Losing weight when breastfeeding - me not DC!

[patchesmcp]

I'm just wondering how long it took people to return to their pre-pregnancy weight when breastfeeding?

My DC is 3 weeks old and I'm sick of wearing my maternity clothes. This is my second DC and I lost my weight last time (and more!) but I can't remember how long it took.

I'm desperate to wear some nice summery clothes but refuse to buy any as I hope they won't be needed for long.

I only gained a stone in total no idea how! so when I had my baby I was back to pre-pregnancy weight albeit still 3 stone overweight. This isn't a boast, it's reassurance that its not just about weight. Most of my trousers don't fit because pregnancy has left me with a big tummy. I've been doing exercises from the hospital but have started crunches now!

I'm trying to exercise walking with the pushchair but its not easy. I'm also eating loads which doesn't help. Yes the BF burns calories but it makes you hungry!

Someone once said of pregnancy - 9 months on, 9 months off: probably a good rule of thumb!

My DS2 is 11 weeks old and I have a stone to lose. Have already lost 2 stone, but seem to have plateaued. I'm going to cut out sugar from tomorrow. Have done this before when BF and have lost weight fairly steadily.

Bear in min though that at 3 weeks postpartum your body will still be adjusting to not being PG anymore. Your tummy will shrink down more and your weight may change as your milk supply establishes.

My little one is 8 months.

I don't weigh myself often, but all my pre-preg clothes fit the same now, except bras.

I put on about 2.5 stone, despite eating very healthily and exercising regularly through pregnancy. I lost a good chunk in the first two weeks and never really wore my maternity clothes after this. Then it came off very slowly for a few months. Still around 4 months I started feeling like "myself" again. Around the 5 month mark lots fell off and then last month or two the last bit came off (I had a little belly for a while).

It felt like a long haul - I exclusively bf, ate healthily and exercised quite a bit. Nonetheless I know it will stay off now, and the exercise helped get everything back to the right shape. Hope it's quicker and easier for you!

If I could do it again I'd buy just one decent pair of jeans in my bigger size rather than waiting and hoping for months I'd fit my old ones and getting sad about it all the time. I did this in the end, but not till about 4 months (they're too big now so I can put them with my mat clothes for next time!!)

With DS I gained 4 1/2 stone when preg (!) - I only managed to BF for 7 weeks and it wasnt until then that I was able to properly shift some weight.
DD is now 18 weeks and I'm still BF and cannot shift a stone my body appears to be clinging on to. I'm trying to embrace it and think it's a small price to pay to still be BF but it's depressing to still be in mat wear. I'm normally a v petite size 6/8 so a stone feels like quite a lot
Congratulations OP and well done for thinking about anything other than how to get more sleep at 3 weeks postnatal.

I was coming back to say what squid did - I bought one pair of jeans a size bigger and two pairs of joggers. Joggers are great for round the house. Bonus is if you nap they're comfy enough to sleep in! I refused up wear maternity wear any longer!

I think the old adage of 9 months on, 9 months off is true (sorry) although even longer second time around.

At 3 weeks old, don't worry too much, just snuggle up with your little bundle and eat what you need, within reason, to get you through it!

At around 3-9 months (depending on bf'ing and how weaning goes) IME you will start to feel like you can do something about your weight. I found WeightWatchers excellent because their plan can be adjusted for breastfeeding mums, so you get a generous extra points allowance.

In the meantime, maybe buy some cheap cheerful summer clothes to help you feel better?

Congrats on your new baby!

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Think I may have a trip to Primark to pick up some stuff as I think I will feel better wearing some different clothes.

It's good to know my tummy will still shrink a little more as I thought that it had finished doing that now, and this was what I needed to shift.

Sorry if my original post was a little self indulgent - I do know there are far greater things to worry about!

Not at all patches, if you're like me you just want to feel like yourself again

I gained over 2 stone with DD before I stopped weighing myself around 40 weeks and I got huge in the two after that. 1.5 came off within about 6 weeks and the rest has taken until now (DD is 18 weeks). But I'm not the same shape - more belly fat and boobs and less muscle. So I reckon it'll take longer to get as close to normal as I'm going to.

You'll be fine, just give it time and go for lovely walks with the pram/sling.

I put on 2 3/4 stone & it took me 4 months to lose it. By the time I started cutting down bf at 6.5 months, I was 10lb below pre-pregnancy weight. I had a big baby who fed a lot, that's all I can put it down to as I've struggled with my weight all my life and other than 2 weeks following Slimming World, I haven't watched what I'm eating.

DS is 7 weeks old and I'm back in my pre-preg size ten clothes. I do have an overhang from my (unexpected) CS though, so avoiding my more fitted tops! I think it's partly BFing a giant baby 50% of the day and running after a three-year-old the other 50%.

It took me a lot longer to lose the weight after having DD. probably 9 months or so.