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Original poster

How long after giving birth did your bump go down?

141 replies

NewbieToThis · 23/02/2024 21:57

Posting here for traffic lol.

just curious how long after you had your baby did your bump go down? How long was it until you were back into your pre pregnancy clothes? Did you use those belly wraps? was your stomach the same as pre pregnancy or worse or better? I’m expecting my first baby next month and I’ve not put much weight on but I’m hoping to get back into my size 8 clothes by summer and to feel good lol. I’ve bought those belly wraps to use to help with healing and I’m praying the weather is decent and my son loves the pram so I can take him on plenty of walks in the fresh air

OP posts:
Sufac · 24/02/2024 07:26

About 8m when I stopped breastfeeding. I didn’t put on any weight when pregnant but breastfeeding I put on loads, I was so hungry!!

daysfilledwithdappledlight · 24/02/2024 07:36

A lot faster than I expected.

From 3ish months in pre pregnancy trousers and think by about 6 months I was slimmer than before I was pregnant.

Things that I think helped...

  • Didn't gain any additional weight when pregnant
  • I had a small baby
  • Exclusively breastfed, and she fed a lot!
  • Carried baby in the sling everywhere from 2months+

Things you may worry about that thankfully didn't make any difference...

  • C-Section
  • Eating a huge amount of unhealthy snacks in those first few months to keep me going through the night feeds!

Hope this gives you some hope!

LillyLeaf · 24/02/2024 07:54

Very quickly, I'm pretty sure it was due to breastfeeding as you can feel everything contracting back during feeds. But everyone is different.

TheBirdintheCave · 24/02/2024 08:03

I never weighed myself so I've no idea how much I put on but water plus baby plus placenta is usually about a stone and I probably had another stone on top of that from not being able to exercise due to it being lockdown 🙄

Six months on from having my son I looked reasonably back to normal but it took a full year for me to be happier with my body and for my stomach to appear as flat as it was before.

I was a 6 before I got pregnant but my hips and rib cage widened during pregnancy so I'm an 8 now. I had to give away 2/3 of my wardrobe as I was never going to fit them again no matter how fit I was. Very sad. I had a lot of lovely things!

With my current pregnancy I'm running after a pre-schooler, walking loads, doing gardening and DIY and go to regular Zumba classes so I'm hoping that I won't have as much extra weight as last time and that I'll regain my old body a bit more quickly 😬

imnotgoodenoughtobehere · 24/02/2024 08:05

Pretty much straight away! I recommend breast feeding as it helps massively.

Milkmani · 24/02/2024 08:05

I lost weight during pregnancy due to sickness so was half a stone lighter than pre pregnancy. Unfortunately there was a lot of damage to much uterus from the emergency c-section and I had to have surgery again - looked like I was 7 months pregnant for about 5 months after, people kept asking when I was due. It was absolute agony for about three months and then still painful until the 9 month mark. Really affected my time with my son and how much I could hold him. Luckily my son was in NICU also so I had other things to worry about other than fitting into old clothes.

Cas112 · 24/02/2024 08:19

18months and still trying to get rid 😂

SpongeBob2022 · 24/02/2024 08:32

I just looked like me during pregnancy but with a bump and it mostly went away as soon as I gave birth. I carried on with my maternity jeans for a while as I found them comfy but I reckon I could have fitted into my normal jeans a few days later.

I was so exhausted with a newborn I didn't give a toss what I looked like and there's no way I would have exercised. I did enjoy walking with the pram from a few weeks though.

My tummy in terms of my belly button area went back to normal quickly with no effort. Despite being my pre-pregnany weight and dress size I would say that my lower tummy isn't quite as 'good' as it was before and I don't think ever will be (Im 10 years on now). I like my post-baby body though as in all honesty I was always a bit too skinny and my hips look better now.

I've started running in the last couple of years. It's great for your tummy.

KvotheTheBloodless · 24/02/2024 09:00

About 3 days. I had hyperemesis though, so was very thin, and I've always had good abs.

KvotheTheBloodless · 24/02/2024 09:02

I had a c-section so wore a part-partum compression wrap, which I think helped a lot in pushing my muscles back to where they should be.

TheKeatingFive · 24/02/2024 09:05

For me, breastfeeding delayed it, so be prepared, it doesn't mean weight loss for everyone.

I held on to about 10 extra pounds when feeding. That's despite careful eating and lots of exercise.

When I stopped, it fell off (while doing next to noticing, easiest weight loss in the world). But I wasn't in pre pregnancy clothes under a year after birth.

NoCloudsAllowed · 24/02/2024 09:07

It took 9 months for your body to get this way, it takes at least as long for it to recover after birth.

Having a newborn is often just about getting through with little sleep, losing weight might be a general aim but you won't care about it as much as you imagine.

I think it's fair to say that the proportion of people who are size 8 reduces as you get older, doesn't matter much really does it?

Suchagroovyguy · 24/02/2024 10:03

I had C-sections and immediately wrapped and I was ‘back in my jeans’ within two weeks each time. Wraps also make you feel more stable and strong where your abs have been stretched. I used a Belly Bandit.

Suchagroovyguy · 24/02/2024 10:06

NoCloudsAllowed · 24/02/2024 09:07

It took 9 months for your body to get this way, it takes at least as long for it to recover after birth.

Having a newborn is often just about getting through with little sleep, losing weight might be a general aim but you won't care about it as much as you imagine.

I think it's fair to say that the proportion of people who are size 8 reduces as you get older, doesn't matter much really does it?

Hmm. It mattered to me. I don’t think that makes me wrong or bad, but I wanted to get back in shape and it was a focus of mine. I ate well and exercised fairly hard right up to birth to retain my strength and fitness in order to help.

Speedygonzales78 · 24/02/2024 10:08

About 4 days, bump had gone, baby weight in about 6 weeks. I didn't have any appetite at all after baby was born.
The lockdown down weight put on right before pregnancy is a different matter 😬
That just won't budge!

mightydolphin · 24/02/2024 10:14

It took me 10 months to reach my pre-pregnancy weight and fit in my size 8 clothes the first time around. I walked a lot, every day. I breastfed and I didn't massively restrict my diet, I just ate as I did pre-pregnancy.

I'm now 4 months pp, and I'm about 1 stone away from my pre-pregnancy weight. It's harder to walk as much with two DC but I've signed up for a half marathon in the autumn to give me an incentive to exercise.

I wouldn't put too much pressure on 'snapping back'. If it happens then that's great but your abdominal muscles may take a little while to tone up and the potential sleepless nights may mean that you can't be too restrictive with a diet as you'll need energy.

It would be a shame for you to feel disappointed with your body after it's grown a whole human.

NoCloudsAllowed · 24/02/2024 10:19

Suchagroovyguy · 24/02/2024 10:06

Hmm. It mattered to me. I don’t think that makes me wrong or bad, but I wanted to get back in shape and it was a focus of mine. I ate well and exercised fairly hard right up to birth to retain my strength and fitness in order to help.

Show quote history

I think it's fine if your experience of early motherhood allows you the bandwidth to do that. But some babies and experiences are trickier than others, it's better not to have strong expectations really.

Very easy as a first time mother to think things go 'back to normal' after a few months and feel like a failure if they don't.

FortyFacedFuckers · 24/02/2024 10:41

I only gained 10lb but my bump pretty much went down straight away although my stomach never went back to how flat it was

LolaSmiles · 27/02/2024 15:07

Every woman is different OP and there's no right or wrong way to approach postpartum body changes.

But given you've asked lots about a lot of concerns regarding your body, hair, tanning, appearance etc after giving birth across multiple threads, it might be worth speaking to your midwife as clearly there's a lot going on here that strangers online aren't best to help with.

MrsHughesPinny · 27/02/2024 17:30

The thing I was totally unprepared for though, was that my feet gained a whole size and never went back (went from a 6.5 Regular to a 7.5 Wide, same for my Mum, she went from a 5 to a 6)

Minfilia · 27/02/2024 17:39

3 days and my stomach was completely flat. I walked out of hospital in my usual clothes!

My bump was tiny and very compact though. My uterus had completely shrunk back by about day 5 when midwife checked me over at home.

Ironically I put on more weight in the year following the birth when I was unnecessarily stuffing my face thinking I needed a billion extra calories to breastfeed 😂

Londonrach1 · 27/02/2024 17:42

Your body shape changes...I know my hips are slightly wider. You no idea what is going to happen to your body as it depends on alot of factors.

Elphame · 27/02/2024 17:44

Back in my pre-pregnancy jeans within a week but I was miserably sick all the way through and was actually lighter post birth than I had been before.

My rib cage however never went back to its former size

Containerhome · 27/02/2024 17:45

As soon as babies where out. I did however end up with a muffin over hang and no matter how many exercises and Diets I have been on it won't go.

nothingcomestonothing · 27/02/2024 18:22

So do we assume you decided not to talk to your care team about your significant mental health issues OP, and decided to just keep starting trivial threads on MN instead?

Please get some help now. What you're doing isn't helping you