Postpartum issue: Losing that baby fat

Hi everyone! Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement left under my blog comments and Facebook PMs. I'm really touched that there are people out there who actually do enjoy reading my posts and leave happy wishes for my family & I, as much as I enjoy writing about my (boring) life.

As I tend to write about the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly side of Motherhood - I would like to share with my Mummy / Mum-to-be/ trying-to-conceive friends and readers about a topic that concerns postpartum women most: losing the baby weight.

My good husband recently did a search online and engaged for me a Malay makcik (aunty) for Postnatal massage. For my first birth, I did not engage any massage lady because I had a Csect and was scared of the pain and also mainly because I lost all my baby weight by the time Adam was 1 month old. I had put on 10kg for the entire pregnancy.
Ironically, I only put on 9kg throughout my second pregnancy, but somehow I seem to have alot of loose flabs around my tummy, arms and hips.
I was 26 when I first became a Mum. Now, I'm 29. Old already!!

Some women are lucky, some women need some help.
This time round I belong to the latter.
So anyway, Hubby got me a massage lady, and I did my 1st session of Postnatal massage today by Mdm Mas and all was good.
To make small talk, I asked her what are the benefits of Postnatal massage, and she told me the following points:
- Lymphatic drainage
- Helps blood circulation
- Relaxation
- Push uterus back into shape
- Helps flush out "dirty" blood
- Breast massage to unblock clogged ducts (my BM flowed freely after this and my supply increased. This really works.)
- and of course, regain pre-pregnancy figure!!

She concluded the session by doing a cloth wrap for me which I kept on for 12 hours.

Layer after layer after layer of cloth! I could really feel the tightening feeling, the kind when you try to squeeze into undersized jeans and almost cannot breathe after a buffet. Yeap those kinda feeling x 12hours, and due to the humidity in Singapore, I kept sweating, and I HATE to sweat. But I endured. No pain, no gain and I knew the end result must be worth it!

12 hours later, I peeled off the layer after layer of binding to reveal this...


This is after just ONE session. There you are, my first virgin Postnatal massage session.
I still have some bulge on my tummy but I can see it's really flattened significantly. *happy chicken dance*

Things to prepare for Postnatal massage:
- a mattress (any kind will do, even a yoga mat. If you are worried of breast pain when lying face-down, you can cushion with a pillow)
- 2 towels
- a box of tissue paper

Mdm Mas' charges: $50 per session, regardless of how many sessions. She doesn't sell her services by package so you can pay per session, and can determine how many sessions you want, it's entirely up to you. I know she is one of the cheapest Makciks around. Most charge $500 for 7-8 sessions.
She is non-pushy and she uses a traditional home-blend massage oil which has no smell and not too oily.

Tips for Mummies engaging Postnatal massage: bathe before your massage session because you will have to endure the wrap.
Also, best is to arrange your massage session in the afternoon or as her last client, so that you can go to bed with the binder on (ladies doing confinement can only bathe ONCE a day or wipe their bodies so imagine if your appointment is first thing in the morning then you will be sticky and sweaty all day)
To see faster results, use a girdle after you remove the wrap. Buy your girdle one size smaller instead of just-fitting size because when you have lost some weight you don't want the girdle to be too loose.


Ok, that's all. It's 12am now and I'm seeing stars. I hope you found the post useful. Good night!