Video: Body after baby: 5 things to expect By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details Your post-pregnancy body will feel new and different at first. The key? Being kind to yourself as you deal with the changes and help your body bounce back. Watch for 5 things to expect from your body postpartum, and tips for dealing with them from Mayo Clinic experts. Show transcript Body after baby: 5 things to expect You might leak when you laugh for a while after delivery. TRY: Pelvic muscle training and pantiliners. Kegel exercises may strengthen muscles around your bladder. Try sanitary pads to patch you through. Hormone changes may make post-pregnancy sex a delicate process. TRY: Taking your time. When you're ready to resume sex, use lubricants and go slow. Express what feels good. Breastfeeding is not 100% reliable for preventing pregnancy. TRY: Use contraception right out of the gate. Talk to your doctor about methods that meet your needs if you don't want to get pregnant. Stretch marks won't disappear after delivery, but they will get fainter. TRY: Skipping the creams. Lotions can't fight the biggest factor: heredity. Ask about treatment for severe marks. Post-baby body weight won't just fall off. TRY: Eat healthy and ease into exercise. Focus on nutrition and gradually increase activity. Expect 6+ months to get back into shape. Guidance from the experts at Mayo Clinic.Get more healthy action tips delivered daily when you download the Mayo Clinic App. Show references Exercise after pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Exercise-After-Pregnancy. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. Pelvic support problems. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/pelvic-support-problems. Accessed Sept. 24, 2024. O'Malley DO, et al. Prevalence of and risk factors associated with sexual health issues in primiparous women at 6 and 12 months postpartum; a longitudinal prospective cohort study (the MAMMI study). BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. 2018; doi: 10.1186/s12884-018-1838-6. Berens P. Overview of the postpartum period: Physiology, complications, and maternal care. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. Recovery from birth. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/recovering-birth. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. Wick MJ. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. 3rd ed. Mayo Clinic; 2024. Butler Tobah, Y (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 11, 2019. VID-20466681