Womanhood is not easy. It's a daily challenge with the hormonal cycle and the toxicity of the world. And motherhood is a notch more difficult. If you have given birth, the struggle is on a whole new level. Not only you have to deal with a newborn and the new raging hormones but with an unrecognizable body too, too slash your confidence to the basement level. I very well remember the first time I tried slipping into my jeans after giving birth. Of course I couldn't fir into it.  So I tried on a dress instead. My lower tummy hung out as if I was still 6 months pregnant. I was devastated looking at myself into the mirror. I wish I had known about the best shapewear to help elevate my confidence.

So how do shapewears work?

Websites like Shapellx have a variety of shapewears to suit your different needs and help raise your confidence again. From body shaping shorts to butt lifters, bodysuits to swimwears, they bring out the best in your body.

These are the two categories that I find useful the most:

1. Body shaper shorts: These help in giving a streamlined effect to your body. The design is such that these shorts don't ride up, so you can be comfortable. Also, the crotch area is made of anti microbial fabric, so that you can skip the underwear. These shorts also have a butt lifting effect, so as to give a perfect contour to your look. So the tummy goes in and the butts come out, and you feel your best.

2. Sustainable shapewear: Personally, this is my favourite. I love dresses that shape my body. These are the most comfortable to wear, according to me.

This dress not only tucks the tummy inside, but also smoothens the entire look. With classic colours like black and grey, you can wear them as such too, in the warm weather. And you can layer them beneath your outer dress, whenever required!

It's suitable for all kinds of bodies and provides tummy and boob control.

So this was a short cut to hide your mommy pooch so that you can slip into that cute dress without feeling guilty. And to get rid of that pooch permanently, I will enumerate some practical advices too.

1. Heal your diastesis recti: This should be the foremost step in any post partum journey. Before you jump into any regular tummy toning exercises, you should take care of yourself first. 

For the uninitiated, this is a condition in which the two rectus abdominis muscles separate, leaving a space in the midsection of the abdomen; which can further lead to herniation later on. This is a very common feature in mommies post partum and should be healed on priority basis, before jumping into any fads.

So instead of abdominal crunches and biking, focus on exercises that strenghten your core, like glute bridge, Glute bridge march, leg raises, reverse crunches etc. I made my mistake during my first pregnancy, resulting in a much worse diastesis recti condition. If course, the best shapewear does help in keeping your tummy firm.

2. Take care of your diet: Getting that flat tummy or losing weight is 80% diet and 20% workout. Abs are made in the kitchen, and not in the gym. Drink 2 -3 litres of water, don't indulge in too much carbs and aim for 60gms of protein everyday. Try to stick to home cooked meals except for special occasions and have your dinner by 7 PM, without any late night snacking. And of course, invest in a nice sustainable shapewear!

3. Sleep: While sleeping properly with a small baby might be a challenge till few years, you can also catch up on your snooze whenever possible, instead of doom scrolling or binge watching. While "sleep when the baby sleeps" might not be practical, it is however the best for the mother's health. And if course there are body shaper shorts to boost your confidence till you achieve your dream weight!