The transition from pregnancy to motherhood comes with a lot of changes; to emotions, priorities, sleep routines, daily schedules and, of course, the body. For some women, these physical changes come with an obvious decrease in the size of the booty. In this article, we’d talk about the changes to your mom butt and five exercises that are guaranteed to transform it.
Table of contents:
First, what’s A Mom Butt?
It’s simple, really.
A mom butt is the flat, straight-looking butt that comes as a result of pregnancy. In medical terms, a mom butt refers to the sagging, flat gluteal (butt) muscles observed in women after childbirth.
To provide some context, a woman with a mom butt may just wake up to realize that her favorite pair of jeans is beginning to sag at the butt. Interestingly, lots of women experience, but do not notice mom butts after pregnancy. In other instances, some new moms may notice but simply decide to live with.
Read on to find out all you need to know about the mom butt.
What Causes the Change?
Usually, the change to your butt during and after pregnancy occurs as a result of certain shifts in your body’s alignment and hormone composition.
How do these changes occur? Let’s find out:
1. Hormones
As you await the arrival of your little baby (or babies), your body releases a certain hormone called ‘Relaxin’. During pregnancy, this hormone softens your pelvis as it helps you prepare for childbirth.
In addition, Relaxin also softens every joint in your body and stops your glute (or butt) muscles from functioning optimally. In most cases, this results in a classic mom butt.
2. Posture
Pregnancy comes with weight gain, weaker abs and other physical alterations. Furthermore, the growing uterus pushes the pelvis forward, causing a significant shift the body’s center of gravity. To find balance, your spine and pelvis would have to bend forwards to keep you upright.
As a result of this shift, certain muscles like the glutes may become under-activated, causing a mom butt.
3. Muscle Inactivation
Have you ever heard about the law of use and disuse?
It’s a concept of evolution which explains that the more active a certain body part is, the bigger it becomes.
Studies have shown that during pregnancy, weight gain and posture changes may inactivate the glute muscles. It is important to note that an inactive muscle cannot grow or maintain strength as well as an active one.
Often times, this gluteal muscle inactivation results in the occurrence of a mom butt. Furthermore, this process is worsened by the inevitable drop in general activity levels that comes as pregnancy progresses.
4. Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding consumes a lot of calories. Sometimes, the process of nursing your child may even cause you to lose some weight. As a result, it is very important for nursing moms to eat healthy during this period.
In combination with the long periods of sitting, breastfeeding may cause you to lose some of that precious booty.
Exercises That Would Transform Your Mom Butt
1. The Glute Bridge
The first exercise on our list is the Glute Bridge, which essentially activates your gluteal muscles and adds some flesh to your booty.
Procedure:
- Lie on your back
- Bend your knees and place your feet at shoulder width
- Place your arms at your side with your palms directed downwards.
- Squeeze your butt as hard as you can and lift your hips off the ground
- Attempt to straighten your hips
- Hold the top position for about 5 seconds
- Repeat the entire process about 10 times.
2. The Hip Thrust
The next exercise is similar to the glute bridge, however, it involves a wider range of motion. To perform the hip thrust routine, you need a firm couch or exercise bench.
Procedure:
- Sit at the edge of the couch or bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor at shoulder-width
- Keep your abs tight and squeeze your butt muscles as you extend your hips.
- At this point, your upper back should be flat on the couch or bench
- Raise your torso and pause at the top
- Gently lower your back again
- Repeat the process as many times as you can
3. Reverse Lunges
The next exercise on our list is the reverse lunge. Although it is very effective, it requires balance and mobility. Therefore, it is important to take it slow.
Procedure:
- Stand in a spot with your feet placed together
- Step back as far as you can with one foot
- Squat by bending both knees simultaneously
- Remember, the knee behind doesn’t need to touch the floor.
- Repeat the process 6-8 times with each leg
4. Squats
Now, this is a popular option. Many moms agree that the squat is one of the best postpartum exercises available. In addition to transforming your mom butt, squats trains several other muscles in your lower body.
Procedure:
- Stand straight with your feet placed at hip-width
- Raise your arms until they lie straight in front of your chest
- Squat down as you bend your knees and hips simultaneously
- Go down as far as you can
- Squeeze your butt muscles as hard as you can while returning to the start position.
- Repeat the process about 10-15 times
5. Side-Lying Clams
The next exercise option is really simple.
Thankfully, it works. The side-lying clam is guaranteed to activate your glute and hip muscles.
Procedure:
- Lie on your side
- Bend your knees
- Next, raise your knee up towards the ceiling while keeping your heels touching each other.
Our ‘Mom Butt Fix’ Exercise Routine
To help you along this journey of fixing your mom butt, we recommend that you select any three of the exercises mentioned above and perform them at least three times a week.
If you stick to this routine, you may be on the way to getting your bubble butt back!
Here’s What You Should Not Do If You Have a Mom Butt
In the first part of this article, we talked about what to do to get your butt back. However, if you are a new mother with a mom butt, here are a few things you need to avoid:
1. Sitting For Long Periods
This would simply worsen the muscular imbalance that comes with pregnancy. If you sit in one position for a long time, your butt would remain weak and inactive.
To avoid this, you can strap your baby and move around while breastfeeding. Another workable option is to set a reminder on your phone to get up at least once every hour.
2. Cycling
Although postpartum exercise is healthy, women with mom butts are advised to avoid activities that involve sitting for long periods.
A classic example is cycling.
Instead of sitting for long while cycling, you can try walking around the park or sidewalk with your baby in a jogging stroller.
3. Exercises That Train Only Your Hip Muscles
As we mentioned earlier, a bad posture would inactivate your glute muscles and cause a saggy mom butt. Generally, having tight and overactive hip flexor muscles translate to weak, inactive glute muscles.
Therefore, it is advisable to avoid exercise routines which activate the hip muscles without focusing on the glutes. An easy example of this type of exercise is the classic sit-up.
A Final Note From Edie & Amy
Sadly, mom butts are real. If you do not pay proper attention to your posture and butt muscles, your booty may get flat after childhood.
Always remember to stretch out your hips and strengthen your butt muscles by performing any of these simple and effective exercises.
Finally, be patient. You’ve got this, Mama!
