by BabyCenter Guest Blogger posted in Parenting

By Jill Simonian
I remember first time pregnancy well: the unexpectedness, the panic, the big F-bomb I dropped as a way of breaking the news to my husband (because of said unexpectedness and panic). I freaked.
Once I absorbed the truth of that little pink plus sign, I vowed to bounce back in mind, body and spirit right after birthing my first baby. Bam! Take that, frazzled new motherhood. (My promise has since morphed into a book, The FAB Mom's Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby.)
The good news" I've found a mother's mind and spirit naturally evolves to become better after having babies -- we become superheroes in every sense of the multi-tasking word (you'll soon see). As for the body" Getting your exact pre-baby shape back will most likely not happen. Creating a human in your belly doesn?t always allow things to pop back into the same spots they were before that bundle of joy busted in. But: YOU CAN FAKE IT TO MAKE OTHERS BELIEVE IT HAS. Heed my favorite surefire tips to make your pre-baby body look like it?s back:

Don't gain too much pregnancy weight. What"!That's right. Do your best to stick to the 25-40 pound weight gain recommendation by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Keep moving as much as you can while pregnant, drink lots of water, eat what you crave in moderation (although, I am guilty of taking advantage of McDonalds' french fries once up...