Mar 18 2009
Losing Weight After Baby
How quickly a mother can expect her old shape back after pregnancy can old be based on guidelines as there are no hard and fast rules. Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery which may be attributed primarily to the loss of excess fluid in the body, the baby’s weight, the placenta and amniotic fluid.
An additional seven pounds or so of body fat is gained during pregnancy but after birth when the uterus reverts back to its normal size and the hormone level starts to drop then the weight will start to fall as well.The extra fat gained is used as energy whilst the mother is breastfeeding but there is no magic formula to calculate how quickly each individual’s excess weight will reduce.
After all, it did take nine moths to put the weight on and you cannot expect to lose it all overnight but having said that some women are fortunate enough to lose almost all of this weight within a matter of months after the birth. Nature decides how quickly each person will lose the weight and some mothers hang on to the last few pounds until they have finished breastfeeding.
Nevertheless with a good nutritional diet plan and regular physical activity there is no reason why normal weight or close to it should not return within the year. In fact if women follow the exercise and diet plan carefully, there is no reason why they won’t be back to their original size in the same amount of time it took to have the baby. Unfortunately, it is those women that lose it within the first three months that give false expectations to other mothers.
Weight loss after pregnancy can of course be difficult as most women’s bodies change in order to be a mother.In order to lose weight after pregnancy both safely, and effectively; a new mother should undertake a program of slow and steady dieting along with exercise that will produce long-term beneficial results.
In addition, dieting right after pregnancy for a new mother who is breast feeding should probably be put on hold as a breast feeding new mother needs a significant amount of energy for the continual 24 hour care of her baby that may last for a year. A feeding mother may take upwards of six months for the hormone and metabolic rate to return to normal but for some people the changes they experience end up being permanent.
Don’t forget, the average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25-35 lbs and during birth you can expect to lose about 12-14 lbs. Even though his immediate weight loss after pregnancy will help the condition, the remaining weight to be lost should not be rushed.
If you find the information above educational and useful, read more about pregnancy and birth at pregnancy101.org and have a look at what to eat while pregnant.
