Your tummy after your baby is born may still look pregnant. It also has a soft and squishy texture and may not quite fit into your regular jeans for a few weeks or even months. If you were wondering how to get rid of baby belly, know that it will take some time for your abdomen to recover from having a baby. If it took 9 months to get there, it could take a few months to go away.

Understand that you need to go slowly. Your body is still in the recovery phase and healing, plus if you are breastfeeding you will need extra nutrition. Don’t cut too many calories or do too much exercise. Work up slowly and eat sensibly. Click here to know precautions for working out after giving birth.

How to Get Rid of Baby Belly

The best advice on how to get rid of baby belly fat is patience. You won’t want to rob your body of essential nutrients, especially if you are nursing your baby. You also need time to recover from what you have been through. It usually takes months for your post baby belly to go back down to normal size, you may even notice a little pouch for the rest of your life. The timing for this to go away really does depend on your body, your weight gain while you were pregnant and genetics.

The following tips are some of the safest ways to reduce the size of your tummy and still allow for nutrition and healing. Here is how to get rid of baby belly fat:

1.    Try to Breastfeed

Breastfeeding helps burn extra calories and often will lose weight faster, thus shrinking the belly. Don’t try to skimp on calories, just let nursing do what it does naturally. It will also help keep contractions going that tone and bring the uterus back to normal size.

2.    Get Enough Fluids

To help flush out fat and tone your skin, you need to be drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. If you are breastfeeding, you really need increased fluids to step up milk production.

3.    Do Bridge Exercises

These are very low key exercises that can help to firm and tone your tummy. Always ask your doctor before you start them. If you do this too soon you can pull something in your weak abdominal muscles. Get on the floor and lie on your back. Bend your knees up and put your feet flat on the floor. Slowly life up the pelvis pushing up toward the sky while exhaling. Make sure your shoulders and top part of your back stay on the floor. Hold for a few seconds and lower your pelvis while breathing. Do 3 sets of 15.

4.    Try Planking

The side plank will tone your transverse muscles in the abdomen. It can also strengthen your core which gives your spine more support. To do this, you lie on the left side with your upper torso on your left forearm. Keep your legs straight and together. Keep everything on your left forearm except for the hip and leg. Exhale and tighten the ab muscles lifting your body up off the ground until only your hand and feet are touching the ground. Make sure your body stays in a straight line, exhale and slowly lower yourself back to the ground.

5.    Do Some Yoga

Yoga is a gentle exercise that can help you get back into shape fast. It can also help you relax and center your emotions if you have “post-baby blues.” You can find a nice Yoga DVD or find a good studio in your area. Yoga can flatten the stomach, core muscles, legs/arms, and strengthen the back.

How to Flatten Your Tummy After Pregnancy with Top NH Health & Fitness Coach:

6.    Use a Belly Band

These are bands of fabric designed to stretch over the belly. You can always hide it for a while. Belly bands give your back support and help hold the belly in so your clothes fit better.

7.    Use Good Posture

Consciously adjust your posture throughout the day to draw your belly in towards the spine. Sit straight up, push your shoulders down and pull your abdomen in by the belly button and hold it there as long as you can. You can start this exercise as soon as you leave the hospital. You can remind yourself to do this during the day by putting a piece of string around your waist. When you start to let your belly out, it will remind you to pull it back in.

8.    Baby Curls

If you are still wondering how to get rid of post baby belly fat, use the baby. This exercise will be fun for both of you! To do this one, just lie flat on your back and hug your baby to your chest. Bend your knees up and raise your baby up in the air. Pull your knees all the way to your chest and place your baby on top of your shins. Keep holding onto baby’s hands. Keep your shins and baby parallel to the floor and raise your shoulders slightly off the floor. Lower your legs and keep your thighs at a 90 degree angle. Hold this position and then lower your shoulders and bring your knees and baby back up. Repeat this as tolerated. Click here for more exercises with baby.

9.    Leg Scissors

Lie flat on your back. Reach back with your arms and grab something sturdy. Raise your legs in the air to a 90 degree angle. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lower your legs one leg at a time. Keep the leg just above the ground and hold. Switch legs and keep repeating. Do this 10 times on each leg.

What About Dieting?

You can always try a low-calorie meal plan after your body has recovered. Technically, doctors want you to wait six weeks after delivery to start a diet and exercise routine. Your body needs extra nutrition and rest while healing from having a baby. If you are nursing, you should wait a few months before you shave off calories.

In order to lose baby weight and the baby belly, try to eat at least 1,600 calories and not more than 2,400 per day. Eating sensible healthy foods and doing exercises that are gentle on your body can help you lose your baby belly quicker. You can also try these helpful tips:

• Stay away from fatty and processed foods and avoid sugar
• Always eat breakfast every day
• Eat less carbohydrates like bread, pasta and potatoes
• Switch to fiber rich carbohydrates like beans, oats, whole grains, and seeds
• Remember “Five a Day” and get five servings of fruits and vegetables daily