Losing weight after giving birth is definitely a challenge! As soon as you come back from the hospital with your little angel, you want to get rid of those pregnancy clothes and start putting your pre pregnancy ones. But, you still have a belly and some people think that you are still pregnant. It is quite frustrating but don’t worry, this is absolutely normal. Your body changed slowly for nine whole months so it might take a while (several months) to get back to its shape. So be patient.
From the moment you give birth, your body starts working to shrink your belly back to its pre-pregnancy state. But losing weight after giving birth is a slow process. It takes four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size and many women will lose about 8 to 20 pounds during that first two weeks as the body gets rid of all that extra fluid. Find out what you can do to help your body bounce back and lose the baby weight in a healthy way.
Exercise to help in losing weight after giving birth
Having a baby is a major event and you need some time to recover from it. You can’t afford to jump into a diet or major exercise rapidly, as soon as you get out from the hospital. You should get clearance from your doctor or midwife before losing weight after giving birth. You may wait until six weeks to start performing any exercise.
After your first postpartum week, a slow to moderate 30-minute walk three times a week is fine. As you regain strength, you can increase the length or number of walks. After four or six weeks you can do some swimming or bicycling. Check out for exercise classes for moms at fitness or yoga centers. These centers have day care center so you can bring your baby (if you do not have someone to babysit). There are some recreation centers that offer exercise classes for moms while baby is in the stroller. It could be interesting as it is a way of having some fresh air with baby and meeting new moms.
Exercising is good for you, but in the first few months after you give birth, don’t overdo it. Your body needs time to heal, and you need time to adjust to your new role and to care for you and your baby.
Diet
Nursing mothers should not crash diet to lose weight. Milk production requires an extra 500 calories/day and doctors recommend that women who nurse maintain an extra five pounds. Although early milk production draws on weight gained during pregnancy, it is important to consume enough calories to keep up your energy level during this time of healing and change. You should not, however, consume more calories than necessary.
If you are not nursing, try to aim for a program of gradual weight loss. One to two pounds/week is the maximum recommended in order to keep up your strength and bone density.
As long as you follow safety precautions, eat healthy, and exercise, losing weight after giving birth can be accomplished!
