To think whether or not you ‘bounce back’ after pregnancy is down to luck

[MsBump31]

I keep seeing these Instagram posts of women working out throughout their pregnancy who say “I’m not lucky for bouncing back - I worked hard”.

AIBU to think it IS actually purely down to luck?

I know women who were hospitalised for the entire of their pregnancies with morning sickness - I had to bed rest and was told to eat more by the doctors as I kept fainting, so I packed on more weight.

Not everyone can work out during pregnancy - in fact a lot of women can’t - and to imply the reason their figure is so great afterwards because “they worked hard” is just so ableist. Women are hospitalised for all sorts of conditions in pregnancy, it’s a difficult time for many.

You’re very, very lucky if you have a pregnancy that allows you to still function, let alone one that allows you the energy to keep up workouts IMO.

So yes, it’s down to luck.

I don't think it's purely down to luck, I think if you've always been slim and healthy and exercised (especially your core muscles) it gives you a better chance of pinging back as your body "remembers". I'm sure there's more to it than just that though.

I was size 6-8 with my first I didn't bounce back too a lot of hard work after. I think some of it boils down to genetics.

I “bounced back” in the sense I was out walking the dog/hoovering etc within 3 days of giving birth but yes I was slim, fit (yoga and aqua aerobics throughout pregnancy) and that probably helped … not so slim and fit now almost 20 years later, alas! Luck and genetics and having an easy birth probably all helped

Not “purely” but yes, some have easier pregnancies than others.

I know women who were hospitalised for the entire of their pregnancies with morning sickness - I had to bed rest and was told to eat more by the doctors as I kept fainting, so I packed on more weight.

lying in bed eating isn’t really hard work though is it?!

The bigger issue is though - absolutely take no notice of this nonsense. Social media is a load of competitive rubbish. Do what’s best for you and your body and your baby and take no notice of what anyone else is doing.

I personally put it down to breastfeeding. Burns a tonne of calories and with a baby asleep on my nipple for lots of the day there wasn’t a lot of time to reach for food.

In my case it was pure luck. As pp said if you were fit and core muscles etc would help but I hardly exercised before I had twins. I was bloody enormous as you can imagine but had no stretch marks and the bump disappeared in the first week post surgery. I had an emergency C-section.

My DSis had sever stretch marks which split and ended up with crepe like skin, purple, about 3 inches wide along her abdomen. Her son is in his thirties now and her skin has never healed.

I wasn’t able to get up, move or shower and was in agonising pain. I mean, I guess it’s not hard work but it was hell on earth. I was cycling 30km+ a day before I got pregnant with ease, and exercising is super enjoyable to me.

Eating was also very painful when I was heavily pregnant for various reasons - so it wasn’t ‘nice’ to have to eat more.

I’ve always been slim so this post isn’t really about losing baby weight, as people seem to have interpreted, but more about whether or not you can work out during pregnancy isn’t down to how “hard you work”.

It’s a gift really to be healthy enough to work out during pregnancy. Anyone who doesn’t think so has clearly never been so incapacitated that they haven’t been able to…

Was the opposite for me. My body stores fat when I breastfeed. The extra biscuits I consumed probably didn't help 😁

Probably luck and genetics. I was very active before my pregnancy, gym, hiking, horse riding. I intended to stay as active as possible and managed for 18 weeks before I became severely anaemic and my blood pressure dropped dangerously low. I've not been able to do anything for the last 15 weeks as I just faint if I do too much so I'm not hopeful that I'll bounce back once baby arrives

I had my children in my twenties I was young healthy and slim , it helps .

I think it's alot to do with age. I pinged back remarkably after dc1 when I was 23, and most certainly didn't after dc 2 and 3 ( twins) when I was early forties. I put on more weight my singleton pregnancy than my twin one, I had cravings for Macdonald's 🤣

But those people who were able to work out and controlled their eating put their post partum weight loss down to working hard.

That doesn’t negate or impact your experience whatsoever?

I only gained about a stone due to pregnancy sickness throughout my pregnancy. No exercise and eating as much as I could keep down. 10 days after birth I was back at prepregnancy weight 9 months later I had lost 16% of my prepregnancy weight, I was very under weight and struggling. I was breastfeeding an allergy baby. I wish I had been able to gain more in pregnancy so that I had more in reserve why breastfeeding on a restricted diet.
3 years later I've heavier than I have ever been and finally at the age of 35 I'm (mostly) happy with size.

I woke in the sports and fitness industry. Most of the women I work/worked with did "bounce back" as they had a lot of muscle to begin with. So yes they got back to that place very quickly.

Another friend is a former gymnast. Pregnancy ruined her boobs but her 6 pack was back in no time. Having such strong stomach muscles can really help that area. Also, generally people who are into fitness or sports (who do it daily or for work) tend to have cleaner eating habits so don't put on a huge amount of weight during pregnancy.

I work*

Well yes it’s luck that they can work out in pregnancy but it is also their hard work too. My first pregnancy I was hospitalised frequently and could not of worked out, my second one I was too tired but I could have if I’d particularly wanted to

I think there are a lot of factors at play - for me with my three I had hyperemesis and lost about 3 stone with each so my bounching back was putting weight back on and getting stronger again - I think it depends on how active you were before. I'd say a lot is downto the support you have and
the type of baby you have also - baby who sleeps well, or happy to be left with other people for half an hour, a lot easier to get back on track. If you're up every night or have a baby who only wants you it isn't so easy. So a luck element in with that. I do think in general though you get out wha,t you put in.

It's down to your age and genes imo.

I was young both times and pinged back into shape (and all my pre-pregnancy clothes) within a week to 10 days each time. Not got a stretch mark anywhere on me.

My mum was mid/late 30s and said she took longer to lose the baby weight than me, but again, doesn't have a stretch mark on her.

My sister was 30 and is a big fitness fan. She took longer than me to get back into the pre-pregnancy clothes but no stretch marks either.

I think it's a bit of both.

I was 28 when I had my first so young(ish) and was pretty slim. I continued with the gym 3 x week until I was 8 months pregnant and was back in my normal clothes after a couple of months. I had no stretch marks which I'm sure is luck as both my babies were over 9lb.

However I was also active all the way through pregnancy, didn't sit around 'eating for two' and obviously didn't drink which definitely kept the weight off as I was the designated driver for 9 months!

Yes, for me it was purely luck. I didn't work out throughout my pgs but have always got back to pre-pg weight or lower within a few months. I've always been active throughout pgs and afterwards, and never suffered morning sickness. Some people's bodies handle pregnancy and birth better, just the luck of the draw.

I was 36 when I had my 2nd
Back in my jeans 4 weeks later and out for a meal

I lost weight after having to have a strict diet & exercise after being diagnosed with GD. I then went on to maintain this lifestyle post partum and lost more weight. I would still say it’s been a lot of hard work and discipline to do this rather than luck (although yes lucky I didn’t get hospitalised and was able to do this)

I don’t really understand the point of your post. Most women aren’t in anywhere near being so “incapacitated” by pregnancy that they are bed-bound. Most are living something that closely resembles their normal lives for most of it, working full time, looking after other children etc.
It’s not particularly rare to be healthy during pregnancy.

What is ''bouncing back'' though?

Some will automatically think - weight.
Some will automatically think - flat stomach.
For some it means more to do with non-visible issues like energy levels or coping normally with day to day life.

For all these things it could depend on what your health/weight/tone was like before your pregnancy, your age and how the pregnancy went for you. Plus your situation in life re: housing/money/support. They all play a part.

I'd had my first 3 DCs by my mid 20s and bounced back after each one like a spring lamb in all respects. But i was young, healthy, slim, happy and in a secure relationship and good position financially. Babies were all happy easy babies too.

In my early 40s with DC4 i was still fine on the social side of things, and outwardly healthy, so was baby, but mentally i was shot (recent late pregnancy loss) and i was totally wiped out by a horrible birth and the strain of the first few months of motherhood. I did not bounce back the way i did when i was 25 !