs can be corrected without surgery. However, many can! And that’s where I want to help you!

You might be asking, but Kristen, I’m on this page because of my mommy pouch/pooch. Not because of some dysfunction. Well, sometimes there is a bigger underlying reason why you might have a pouch/pooch. And if any of the above sounds like you, I want to get to the root cause, rather than place a band-aid on the boo boo. When I start getting into my tips below, regardless if you have PFD, each tip will help reduce the appearance of the mommy pouch/pooch.

And if you do have a PFD, I would highly advise you to work with a local Physical Therapist who specializes in Pelvic Floor work. Another great resource is the Birth Recovery Center by Nancy Anderson. I have no benefit from providing you the last resource- I personally used the Birth Recovery Center after the birth of my third child and found it to be very informative and helpful as I navigated postpartum life, especially with it being my first c-section. The Birth Recovery Center also offered other resources such as a baby sleeping course and mental health resources. I wish I had this resource with my first and second child as the center streamlined so much information for new mothers.

At what point would you actually need to see a Physical Therapist? According to Regional One Health, the oldest hospital system in Tennessee, “if you’re experiencing symptoms like urinary dysfunction, constipation and pelvic pain, it might be time to see a pelvic floor physical therapist.”

Back to the whole point of this article- my three tips to help with mommy pouch/pooch.

1. You most likely have some fat to lose. A calorie deficit is needed to lose the extra weight. Aim for a reduction in 10-20% of your maintenance calories. Not sure how many calories you should be consuming? Take a look at my e-book for weight loss below which includes how to calculate how many calories you should be eating each day.

Free E-Book for Fat Loss

2. Focus on strengthening your core and pelvic floor. Below is a list of exercises you can complete to help. You can click on each to send you to a demo/tutorial.

• Heel Slides

• Heel Marches

• Side Planks

• Dead Bugs

• Belly Breathing

• TVA Activation Exercises

• Pelvic Floor Exercise
  

I created a short routine you can include daily or every other day. I would suggest completing the exercises right before bed so you do not forget to do them!

The Best Ab Routine You Can Find On This Page :)

3. Release the Glutes

Without realizing it, you might be clenching your glutes when you are standing, instead of using your core to stabilize yourself. So, try to be cognizant about your abs and glutes when standing. Don’t get confused though- your glutes will be working to stand. However, you might notice that you are actually clenching and squeezing your glutes without even realizing it. I most notice this when I am in the kitchen cooking and cleaning or when I am changing a diaper for my baby.

If you want to geek out on anatomy and a more thorough explanation of your pelvic floor and why you glute clench, check this article out.

So, to recap. How to get rid of the mommy pooch/pouch?

1. Get cleared for exercise from your doctor first and look into a Physical Therapist who specializes in Pelvic Floor work.

2. Work on strengthening your pelvic floor and core.

3. Train yourself to release your glutes, if that is a concern.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, please follow my instagram @activekristen for free tips on exercise and nutrition.

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References:

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pelvicfloor

https://www.regionalonehealth.org/blog/2020/01/27/ask-the-experts-when-should-i-see-a-pelvic-floor-therapist-and-what-can-i-expect/