Getting rid of the postpartum weight

Postpartum weight- a big problem with most of the women out there that still wants to keep a good body figure, even after the pregnancy! Postpartum weight is a fact that happens to almost all women, but how to lose those extra pounds!? Women are often advised that lactation accelerates loss of the excess weight gained during pregnancy, but the evidence underlying this advice is conflicting.  About how much weight gaining do we talk here? Well, several researches done in the past have confirmed the facts that the average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. During the birth, new moms shed about 12.5 to 14 pounds, leaving about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to be lost during the postpartum period. Of course, this isn't case in 100% of cases, because in addition, some mothers may gain an extra 10-12 pounds during pregnancy because of various medical conditions. Although some experts believe that this isn't so important problem, the fact is that some research showed that it can even cause some serious psychological problems in mothers, mostly depression! Real question now is how to lose all these extra pounds on the healthiest possible way?

Women were always interested is it healthy to gain all these pounds in pregnancy! The answer is simple- YES! Not only that it’s recommended and good, but also necessary! Weight gain does some extremely important things for a pregnant women and baby. First of all, every pregnant woman should keep in mind that inside of her there is a new human being growing and that this time- she is feeding both, herself and the baby!  Several researches done in the past have shown one devastating fact that all women out there should keep in mind! Fact is that women who deprive themselves of good nutrition during pregnancy tend to have smaller babies who require more hospital time and have a higher incidence of problems including neonatal death and several other neonatal diseases!

This is probably the most important question about all this weigh gaining issue! There is only one rule that every woman should keep in mind- Eating for two doesn't mean eating twice as much.
Several researches done in the past have shown that, in general, pregnant women should now add any more than 200 calories a day to normal diet. However, the most important is not how many times you eat, but rather what you eat! Now, how much weight gain is normal? It could be difficult to answer this question because it is rather individual issue but, in most cases, women will notice a slight weight gain in the beginning of pregnancy, usually 6 - 11 pounds during the first trimester.  Of course, women who have been pregnant before know that the majority of the weight will be spread over the last two trimesters. Experts are saying that in most cases dynamic of this gaining is about a pound a week, with a little more at the end.  

Table shows how those extra pounds are spread on different tissues, baby, blood and water!

 

It is already a well known fact that breastfeeding may assist young mothers to lose postpartum weight. We should also know that it is most efficient during the 12 months after giving birth. How to explain all this!? Well, the experts from this field are saying that the process of breastfeeding releases a number of hormones into mother’s body which helps your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape. Therefore, it is mostly because of reshaping the uterus which was extremely large in a time of delivery! Of course, woman can’t count only on breastfeeding as a way to lose weight! In such cases, young mothers often get careless about diet and instead of losing weight, they may actually gain weight.  That’s why- exercises and diet must become a part of your everyday life! Keep in mind that you must not drop below about 1800 calories per day, while feeding.  

The right question is- how to healthy lose these extra pounds after the delivery? Of course, the first thing that every young mother should keep in mind is that she needs to try to deal with this positively. Your extra pounds didn’t show because of your bad dieting and poor eating habits, but because of the “higher cause”- your precious baby! Don’t think that you should lose these pounds quickly because it could be even dangerous! Losing it will take time. In fact, there is even one rule- the slower the weight loss, the healthier you will be. So, you should keep in mind that you are not fighting your bad eating habits but your metabolism! You must adopt your metabolism SLOWLY to a lower calorie intake and that is the only healthy way to lose weight! All this of course must be combined with right kinds of exercises in order to get the maximum of your diet! Exercises will also stretch all that extra skin on your belly and make you look fit again! 

Is it possible to lose weight and regain your figure after having a baby? The answer is simple- YES, it is completely possible and it can be done pretty easily! This isn't some empty lie you hear every day on your TV- the proofs are walking all around you. All around you there are lots of new moms which regained their pre-pregnancy figure within 8-12 months. True, it takes time for your body to get back to normal, but it is more than possible.  You just have to think about one thing- don't rush out and start dieting after the birth. It could be dangerous, not only for you, but for your baby, because baby needs to get all the appropriate ingredients from your milk! That’s why a young mother should, at least for the first three months after the birth, concentrate on healthy eating, rather than on dieting.  Women are also interested how long they must diet before they reach pre-pregnancy weight. Well, if we talk about some “normal” weigh gaining which was no more then 22- 30 pounds, experts are saying that returning to pre-pregnancy weight should be within about 8 months.

 

 

There is no doubt- almost all experts agree on one thing-the best way to lose weight after pregnancy is by exercising. There are some who claim young mothers need to take care of the baby first and then they can take care of themselves later. But, there are less and less experts who believe so! 

What are the best benefits of regular exercises after pregnancy! Well, several studies done in the past have showed that women who begin to exercise right after delivery tend to lose more weight in the first six weeks than mothers who do not exercise then. This data tells enough for itself! Unfortunately, most women do not practice exercising after delivery! Experts are saying that only about 35% of women exercise after giving birth. Women are extremely emotional and sensitive after the delivery – that’s the well known fact! Well, it is proven that physical well-being impacts a great deal on psychological well-being. Post-partum women are known to be especially vulnerable to depression. Exercises must be mild and well controlled! The amount of exercises after giving birth has a big impact on your weight and health and, as long as you don't overdo it- the results will be quick and visible!
Benefits of exercises are:

·         Exercise does not interfere with your ability to breast-feed, so, you don’t have to worry about it!

·         Exercise assists postpartum weight loss, like we have already explained!

·         Exercise helps to minimize postpartum depression, special kind of depression that affects young mother just after the delivery

·         Exercise helps you to adapt to your new situation, which could sometimes be extremely difficult!

 

Finding the Time for your self could be crucial! Most women have one excuse- how to find the time for exercising!? This could be the crucial moment! You can’t say that only you can look out for the baby, for only hour or two? Set aside a certain time every other day when someone else watches the baby and use this time to exercise. You shouldn’t use this time for sleeping, like most women do, but for a mild and regular exercises and body workout! You must be realistic, not floating in clouds! You can’t expect the miracle to happen after the month or two after exercising! You must set yourself a realistic goal!

Best diet rules for young mothers

Like we have already mentioned- you shouldn’t dieting right after the delivery! Allow yourself 3 months before starting with some kind of weight reducing diet. Allow yourself at least 8 months to regain your pre-pregnancy weight. Some of the best diet rules for young mother are rather simple! Try to follow next several rules:

·         Choose a low fat, healthy eating-plan.

·         Avoid all fast diets that can be easily found on the market! They can be dangerous for you and your baby!

·         Get whatever help you can

·         Involve your partner or join a local support group for young mothers