If you’ve just welcomed a little one, first of all, congratulations! Pregnancy is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful experiences in a woman’s life. That said, pregnancy and childbirth do leave their mark, starting with a change in body shape: a wider pelvis and fuller hips. If you’re wondering how to slim your hips after giving birth and get back to your pre-pregnancy figure, here are a few tips: understanding why your hips widen, adapting your diet, easing back into exercise and adopting a targeted body care routine.
Why do hips widen after pregnancy?
Two reasons explain this phenomenon.
The first relates to fat storage. During pregnancy, levels of female hormones rise sharply throughout the nine months. These hormones support a healthy pregnancy and prepare the body for breastfeeding. But this hormonal surge comes with a few downsides, including increased fat storage. This naturally occurs around the buttocks, hips and thighs (the typical distribution of fat cells in the female body). Added to this is the “storage reflex” characteristic of the first trimester, which fuels foetal growth during the second and third trimesters. As a result, lipid storage in maternal adipose tissue increases, along with insulin secretion (which converts carbohydrate intake into fat reserves). This partly explains why weight is gained during pregnancy and, above all, why body shape changes, including a rounding of the hips.
A second reason also explains wider hips, though it applies only to women who gave birth vaginally. To allow the baby to pass through, the bones of the lower pelvis shift during delivery. This isn’t an extreme widening — just 1 or 2 cm of extra circumference. In most cases, the change isn’t dramatic. However, you may notice a slight difficulty fitting into your old clothes (especially fitted cuts), even after losing your pregnancy weight. Nothing to worry about — your body has simply become that of a wonderful mum!
Wider hips after pregnancy: does the pelvis tighten back up?
A wider pelvis after giving birth is due to two different factors. The part linked to the fat reserves built up during pregnancy can change over the months with a balanced diet and a gradual return to physical activity (see the tips below). After a vaginal birth, the widening of the pelvic bones is another matter: it amounts to 1 or 2 cm in circumference and may slightly alter your hip measurement in the long term. This is a natural change in your body.
Pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation helps you regain muscle tone. If you have any questions about your pelvis or experience any discomfort, ask your GP or midwife for advice.
What can you do to slim your hips?
As you’ll have gathered, there’s nothing you can do about the natural widening of your pelvis. It’s a direct result of vaginal delivery. However, a few months after giving birth, you can start adopting some healthy lifestyle habits to lose the weight gained during pregnancy, at your own pace. One important piece of advice first: be patient! It often takes many months, sometimes around a year, to get back to your ideal weight.
1- Adopt a balanced diet
If you’re looking to slim your hips after giving birth, diet is the first thing to look at. We all know how all-consuming those early weeks with a newborn can be. And of course, very few new mothers have the time to prepare healthy, delicious meals. Even so, paying attention to nutrition is important:
- To avoid nutritional deficiencies
- To meet your needs after birth and, where relevant, while breastfeeding
- To gradually get back to your usual weight
Please note: we strongly advise against any restrictive post-partum diet, which could leave a new mum even more depleted. After giving birth, it is recommended to eat:
- Plenty of fruit and vegetables, for their vitamins and minerals.
- Low-fat dairy products rich in calcium, such as quark, semi-skimmed milk and yoghurts.
- Protein, ideally from lean sources such as white meat, fish, eggs and pulses, some of which also provide iron. A note on soy and soy-based products if you are breastfeeding: soy is a phytoestrogen and a potential allergen for your baby.
- Complex carbohydrates with a low GI, such as wholegrains, spread across the day’s meals.
- Plenty of fluids (especially when breastfeeding), primarily water, herbal teas, broths and homemade fruit juices. If you’re breastfeeding, ask your pharmacist for advice before choosing a herbal tea.
- Home-cooked meals, eaten at regular times where possible.
- Added fats should be kept in moderation, as should sugar, salt and snacking (though a healthy snack is perfectly fine).
This balanced way of eating goes hand in hand with a gradual return to your usual weight and, above all, helps you keep up with life as a super mum, without depriving yourself!
2- A gradual return to physical activity
To slim your hips, exercise is of course the first thing that comes to mind. That said, a few precautions are in order.
Childbirth is tough on the body, and new mothers often need time to rebuild their strength and stamina. To begin with, short daily walks with the pram are recommended. It’s an excellent way to ease back into regular physical activity and engage all the muscles of the body — including the hip area.
Before moving on to more intense exercise, it’s strongly advisable to complete pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation. Muscles have been weakened by the surge of hormones, the weight of the baby and the birth itself. Rehabilitation helps you reconnect with your body and rebuild muscle tone.
Finally, from the 6th month post-partum onwards, you can consider resuming sport, with the go-ahead from your GP or midwife. Take it gently and build up gradually. Good options include brisk walking, water-based activities such as swimming and aqua aerobics (both gentle on the joints), as well as Pilates and fitness exercises targeting the thighs and pelvis.
3- Targeted treatments to take care of yourself
As a new mum, finding time for yourself can feel like a luxury. Yet dedicating a few moments to body care can be a real release, a chance to unwind and recharge. And since you may as well make it count, why not build a routine dedicated to your hips?
We particularly recommend our two intelligent treatments: our cooling gel and our night cream. The first, formulated with Oriental Lotus and menthol, gives an invigorating cooling sensation. Apply it to your hips each morning using small circular movements. The second, enriched with ginger extract and nourishing sunflower oil, is applied each evening and works overnight to smooth the look of the skin and leave it feeling more supple. Softness and suppleness to look forward to! When it comes to your plate, pineapple also has its place in a varied diet.
This cosmetic routine can be complemented by daily massages using our massage device. Its ball and wave heads adapt to every area of the body, including the hips. A few minutes of massage a day, built into your routine, are enough to make it a moment of relaxation. Worth noting: its design has been reworked for an even easier grip!
The cordless massager: 2 900 rotations per minute to stimulate your skin
- A deep mechanical massage: rotations and vibrations, up to 2 900 turns per minute, knead the skin on your thighs, stomach, arms and bottom
- 2 complementary heads: the ball head kneads deep down, then the wave head smooths and tones the surface
- 5 intensity levels on a touchscreen, a blue light, cordless and quiet
Frequently asked questions
How can I slim my hips after giving birth?
Start by giving yourself time: your body often needs several months to find its feet again. A varied diet with no restrictive dieting, daily walks, then a gradual return to exercise once you’ve completed pelvic floor rehabilitation make for a realistic starting point. Part of the widening of the pelvis is in the bones themselves and won’t change: that’s completely normal.
How can I tone my hips after pregnancy?
Once your pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation is complete, and with the go-ahead from your GP or midwife, opt for gentle activities that work the lower body: brisk walking, swimming, Pilates and fitness exercises targeting the thighs and pelvis. Massage and body care products can round off this routine for the look of your skin, but they have no effect on the bone structure of the pelvis.
Why does the pelvis widen after childbirth?
During pregnancy, hormonal changes encourage fat storage around the hips, buttocks and thighs. During a vaginal birth, the pelvic bones also move apart slightly to let the baby through, which may leave your hip measurement a little larger than before.
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Useful categories: Slimming Program, Weight Management.
