How fast does uterus shrink after birth

And the extra fat you put on to nourish the baby starts burning off especially if you're nursing and exercising. But it takes at least a few weeks to notice results. Stretch marks and the linea nigra, however, endure longer. The good news is that stretch marks usually become considerably less noticeable six to 12 months after you have your baby. Their pigmentation fades and they typically become lighter than the surrounding skin the color will vary depending on your skin color , but their texture will remain the same.

The dark color of the linea nigra will gradually fade over a year, but that too may not completely disappear. We've all heard stories of new moms whose tummies are tight and flat immediately after giving birth. Although this does happen, it's rare. For most women it takes months to get rid of the "pregnancy pouch" — and sometimes it never goes away entirely. Patience is key. It took nine months for your abdomen to stretch to accommodate a full-term baby, so it makes sense that it would take at least that long to tighten back up.

The speed and degree of this transition depends largely on your normal body size, how much weight you gained during pregnancy, how active you are, and your genes. Women who gained less than 30 pounds and exercised regularly during pregnancy, who breastfeed , and who have had only one child are more likely to slim down quickly.

If you're not breastfeeding, you'll need to watch how much you're eating in order to lose pregnancy weight. You need fewer calories now that you're not pregnant. Breastfeeding helps, especially in the early months after childbirth. Women who breastfeed burn extra calories to make milk, so they usually lose pregnancy weight more quickly than women who don't nurse. Nursing also triggers contractions that help shrink the uterus, making it a workout for the whole body.

But many breastfeeding moms say they have trouble losing the last 5 to 10 pounds. Some experts speculate that the body retains these extra fat stores to aid in milk production.

Science hasn't yet answered this question definitively. See our poll on whether breastfeeding helps you lose weight to learn what other nursing moms experienced. Exercise also helps. While I've never been pregnant I am, however, an adoptive mom to two incredible children I've thought a lot about being pregnant and often wondered about what my body would look like after giving birth. Truth be told, though, I've never thought about what my uterus would do after playing such a big role in growing, housing, and expelling a baby.

As it turns out, your uterus knows just what to do after giving birth as does the rest of your organs and gets right down to business, shrinking itself up as soon as you have a baby. According to BabyCenter, "Within minutes of your baby's birth, contractions cause your uterus to shrink , its crisscrossed fibers tightening just like they did during labor.

These contractions also help the placenta detach from the uterine wall. Two weeks after giving birth, your uterus will have shrunk to about 11 ounces, and after four weeks it will be just about the same size it was before you gave birth.

Plus, she adds, "the number on the scale is usually not reflective of body fat, so don't discourage yourself. Since most women are advised to gain pounds while pregnant, you might be almost back to your pre-baby size by this point! The uterus returns to the pelvis around six weeks after birth, and it goes back to its original size similar to a closed fist. This means your postpartum belly will look flatter and smaller.

Krieger says there's some truth to the saying "nine months on, nine months off. According to ACOG, if you keep up the healthy eating habits you began during pregnancy, you'll be close to your normal weight within a few months of giving birth. Getting some exercise will help you lose the weight. Check out some postpartum belly exercises here. Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is also key. She also warns against fad diets, which will not promote long-term weight loss. Even worse: crash dieting can deny your body of nutrients and delay healing after birth, and deprive your baby of critical calories and nutrients if you're breastfeeding , ACOG says.

If you continue to have tenderness in that area, delay intercourse until you feel ready. In the meantime, decide which method of contraception you want to use. The first breastfeeding sessions may cause some abdominal cramping because your baby's suckling stimulates the release of oxytocin — a hormone that triggers uterine contractions.

And when your milk comes in , usually two to three days after you give birth, your breasts may get swollen, tender, and hard. They also may throb and feel uncomfortably full. This is called engorgement , and it should get better in a day or two. Nursing your baby often is the best thing you can do for relief. Frequent nursing from the start is sometimes enough to prevent engorgement altogether.

If this doesn't help, talk to a lactation consultant. You'll still begin to produce milk if you're not breastfeeding , and your breasts will become engorged a few days after you give birth. This may cause considerable discomfort that can last for several days.

The pain tends to peak three to five days after you give birth, and it can take several weeks for your milk to dry up completely. In the meantime, wear a supportive bra around the clock, and put cold packs on your breasts to ease swelling and inhibit milk production.

Cover the cold packs with cloth to protect your skin. You can also take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.

If you're extremely uncomfortable, express just enough milk to make the situation more tolerable. However, this may prolong the process because stimulating your nipples and draining your breasts signals your body to make more milk. And don't apply warmth to your breasts either because this can also encourage milk production. If your hair got thicker during your pregnancy, it may now start to shed in handfuls over the first few months after delivery.

Over time usually within a year or so , your hair will return to normal. On the bright side, if you developed excess facial and body hair during pregnancy, it's likely you'll lose most of that hair within six months after having your baby. Hormonal changes, stress, and the fatigue brought on by new parenthood may affect your skin along with the rest of your body.

Some women who had perfectly clear skin during pregnancy will have more breakouts in the months following delivery. On the other hand, if you had acne during pregnancy, you may begin to see some improvement now. Also, if you have chloasma darkened patches of skin on your lips, nose, cheeks, or forehead , or a dark line, called the linea nigra , running from your belly button to your public bone, the discoloration will begin to fade in the months after giving birth.

It will probably go away completely as long as you protect your skin from the sun. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.

When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Guidelines for Perinatal Care. Breastfeeding Handbook for Physicians.