The first thing that most new moms want after giving birth - in addition to holding their newborn, of course - is to feel slim again.
After months of carrying a baby and gaining weight, it's nice to get back into your pre-pregnancy clothes and feel like a normal person again.
One thing you need to keep in mind, however, is that your body changed during maternity.
What used to fit well and look good may not be the best thing to wear after giving birth.
Here's a guide to help you look like a beautiful new mom.
Start At the Start Before you put any clothes on, start with what goes underneath.
After giving birth, your tummy won't shrink right away nor will all that excess skin that stretched to accommodate your growing baby bounce back into shape.
What's a new mom to do? A body shaper will ensure that everything goes back into place and makes any clothes you put on over it look as good as possible.
Good quality shapewear is an absolute necessity and makes a great baby shower gift for mom.
Clothes That Hide and Disguise If you have an event or party to attend or an office job where you need to look nice, then a maxi dress is your go-to wardrobe staple.
Pairing an empire waist with a long hemline is a great way to disguise your lumpy middle while you strive to lose the baby fat.
Plus, maxi dresses are comfortable.
They're easy to dress up or down, depending on the occasion, and look smashing with a pair of cute flats.
Your best bet for a blouse that looks great over a pair of jeans or dressier slacks is one with an elastic, banded hem that skims across your hips.
Not only are these blouses in style, they're perfect for disguising the parts of your figure most affected by pregnancy.
In fact, any top that has a flowing hemline is a good choice for after-pregnancy fashion.
A smocked or empire waist is another safe bet.
But don't pair a blousy top with baggy bottoms; try a pair of leggings or jeggings to balance the look.
Slimming Clothes Illusion is a great way to look slimmer than you are.
You can easily create illusion when selecting the clothes you wear after giving birth by layering tops to hide your thick waistline.
A lace-edged camisole or tank top is the perfect light layer underneath a sweater or jacket.
Dark colors for a top and bottom slenderize and accessories like a long scarf make the illusion of a longer body work even better.
A blouse with a v-neck not only slims your upper body, it's a great way to show off your cleavage, which is bound to be larger and sexier than normal while breastfeeding.
This is one feature you want to show off instead of hide! The good news is that it is possible to look slender and beautiful right after giving birth.
Start with a body shaper that smoothes the abdomen, hips and thighs and then layer on clothes that both conceal and create the illusion of lean length.