Post-Baby Belly Moves

Liz Neporent is a diet and fitness expert and co-author of "The Fat-Free Truth." She regularly appears on national TV programs and is the president of Wellness 360, a New-York based wellness provider. You can also follow her on Twitter @lizzyfit.

I just had a baby. Is it true I can kiss my flat stomach goodbye forever? – Barbara Carlson, Kingston, N.Y.

If you think your baby bump instantly deflates the moment your bundle of joy pops out, then you need a wake-up call, which is ironic considering how little sleep you'll get after having a baby. You can get your pre-pregnancy belly back, but it takes some hard work, patience and dedication. Even those Hollywood starlets like mom-of-twins Rebecca Romijn, who seem to snap back into shape so quickly, need at least a couple of months to tighten and tone the tummy.

For the best advice on postpartum abs, I turned to Tracey Mallett, author of the new book "Super Fit Mama." She offers these three must-do moves for every new mom, as well as some basic tips on the best ways to work your post-baby middle safely and effectively. Mallet, who has had two children, says these exercises aren't necessarily the belly-crunching gut busters you used to do before you got pregnant, because your aim is to restore any abdominal muscle separation that has occurred during pregnancy and labor, and to re-educate your entire core. (If you want to know more about Mallet's workouts and programs, surf on over to her website.)

Towel Abs

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels in line with your sits bones, the boney part of your butt you feel when you sit in a chair. Wrap a towel around your midsection and criss-cross the towel over your belly button. Hold an end of the towel in each hand.
2. Exhale through your mouth as you lift your head, neck and shoulders up off the floor, draw your abdominals down and in towards your spine and tilt your pelvis up. Once in the up position, pull the towel tight. Hold a moment and release to the start. Do two sets of 10, and work up to 40 reps per day as you get stronger.

Transverse Breathing

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels in line with your sits bones. Place one bed pillow between your knees and another underneath your hips.
2. Inhale through the nose, then exhale through the mouth as you draw your belly button down and in towards the spine, without moving your pelvis. Hold a moment and repeat; do 10 slow-contraction releases, working up to 20 as you get stronger.

Pelvic Tilts

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels in line with your sits bones. Place your arms straight along your body so your hands are along side your hips.
2. Inhale through the nose, then exhale through the mouth as you draw your belly button down and in towards the spine, lifting your tailbone off the floor and towards the ceiling and pulling the pelvic floor up as you tilt the pelvis. Inhale as you return the pelvis to the start. Continue tilting for 10 reps. Do two sets, working up to 20 reps per set as you get stronger.

Mallet's offers the following tips for working the abs after having a baby.

• Check for abdominal separation first before doing any abdominal exercises. To do this, lie on your back with your knees bent and place your fingers just above your belly button. Lift your head, neck and shoulders up off the floor and press your fingers firmly down against your abdomen. Do you feel a gap between the two halves of your abdominal muscles? If so, use your fingers to measure the size of the separation. Repeat the test, this time with your fingers underneath your belly button. If either test reveals a gap more than two finger widths in size, you have a significant abdominal separation and should do the towel exercise only for several weeks in an effort to close the gap.
• If you have a significant abdominal gap, do not perform any crunch or bicycle moves, these can increase the separation. Stick with the towel abs move for the time being.
• Pay attention to the fundamentals of abdominal strengthening – namely, breathing. As you do the exercises, exhale deeply through your mouth as you exert an effort, and inhale deeply though your nose as you release an effort. Keep your abs tight and in as you breathe and move, as if you are wearing a pair of jeans two sizes too small and are trying to zip them up.
• Focus on drawing your pelvis up when pulling your abs towards your spine on the exertion phase of an exercise.
• As you move through your daily routine, pay attention to drawing your abdominals in towards your spine; think of that tight-jeans analogy again.
• When you're ready to move into the next phase of ab training, check out Four Steps to Flatter Abs on AOL Health.

My 2 cents: You can get your tummy back into pre-baby shape, but please don't push it -- it's unsafe and unhealthy to be hard on yourself, especially when you've just had a baby. Besides, there are more important things to worry about. Remember: Consistency is the key. If you stick with it, you will see results.

Now for your 2 cents: Anyone got a good post-baby belly story? Got any exercises that really worked? For anyone who wants to know more about getting your whole body back in shape after giving birth, be the fifth one to twitter me today, and I will send you your very own copy of "Super Fit Mama."