A woman’s body undergoes a lot of changes during pregnancy. One of the unfortunate change is the formation of cellulite. Although cellulite is harmless but it may affect the self-confidence of the mother to be. While age, weight and genes are all factors, there are various steps that can be followed to control the deposition of cellulite during your pregnancy. Since during pregnancy you cannot go on extreme diets, or follow a rigorous exercise regime, so a healthy diet combined with pregnancy safe exercises and a few lifestyle changes can help fight cellulite and keep you and your baby healthy. Read on to know what is cellulite , causes of cellulite and ways to prevent it.

• What Is Cellulite?
• Causes Of Cellulite During Pregnancy
• How To Prevent Cellulite During Pregnancy?
• Some Home Remedies To Reduce Cellulite During Pregnancy

What Is Cellulite?

Cellulite is formed when fat accumulates in pockets under the skin. During pregnancy, when the mother puts on weight, the fat cells under the skin get bigger. The collagen fibers that connect the skin to fat will either stretch or may break down, permitting the fat cells to bulge out and become visible. This gives the skin a dimpled look, which is sometimes described as an orange peel, impact or the classic cottage cheese appearance.
Cellulite mostly appears on the hips, thighs and buttocks, but it can also show up on the knees, tummy and under your upper arms. Pregnancy may make cellulite look worse as the weight that is gained during pregnancy can make cellulite more prominent.

Causes Of Cellulite During Pregnancy

• Age: The formation of cellulite or aggravation of existing cellulite increases with the maternal age
• Weight gain: Gaining weight is a part of pregnancy. However, the more weight you put on, more the chances of cellulite formation or worsening of the existing cellulite
• Hormonal changes: Changing levels of insulin and prolactin during pregnancy can cause cellulite
• Pregnancy hormones: The connective tissues tend to loosen just like the ligaments and muscles because of pregnancy hormone. This increases the possibility of fat accumulating in these areas. Moreover, the estrogen, a pregnancy hormone tends to store the fat that is essential during pregnancy
• Water retention: Increased volume of body fluid, which causes water retention during the pregnancy, leads to the formation of cellulite
• Poor diet, poor blood circulation and insufficient exercise are other causes that result in the formation of cellulite during pregnancy as there is increased chances of toxins getting accumulated in fatty tissues causing the formation of cellulite

How To Prevent Cellulite During Pregnancy?

There are many factors that contribute to the formation of cellulite during pregnancy. Some factors are beyond our control and you can do nothing about it. But there are a few measures that you can take to prevent the formation of cellulite during pregnancy. Some of them are:

• • Reduce the intake of foods that are partly responsible for the formation of cellulite. This includes fried foods, carbonated drinks, cheese, fatty meat, marinades, fast foods, sausages, sweets and chocolate laden products especially those which have cream in them. Consume more lean meats, skinless poultry and fish. Keep away from foods that contain artificial color and flavor
  • Follow a balanced diet throughout pregnancy. Increase the intake of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Include whole grains in your pregnancy diet. Alkaline rich fruits and vegetable helps in balancing acidic nature of toxins and eliminate them from the system

• Massaging plays an important role in reducing the chances of cellulite formation. This is because massaging improves blood circulation leading to release of toxins from the system. Pressotherapy, a type of physiotherapy in which external pressure is used to help the blood circulation, is a very good method to minimize the water retention. Bear in mind that it is only safe to perform it on hips and legs during pregnancy
• Sticking to the recommended weight gain over the span of pregnancy reduces the chances of cellulite formation
• Increasing the intake of fluid specially water and keeping yourself well hydrated helps in reducing cellulite. More fluid consumption will decrease the chances of fluid retention, which in turn reduces the cellulite formation
• Practicing exercises permitted by your doctor (walking, swimming, light aerobics, and stretching exercises) and prenatal yoga helps to control cellulite formation
• Moisturizing the body twice a day will help to increase its elasticity, which will help in controlling the cellulite formation

Some Home Remedies To Reduce Cellulite During Pregnancy

• Ground coffee: To make this mixture, take 2-3 tbsp. of melted coconut oil, 1/4th cup of ground coffee and 3 tbsp. of sugar, preferably, brown sugar. Combine all this in a bowl and make a smooth thick paste. Keep it aside for a few minutes and then gently apply to the areas that are affected by cellulite. Ensure that you are putting a gentle pressure and nicely massaging the areas. Repeat this process 2-3 times in a week to notice visible changes
• Skin brushing and massaging: Using special skin brush in soft circular motion in the area affected by cellulite will boost the circulation. This will help to control and reduce the cellulite formation. Do this few times in a week

The good news is in most cases, cellulite will eventually disappear after delivery. But remember to keep away from any treatments be it laser, heat or oral and also any kind of creams, lotions or oils meant for cellulite reduction during pregnancy as these are not safe for you and your baby.