Post-pregnancy fails: need help

[callamia]

Seven months ago, I had a lovely baby. Since then, it appears the lack of sleep and personal care time has caught up with me, and I'm looking rubbish. I am taking supplements, and my diet isn't too bad, but I can not put on weight, and it's still dropping (this isn't any kind of stealth boast, I'm faintly concerned I've got some sort of vitamin/mineral deficiency)

My skin has gone to horrible, my hair is starting to fall out, and my arse has disappeared. I weigh less than I have done for about ten years, but this is scant reward for the changes to my body shape (hey, sisterhood! you might have warned me about this!). I'm still breastfeeding, so I have fairly decent boobs, but my legs and bum are shadows of themselves, and my new cigarette pants look like harem pants :(

What I need is some advice. What can I do about my skin (spot-prone and red), my hair (uncooperative) and where can I buy cigarette pants/smart trousers?

I'm thoroughly miserable with it all.

Have you been to the docs re weight loss?
Can recommend a benefit facial for skin (££££ s gor products though)

Oh you do sound so deflated, just to be on the safe side it may be a good idea for a full blood screening to be done, just incase you are low in iron, vit d etc. once you have some idea as to what is going on for your body then you can start to take action. I would suggest lots of culinary herbs and spices to be used in your food and maybe a table spoon of cold pressed organic olive oil every morning to be drunk. Look up health benefits of olive oil.

Taking up swimming and yoga may help with toning your body, many leisure centres have crèche facilities for mums with tots.

I hope that you can feel better about yourself soon

Just a quick thought about your hair, it can be normal for some hair loss after birth but excessive hair loss should always be checked out. Please do not hesitate to see your gp if you are concerned.

Hair loss is normal. I lost loads after both of mine, although my hair is really thick so I was grateful for the lack of body. The skin is hormonal too I'm afraid and should clear up soon. The weight loss I have no experience of though, sorry.

Definitely go to your GP if you are concerned about your weight loss. I kept losing weight whilst breastfeeding for the first year. I then stopped and slowly I put weight back on. However, it is always worth getting checked out as your body has been in all sorts of flux whilst pregnant and post pregnancy. Now for some quick wins to make you feel a bit more glowy and hopefully make you feel a bit better:-

1. Hot cloth cleansing- buy a shed load of cheap flannels and double cleanse your skin at night with a gentle creamy face wash (Superdrug's Vitamin E one is perfect). Put the cleanser on dry skin, massage in for a minute, soak a flannel in hand hot water and then remove cleanser with said cloth. Twice.
2. Gentle exercise- walking, swimming, dancing in the lounge, fast walking with the pram. Just something to get the blood pumping.
3. There's a cinnamon shampoo bar from Lush which perked up my hair when it started dropping out (and I have fine hair to start with). It really put life back in to it.
4. GAP bootcut trousers- lovely length and cut. Very flattering on flat bottoms.

Do not be hard on yourself. I know exactly how you feel. I looked very thin at times, was permanently exhausted and just looked like s*. However, i took time out for myself, started the hot cloth cleansing, oh, and bought NARS orgasm blusher (instantly perks you up). A decent, radiance boosting foundation is great too and the benefit of hot cloth cleansing is that you gradually need less and less foundation.

Hope this helps and congrats on being a mum!! xx