How to Get a Flat Stomach After Baby (P.S. It's Not Crunches!)

Getting a flat stomach after baby can be a bit difficult. Most new moms see big changes after baby and with all the strange things that happen to your body postpartum its no wonder why this is such a hot topic.

So many new moms want to lose the baby weight and get their strength back post-baby.

You may have even thought that crunches, cardio and ab workouts are the quickest way to get your body back. But why then are our stomachs not responding like we would like?

In most cases, it has to do with how a woman’s body functions during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is a phenomenon that happens to most women during pregnancy called diastasis recti.

This is when our bodies have to make room for our baby by splitting apart. If your muscles do not connect themselves after your baby is born though, you may end up with a “pouchy” tummy.

This is often why many women still look pregnant even when they are not.

Luckily there are ways to correct the gap through very specific exercises.

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So Why Not Do Crunches After Baby?

Well, when dealing with this little gap in our abdomens, we must do exercises that heal the gap rather than make it worse.

Doing crunches when your abdomen is split can make the gap worse, not better. Thus, it is important to understand our anatomy and how things work.

The unfortunate thing about this phenomenon is that most women are never even checked for diastasis. What’s more, many have never even heard the term.

Thus, they go about their postpartum workouts and wonder why their core is still weak and their belly still round.

Some women have even gone so far as to accept the mommy tummy myth. But, I’m happy to say it doesn’t have to be that way.

Pssst…If you haven’t check out The Postpartum Cure, I highly recommend it! It’s one of the best postpartum recovery programs out there. Many of my readers have tried it and they are loving it! Just watch her intro video. I know I related to all the same struggles, and I bet you’ll relate to a few too!

First, Understand Your Postpartum Body

By understanding your body, you can get that flat stomach back just the way you like.

But understanding which muscles to work and which to go easy on is half the battle.

Focus on your transverse abdomen. This is the area that holds up all your organs and keeps everything in place.

Without this, your innards won’t work as well and you can have health issues like lower back pain and a leaky bladder.

By activating your transverse abdomen muscle, you can begin to regain your core.

Start by Walking It Off With Baby

Walking is one of the keys to healing your diastasis. When you walk it activates your core, stretches your pelvic region and helps with circulation.

All of these benefit your core region. Walking is one of the most gentle and helpful tools to heal your core. Plus it’s easy to pop baby in a baby carrier or a stroller and get moving.

Posture Affects Your Abs

Remember, even sitting and standing correctly can aid in the healing of your core.

If you are hunched over, this causes undue stress on your back and puts pressure on your abs. Keep good posture as this aids in healing that core region.