Becoming a mother changes your life forever, both physically and mentally. Your pregnancy days will likely leave a few physical souvenirs behind. Mothers are tough and beautiful, and your new body only signifies that.
Here are a 7 body changes you’ll only recognize if you’re a mom.
1. Hair Loss
While pregnant, your increased estrogen levels restrain your hair from falling out at its usual rate. Therefore, your estrogen levels will abruptly drop back to normal after pregnancy, causing your hair to fall out much faster. This temporary hair loss will likely last up to a year, but after that, it typically goes back to normal. In the meantime, you can protect your hair by taking biotin vitamins and using other natural remedies for hair growth.
2. Melasma
Melasma is a skin condition that’s often triggered by hormonal changes, such that occur during pregnancy. It causes brown-gray patches to form on the skin, often around the forehead and chin. In fact, it’s sometimes referred to as the “mask of pregnancy” because it tends to fade on its own once pregnancy is over. However, melasma can certainly return, especially from excess sun exposure. That’s why it’s essential to continue treating your skin once the condition is gone in order to ensure it doesn’t come back. Your doctor may prescribe you a melasma treatment and suggest you wear SPF 50 face lotion at all times.
3. Change in Shoe Size
Many of us become so preoccupied with the changes in our midriff region, we don’t even realize what’s happening to our feet. As you may know, it’s common for your feet and ankles to swell during pregnancy. But did you know that your change in foot size may be permanent even after pregnancy? This is because the additional weight you gain during pregnancy can sometimes flatten the arch of your foot, causing your foot to become roughly a half-inch longer.
4. Dive in Sex Drive
As your estrogen levels start to plummet post-pregnancy, it’s likely that your sexual drive will too. On top of not feeling in the mood, you may also be experiencing stress and fatigue with a new baby. This change in lifestyle can push the thought of sex to the bottom of your priority list. And it doesn’t stop there — your sex drive may continue to be lower even as your children get older. Being preoccupied with other responsibilities may have sucked the intimacy right out of your relationship. Luckily, there’s no need to worry. There are several ways to put the sexual spark back in your relationship!
5. Incontinence
A vaginal delivery can weaken the muscles required for bladder control and damage the bladder nerves. As a result, many women experience incontinence, or the inability to control their bladder. In some cases, getting a C-section can also cause this same issue. To counter these effects, it’s best to start practicing Kegels. This is an exercise that strengthens your pelvic floor muscles, which can help to improve bladder control. Practice Kegels a few times a day, every day. The best part is you can practice these without anyone around you even realizing!
6. Drop in Cup Size
When you get pregnant, it’s common for your breasts to get larger. This is due to the change in your hormone levels and your body preparing for breastfeeding. However, once you have your child and/or stop breastfeeding, your cup size will then drop back to its regular size. If you were to get pregnant again, the same process would repeat.
7. Mom Brain
Having “mom brain” is another way of describing the times when you’re forgetful, absent-minded, or extra emotional. As a mother, you probably have a million things on your mind at once. You not only need to remember all of your tasks and responsibilities, but your child’s as well. Not to mention, you presumably don’t sleep as well as you used to before having children. With all of this added responsibility to your life, having “mom brain” is totally normal, expected, and perfectly okay.
