Pregnancy is a beautiful experience for women, when offered support and the right resources. However, there’s a lot that goes on in a new mother’s life once the baby is born. Postpartum comes with a range of problems – both mental and physical, that can leave a woman drained. Bollywood actor Sonali Seygall, of Pyaar Ka Punchnama fame, gave birth to a baby girl four months ago. In a recent Instagram post, she shared her experience with postpartum involution — the process of losing pregnancy weight.
“They tell you about the sleepless nights, the emotional rollercoaster, the weight changes… but not about how your belly still looks pregnant even after giving birth!” Seygall captioned her social media upload.
Highlighting her personal experience with shedding the baby bump, she shared: “Two days after delivering my baby, I looked in the mirror and saw a body that felt unfamiliar. I thought, “Wait—shouldn’t my belly be gone by now?” But here’s the truth: your body doesn’t snap back. It recovers. Your uterus, which grew over nine months to hold and protect your baby, needs time to shrink back to its original size. This process, called involution, can take up to six weeks or more. Meanwhile, your muscles, your skin, your hormones—everything is adjusting. Healing.”
“It’s not about “bouncing back.” It’s about giving your body the time and compassion it deserves for doing something miraculous,” she added.
At four months postpartum now, she further wrote: “My belly is softer. My body is still changing. I’m not “back to normal”—and maybe I never will be in the old sense of the word. But that’s okay. I’m not rushing this process. I’m learning to love the body that brought life into this world, just as it is, right now. And honestly, this is the most beautiful I’ve ever felt.”
What is involution?
Dr Vaishali Joshi, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital said that involution is the shrinkage of the pregnancy belly. The time period after delivery, called the postpartum period, is crucial for a new mother. She has to adjust to the newborn baby’s demands for feeding and care, despite tackling sleepless nights and physical exhaustion from the delivery. “Pregnancy hormones make them vulnerable to emotional instability, which can result in postpartum blues,” she said.
How can involution impact women?
According to Dr Joshi, weight gain and loss during pregnancy can have a negative impact on body image. “Several new mothers may experience body dysmorphia, where they end up comparing their current body with their previous size and feel bad.” However, it is important to understand that whether big or small, your body has brought a new person into this world and now it takes time to heal,” she said. Even though it is a slow process, accepting your current state and embracing it will make you feel better about yourself in the long run.
She suggested core body strengthening exercises which will help tone abdominal muscles, besides breastfeeding that will make sure all extra calories are burned out. During involution, mothers may also experience weak bladder control or urine leakage. Kegel’s exercises or pelvic floor workouts can help tackle them.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
