I'm a size 16?!

[QueQue]

Just had a baby (4 weeks ago). Was a size 12 pre pregnancy. I've put on 9 kg, which isn't a huge amount, but can now only fit in to a size 16. Today I was going to get rid of my maternity clothes but have NOTHING to wear.

Have sizes gotten smaller over the last few months? It have I really gone I 2 dress sizes with just 9kg of weight gain?

I know, size 16 isn't the end of the world, however I'm feeling pretty awful about myself right now.

Anyone else feel and look okay until they either weighed themself or tried in their old clothes and immediately felt horrific?

Don't panic. Its just your shape has changed. Are you breastfeeding? That helps to tighten muscles back up. You are only 4 weeks since birth. It takes 9 months to go out of shape and that length to go back.
Try not to overdo the goodies. When you feel ready have a walk every day. 9 kgs is over 20lbs so be patient aiming for a lb a week. Meanwhile wear your maternity jeans . Don't bother buying new ones until maybe Jan.

Be kind to yourself!
You had a baby 4 WEEKS AGO
it won't be the right ie fat that you've put on, but all your joints will be looser, pelvis still wide from pregnancy/ birth your breasts will have grown, possibly retaining fluid.
X

When you are 4 weeks pp you are nowhere near your post pregnancy forever body! You'll gradually shrink in inches even if you don't lose weight. Too early to worry! Relax, put some tracked on and just eat well to stay healthy xxx

YABU First month my jeans wouldn’t go past my knees - my body was all out of proportion (worst than during pregnancy)- give it some time. Everything goes back into place and month by month more and more clothes fit. In the mean time embrace leggings and comfort.

If you're gained the same weight without being pregnant, it would probably be a dress size. The trouble with pregnancy weight is that it doesn't spread itself out equally, it'll be concentrated around your stomach / hips / chest which means yep, it's probably more like 2 dress sizes.

Be kind to yourself! 4 wks is nothing!

Sizes are one inch. That means your body in a couple of places is four inches all the way round larger than it was before you had a baby. That's not really very much at all. If you're bf - in fact even if you're not bf - your boobage will be considerably heftier than it was 10 months ago. Don't panic! A wise person once said to me that pregnancy and childbirth isn't nine months, it's about 18 months, as we need at least another 9 months after the birth to a) get the baby weaned and b) get ourselves back to normal. Well, normal-ish.

Ugh it sucks! I remember 4 weeks after having a baby with both mine I felt like I was never going to like my body again!! Please don’t worry it’s early days and as PP have said its probably your shape that’s changed more than anything which can make a massive difference in clothes size.

Congratulations and enjoy your baby

You’ll get there! I was stunned at how different my body was after birth. I’m almost back to normal now though. Ok, it’s been 12 years but that’s mostly down to cake consumption!

4 weeks is nothing OP honestly!
Give yourself a chance, you are probably still quite swollen!
Keep the maternity clothes on for now and be comfy.
It all goes back and the stomach goes down I promise! I think it took a few months for me both times, the first pregnancy being a quicker recovery. Be kind to yourself

Also if you have oedema it can take weeks to leave the body. i remember feeling like a hefty rugby player as my whole body seemed water retentive, so I had these big round bulked up shoulders as wel as a belly, and they took months to go down, even though I was eating like a flea after giving birth,

I’ve got four kids and it’s always taken at least a year for everything to settle: essentially until I stopped BF. My actual skeleton had changed (DH said that on one birth he quite literally saw my hips expand as I pushed!) and everything took time to settle back into place

At four weeks you’ve still got excess fluids and all sorts of stuff going on. Nothing is back to normal yet.

Be kind to yourself. You will get back to where you were; just allow yourself some time.

Now go and love on that baby :)

4 weeks really is no time at all, I didn't lose any weight (apart from the actual baby etc) until 4 months later when my periods started back. I was originally a size 10 and just kept weating maternity jeans / leggings until I lost weight. You probably arent as big as you think and the weight will probably just gradually come off if you don't go on any mad diets but eat well and exercise (eg walking baby in pram) x

It takes MONTHS to get to a new normal after a baby.
You haven't finished shrinking back in and settling down yet.

Just had a baby (4 weeks ago)

Urm, think you solved the mystery yourself there OP!

I would say 4 or 5 kg is one more size, so yes, it's plausible that you have gone up two sizes.

As PPs have said, you've just given birth. Be kind to yourself now and give yourself time.