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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
The first exercise on our list is the Glute Bridge, which essentially activates your gluteal muscles and adds some flesh to your booty.
Procedure:
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:
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:
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:
The next exercise option is really simple.
Thankfully, it works. The side-lying clam is guaranteed to activate your glute and hip muscles.
Procedure:
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!
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:
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.
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.
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.
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!
During pregnancy, it is important to stay as active, healthy and calm as possible to…
Selecting the right healthcare provider for your pregnancy and childbirth is a big decision. The…
Baby-proofing your home is an essential part of your journey as a parent. It's a…
Babies require extra attention and tender, loving care due to their fragile nature. A major…
The pregnancy journey was long and tedious but you made it through. You have got…
The journey of parenthood is a remarkable experience, filled with many moments of joy and…