Life with a new baby is full of surprises - among them, a body that hardly resembles your pre-pregnancy figure. It'll take some time, but you CAN lose the baby weight and fit into your normal clothes.
Who says labor ends with the birth of your baby? The definition of labor is “physical or mental exertion, particularly for some useful or desired end; toil; work.” Although that does perfectly describe the process of bringing baby into the world, it also accurately fits the description of what you’re in for when the birth is over: the struggle to regain your pre-baby body. We all seem to know the rare woman that wore her pre-pregnancy clothing home from the hospital and was back to her svelte self within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we tend to hold ourselves to that rare woman’s standards and are disappointed when we fall short. But the truth is, nine months of stretching and pulling and growing and gaining takes a real toll on the body, and it’s unrealistic to expect that it will bounce back immediately. It isn’t just your bread-dough stomach and expanded hips that need time to get back to normal; there are also displaced tendons, joints, bones, and muscles that must return to their usual size, shape, and position.
Where does all that weight come from, anyway?
It seems baffling that we gain twenty to thirty pounds (or much more, if you’re like me) and end up with a seven-or-so-pound baby. Here’s a breakdown of what’s packing on the poundage:
Baby – approximately seven and a half pounds
Fat, protein, and nutrients – seven pounds
Increased blood and fluid – eight pounds
Uterus – two pounds
Amniotic fluid – two pounds
Breast growth – two pounds
Placenta – one and a half pounds
That’s a grand total of thirty pounds. Throw in some cartons of Ben and Jerry’s and a killer french fry craving, and you’re even higher on the scale. Then, if you are the unfortunate sufferer of certain pregnancy conditions such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes, you may gain even more. During the last month of my own pregnancy, my pre-eclampsia caused me to gain eighteen pounds’ worth of fluid retention in twenty-one days.
Will I ever look normal again?
Take it easy on yourself. You’ve just been through a physically rough time, and though your body may no longer be housing your baby, it’s still got a lot going on. It has just taken on its biggest challenge ever – producing, sustaining, and expelling a new life – so give it some credit. Even if you feel fine, your body is recuperating, and that takes time. Hormones will continue to surge through your system for quite a while. You may still be retaining fluid. Your skin has stretch marks and very little elasticity. It’s okay! You’re supposed to look like that! As difficult as it is, be patient with your body. Considering what it’s been through, it does recover at a remarkably fast rate, especially if you’re breastfeeding. (If you breastfeed your baby, you can burn an extra 200-500 calories per day, which definitely gives your weight loss a little boost!)
If at all possible, put your normal domestic chores on hold for a while, at least the first couple of weeks postpartum. You need a lot of rest in order to heal. Elevate your feet whenever possible and drink lots of water; this will help to dispel any remaining fluid weight (which can look really nice on a scale).
When is it safe to resume exercise?
This depends on two things: how you feel, and how fit you remained during pregnancy. If you were an avid exerciser before and during pregnancy, it’s safe to resume light activity – stretching or modified sit-ups, for example – within days of giving birth. Within a couple of weeks you should be able to return to your normal workouts. If you were a member of the couch potato club during pregnancy (hey, there’s no shame in it – you were pregnant!) then you’ll need to take it slowly for at least the first month. Of course, all this depends on how you feel physically; only you can judge what you’re ready for, and if you need more or less time to recuperate, that’s okay. There’s no hard and fast rule other than be careful and don’t push yourself too much. You may need more time if you’re recovering from a cesarean delivery than from a vaginal delivery. If you aren’t sure what’s okay, ask your doctor, because some physicians recommend waiting a full six weeks before beginning an exercise regime regardless of what type of delivery you had.
No matter when you start, it’s important to ease into a routine. You may be a little clumsy for a while; pregnancy loosens your joints and ligaments, and they will stay that way from three to five months, so be extra careful – the last thing you need right now is a sprain! Many gyms and community centers offer exercise classes for new moms (some even involve the baby … who says you need free weights?), so ask around.
Your body will tell you if you’re overdoing it physically. Obviously some muscle soreness can be expected when you exercise, but excessive soreness, or feeling drained and shaky when you finish a workout, is a sign that you should slow things down. Also, the lochia – the flow of blood from the vagina for the first few weeks postpartum – could restart or flow more heavily than usual, and this is a good indication that you’ve done too much.
Whether you’ve had a cesarean delivery or not, your abs still require special attention. Many women develop a gap in their abdominal muscles during pregnancy due to the rapid expansion of the belly (its technical name is diastasis recti). The gap isn’t serious or permanent, but it can remain from four to eight weeks after giving birth. If you try to do abdominal exercises that are too difficult before the gap closes, you run the risk of injuring your abs. To check your abs for signs that the gap is still there:
Lay flat on your back with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor, as if you were getting ready to do a sit-up.
Lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor in a sort of “mini-crunch.” Your abs should be contracted.
Place one hand on your belly, just below your belly button, and press down slightly with your index and middle fingers.
Move your index and middle fingers side to side. You should feel two harder ridges of muscle on either side of a softer space in the middle. If you can move your fingers more than two finger-widths side to side, your abdominal muscles have separated.
If you find that your abs have separated, start out with gentle exercises such as these, developed especially to remedy abdominal separation, by Lisa Stone, ACE:
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your abdomen with your fingertips pointing down toward your pubic bone. Exhale as you slowly lift your head and shoulders while pressing down and in with your fingers.
Take a long towel and wrap it around your torso with the ends in front. As you do a crunch, pull the ends of the towel towards each other in front of your belly button.
Lie on your back with knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Exhale and slowly extend one leg along the floor, feeling your abdomen contract below your belly button. Inhale and return to the starting position; repeat with the other leg.
Once the gap in your abdomen is two finger widths or less, you’re safe doing more advanced exercises to tone and strengthen that area.
How will I ever find the time?
This question is universal among new moms everywhere. You barely get time to shower these days – how on earth are you going to squeeze in an exercise routine? You may have to get creative. Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to a gym, using special equipment or taking a class (although those are all options, if you can manage them). Anything that gets your heart pumping is great!
Put on some music and dance with your baby. You may have to hold her now, but this is an activity she’ll enjoy doing well into toddlerhood!
Buy a good-quality baby carrier or backpack (or a sling, for when you make shorter, easier trips) and go for a walk or hike. Even just doing regular chores like cleaning, laundry, or dishes can become a workout when you’re carrying an extra load of baby! Make sure that the carrier fits well and doesn’t hurt your back and shoulders; pay attention to your posture and hold your abs in to support your back.
Take a brisk walk while pushing your baby in his stroller, or get a jogging stroller and run!
Check your local gym or YMCA for special postpartum exercise classes. If they don’t offer those, opt for a low-impact or beginners’ class. Most classes don’t last for more than an hour, so recruit your partner, a family member, or even a babysitter to watch the baby for an hour or so after work so that you can attend a class. Some gyms even have childcare facilities, but make sure that you thoroughly investigate them and agree with their policies before you send your baby there.
Get up thirty minutes to an hour before your baby usually does and go for a walk or do an exercise video in your living room. It may be hard to haul yourself out of bed, but you can always grab a nap later while your baby is napping – that’s time you won’t have to use for exercising, because you’ve already done it.
Speaking of exercise videos, try collecting a few of the more entertaining variety – cardio dance videos can be really fun. You can do these while baby is sleeping or when you can’t get to the gym, and you can always pause them if you need to stop for a few minutes. They’re a good way to add some variety.
Incorporate moves into your daily routine: squats while you’re folding laundry and calf raises while you’re doing dishes, for example. Keep your stomach held in and your abs tight at all times. Even when you’re sitting, you can tighten your gluteal muscles and hold for a count of thirty, release, and then repeat.
Invest in some easy-to-store home exercise equipment that you can use while baby is napping or playing contentedly.
What about diet?
For the first three months at least (longer if you’re breastfeeding), you should focus on nutrition and smart food choices rather than going on a hardcore weight loss diet. Your body has to be fed properly if it’s to recover properly, and if you’re nursing your baby, he needs all the nutrients he can get; you don’t want to deprive him by depriving yourself (you should never go below 1800 calories per day if you’re breastfeeding. In fact, nursing moms need an extra 500 calories above their normal caloric intake). This isn’t the time to try Atkins or any other fad diet that leaves out a major food group – you need servings of every group in order to maintain a good nutritional balance. It’s a time to be especially conscious of your food choices and eating habits. Slow and steady weight loss, about a pound per week, is the best way to ensure that once you reach your goal weight, you’ll keep it off. New moms need between 1800 and 2700 calories per day, so provided you stay within that range, you should be fine.
One weight loss strategy that’s also important for many other reasons is to drink lots of water. Water keeps you hydrated, keeps your milk supply up, helps burn stored body fat, and helps you to feel full. Always have water close at hand if possible: keep a bottle in every location that you frequently visit during the day.
How can I feel good about myself in the meantime?
It’s going to take time to recover your pre-pregnancy figure, and you’ll probably have a few downer days until then. But don’t despair! It won’t last forever, and here are some tips to make yourself feel better until you’re a smokin’ hottie again.
Don’t resort to wearing frumpy clothes just because you feel frumpy. As painful as it may be to buy a bigger size than normal, invest in a few outfits that fit you nicely instead of schlepping around in your husband’s t-shirts and sweatpants.
Get your hair cut, permed, or highlighted (or all three!).
Get a manicure and/or a pedicure.
Have a massage. Go to someone who specializes in pregnancy massages if you’re uncomfortable with your flab and stretch marks; pregnancy massage therapists are used to seeing that sort of thing.
Buy yourself some new shoes. Your feet may have grown during pregnancy – or maybe just swelled so much that you couldn’t wear anything but flip-flops. In either case, new shoes can make you feel more attractive.
Concentrate on playing up the features that you’re proud of, and downplaying the features you’re not. For example, wear a shirt that’s long enough to cover your hips and thighs, and has an eye-catching neckline to draw the eye upward (and maybe even call attention to your glorious cleavage).
Don’t step on the scale daily – it’ll only serve to depress you. If you must weigh, weigh weekly, or once every two weeks if you can hold out that long!
Try to shower and get dressed every day, even if you’re not going anywhere; you’ll feel less like a dumpy hausfrau and more like your normal self.
See your body in a different light: instead of dwelling on how bad it looks, think about how strong it is. You’ve just been physically challenged in an amazing way, and you did it! You have stamina you probably didn’t realize you had. Celebrate your strength!