I gained 35-40 lbs with AJ. I didn't really track my weight after he was born (no scale at home and no desire to get on the one at my parents' house) but when I went back to work at 12 weeks postpartum I had roughly 15 extra lbs still hanging around. Even though I was breastfeeding, hmph.
For the duration of my time EBFing AJ, running/exercise was more about my sanity than weight loss because as soon as my calorie intake started dropping my supply did too. I did lose 5-7lbs once he was weaned but still have the rest to deal with because my diet sucks. My body is definitely different, but I was expecting that because my friends who have had kids warned me.
Ditto PPs that said be kind to yourself. Remember that you spent 9 months growing this kid, and it's very likely that it could take 9 months or more to take off.
Post by annabear07 on Aug 25, 2015 12:29:36 GMT -5
I held on to the last 5 lbs of my pregnancy weight so long! In fact I am slightly above and pregnant again! Yay.
I gained over 50lbs and I lost about 10lbs with the birth and water weight. I didn't really try to lose the weight as I was crazy concerned over my supply since it never was great. And BFing did nada for my weight loss. Add on top that my daughter didn't sleep well (still doesn't) and exercising was and is not happening. But I cleaned up my diet after I weaned at 12 months and was within the 5lbs at the 15month mark.
At this point I'm just going with being a little bigger for 3 years of my life and I can fix all that after the baby making is done. Everyone is different! But I guarantee you will not go home from the hospital in your prepregnancy skinny jeans!
No shame farmvillelover I am also admittedly vain. I don't know the extent to which I will care postpartum but I am quite sure I will care.
I think I am borrowing trouble by starting to worry about this already though.
I distinctly remember sharing my post-baby body fears with a friend who is a mom and she assured me I wouldn't even care about it. Lies. All lies. I considered skipping a wedding in a few weeks that my H's exgf will be at also, because I feel like such a heifer. Probably not a healthy attitude huh?
Post by sparkythelawyer on Aug 25, 2015 12:58:59 GMT -5
I gained about 40 while pregnant. Initially, I lost it all quickly.....and then spent the next few months eating like a total idiot, not exercising, buying a house and moving, so I put 20 of it back on. My pre-pregnancy weight? Wasn't that great either.
I gave myself permission to just exist until she hit six months, which she did earlier this month. Now I'm trying to get back into the gym more.
I don't love how I look right now. But really? I could lose the 65 or so pounds I need to lose and STILL not love how I look. My belly was my sore spot BEFORE the baby. Now? Its soft, flabby, coated with stretch marks and a scar from gallbladder surgery at 14 weeks that never really healed well. And if I lost all the weight I should? My belly would still be the same. I would still never wear a bikini.
I'm just trying to embrace the new normal: My body won't look the same, but I can help keep it strong and functioning well, and we'll deal with the number on the scale in a more meaningful fashion once I'm done breastfeeding (167 days to go, not that I'm counting!)
No shame farmvillelover I am also admittedly vain. I don't know the extent to which I will care postpartum but I am quite sure I will care.
I think I am borrowing trouble by starting to worry about this already though.
I distinctly remember sharing my post-baby body fears with a friend who is a mom and she assured me I wouldn't even care about it. Lies. All lies. I considered skipping a wedding in a few weeks that my H's exgf will be at also, because I feel like such a heifer. Probably not a healthy attitude huh?
I feel like I will be the same way. I get mildly crazy about these things.
Post by wanderingenough on Aug 25, 2015 15:16:25 GMT -5
I keep logging in hoping to see all these STMs saying "oh I gained 50lbs and it all fell off in six weeks while I ate pop tarts and butter." Alas, I keep getting disappointed!
I've gained 35-40 lbs with each pregnancy. The first time I lost it all by 8 weeks PP, but my hips took a while longer to get back into place and I had a lower belly pooch until I got pregnant again.
Second time I was still up 15lbs at 8 weeks. I started walking on the treadmill at 4 weeks and running at 6 weeks. I started using MFP to track calories at 10 weeks and lost the rest of the weight plus 5 lbs by 7 months PP. Heavy lifting (Stronglifts) helped me lose the belly pooch that time.
You can start light exercise, mainly walking, when you feel up to it. Avoid targeting your abs for 4-6 months, as it can actually make your belly look worse until your muscles are fully healed, which takes a while unfortunately.
I keep logging in hoping to see all these STMs saying "oh I gained 50lbs and it all fell off in six weeks while I ate pop tarts and butter." Alas, I keep getting disappointed!
hey, my post was like that but I have low standards...whomp whomp
I gained 55 pounds when I was pregnant with DS. I was pretty bloated by the time I delivered, and lost 20 pounds in the hospital, so I had 35 pounds to lose.
I pretty much did nothing in terms of watching what I ate until recently (13 months PP), but I've been doing some gentle Pilates since 6 weeks. I tried doing some Jillian Michaels DVDs, but the cardio was too much for me (I wasn't very active during pregnancy). I also try to take at least a half an hour walk per day.
I lost maybe 8-10 pounds in the first six months, then the remaining 20ish in the next six months, by doing not much. I think a lot of it had to do with how much I was moving because of DS. When he was a newborn, he could only sleep if I was holding him, so I spent a lot of time on the couch while he slept. After 6 months, he was moving a lot more and wanted to go places and see things. I was also naturally more motivated to have healthy food in the house to feed him.
Anyway, I never lost the last 5 pounds before I got pregnant again, but considering I didn't do any strenuous exercise or careful/consistent dieting, I don't think I did too badly. I'm still a lot jigglier than I was before, but I can fit into most of my clothes. Now I just need to gain less with this one!
I keep logging in hoping to see all these STMs saying "oh I gained 50lbs and it all fell off in six weeks while I ate pop tarts and butter." Alas, I keep getting disappointed!
I keep reading hoping to find that too. I'd love to meet someone who said "My first destroyed my butt and belly button, but number two made me a supermodel!" Ha.
Post by runblondie26 on Aug 25, 2015 21:24:31 GMT -5
I was about 5lbs below pre-pregnancy weight by 6 weeks PP with both babies (but was still 10 lbs about above my "happy" weight, I put on about 15lb each time in order to conceive). After my 1st, It took about 9 months to loose the final 10lbs to my goal.
With my 2nd, I was nursing and training for the Boston Marathon at the same time. I firmed up quickly and could wear most of my old clothes by 2 months PP, but was I starving all the time and plateaued about 5lbs above my goal weight. I never really buckled down to loose it and then got pregnant again when DC#2 was about a year old.
I lucked out in the gene pool and never got stretch marks or saggy skin after the 1st two babies. However, my hips are wider, boobs are nonexistent after nursing, and feet are a size bigger.
Exercise is key for me to lose weight and get back into my clothes. I also ran some of my fastest race times after having kids. We'll see how everything goes this time. Hopefully my skin still has some elasticity left.
I keep logging in hoping to see all these STMs saying "oh I gained 50lbs and it all fell off in six weeks while I ate pop tarts and butter." Alas, I keep getting disappointed!
I'm not gonna lie - that's what it felt like for me. Haters gonna hate, in not a skinny Minnie, but my baby weight dropped off. I remember saying to someone I felt like I was in a movie where my wish to eat whatever I wanted but still lose weight like a fairy tale. That being said, a postpartum body isn't based just on weight. My body itself - numbers aside - was and is completely different. And it took me a while to come to terms with THAT; you really can chose to accept your body or be at war with it, and for me, acceptance won. And now I get to do it all over again, 4.5 years older, less time for exercise and eating right - we shall see if the same holds true this time around, but I'm not banking on it. I'm also going into this being okay with that, I'll do the work I need to do to feel good in my body, but I know it'll take time.
ETA picture from a wedding this past weekend 3w PP.
I left the hospital down to my pre pregnancy weight then some. I do look "softer" and have a stomach pouch above my c section incision. Overall I am happyish with my body 3-4 weeks PP but I would like that tummy pouch to go away.
This is my first, but I'll comment about my first 5 weeks pp.
I gained 50 lbs during pregnancy, and only lost 7 when I went home on day 2. That was depressing. But by the end of the week I was down 25, so I'm sure I had a lot of water retention happening.
I have just lost a couple pounds each week, still have 18 to go to pre pregnancy weight. I'm EBF. I didn't want to buy new clothes but broke down and got 2 pairs of jeans since I was tired of not being able to wear anything. I went up 2 sizes, but I feel better in jeans than in leggings or sweats at least.
Most weight is in my butt and thighs, some still in my stomach. No belly stretch marks, but came home with a bunch on my butt that weren't there when I was pregnant. Or if they were they were very light and now they're purple.
I feel really good though besides being tired of course. I don't love my body but I'm going to give it time. I will probably do some light workouts like swimming and yoga starting soon, and see how it goes over the next few months.
ETA picture from a wedding this past weekend 3w PP.
I left the hospital down to my pre pregnancy weight then some. I do look "softer" and have a stomach pouch above my c section incision. Overall I am happyish with my body 3-4 weeks PP but I would like that tummy pouch to go away.
I gained over 40lbs. I lost most of it that first week because I was retaining water. I had 18lbs to lose. I lost,about a pound a week without working at it. 12 weeks out I had five to lose. I kept some belly fat from breastfeeding. My weight has gone up and down since then by a few pounds. I was cool with my pp body.
Mine was basically the same with #2 as it was with #1, but a smidgen slower. So I was where I was 6 weeks pp with #1 at about 9-10w pp with #2. Maybe less.
This is me exactly. I was at my pre pg weight at 6 weeks with #1 and now at 9.5 weeks with #2.
For reference I gained 28 & 32 pounds and had 8 pound babies. Between baby, placenta and fluid I was down more than half just by delivering. I still looked 6 months pregnant leaving the hospital though.