Changes to your tummy

Changes to your tummy

You may feel swollen, or think you still look pregnant after you’ve given birth. This is normal - it takes a while for your uterus to contract back to its normal size. Breastfeeding helps the uterus to contract too.

Your stomach muscles and the skin on your tummy will likely be quite loose after the birth too. Pregnancy stretches the abdominal muscles and the skin, and often leaves stretchmarks and some excess skin. The stretchmarks will fade, and stomach muscle tone will improve with time and exercise.

Once you’ve recovered from the birth, you can start doing some gentle exercise to help tighten up your tummy muscles. If your abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy, seek advice from a women’s health physio on safe exercise.