Huge pregnancy weight gain, EMCS, when might I hope to regain figure?

[Wizziebuff]

Hi there, I had a EMCS 10 days ago and I have still only lost about 7 llbs. My DD weighed just about the same and I was hoping with the placenta and excess fluid to have lost more than that by now! I am normally a size 10 and around 10.7 stone and I am now 14.5 stone! It seems like a daunting amount of weight to have to lose and I'm just wondering whether anyone has any inspirational stories or hope for me...any tips to lose it also gratefully accepted! Btw I am also breastfeeding which everyone assures me makes the weight just drop off...but no sign of that so far!

Give yourself till 6 weeks before you panic that you've lost only 7lbs. After an emcs you have a lot of excess water and air, plus uterus still shrinking, fat supplies for bfing etc. A lot self rights in the first 6 weeks.

I put on lots of weight when pg, despite being active. I had ds 8 months ago by emcs and I am not only back to my normal size, I'm smaller with a flat, toned stomach.

I started walking pretty soon post emcs, slowly at first, then more briskly, then a trot and finally by 8 weeks I was exercising again, jogging and doing some dvds. I also lug ds everywhere in a sling. He lives in it.

After my first emcs I ate far too much crap and was v inactive but this time round I've drunk plenty (bfing can make you thirsty and you mistake it for hunger) and always had lots of healthy snacks available at all times. DH left lunch in the fridge so that I wasn't starving, stuck bfing and only able to snack on rubbish.

I've lost 3.5 stones, no dieting, just healthy eating and being active.

Just give it time and eat healthily and it will sort itself out. Your body's been through a huge upheaval and trauma and it will take a while to recover. Go easy on yourself, concentrate on eating healthily (but not dieting - you need plenty of calories for breastfeeding). For me I think it was about 4 months before I could fit into some of my old clothes and probably 9 months before I felt really like my old shape and size - I can remember in the early weeks feeling like I'd never ever look or feel like my old self again (had a cs too). My best tip at the moment is to treat yourself to a few cheap but flattering bits of clothing that fit and are comfortable - I bought some nice floaty linen trousers (with high waistbands so easy on the scar) and loose tops in the supermarket last year when I was in the same position as you and it really helped. Looking at yourself in the mirror wearing old saggy maternity clothes makes the weight that much more noticeable!

Thanks for your good advice ladies. I know it is early days, but this gives me hope! Walking and a couple of new outfits are both excellent ideas :)

I think in the early days it's best to cuddle your baby, eat cake if you want to and let your body rest and heal a little bit. I know looking down at your stomach post cs is really demoralising, but a lot of it is down to the method of delivery. The inflation of your abdomen and fluid retention makes things look much worse than they are. Let that subside before you reassess and don't let the way you look detract from the wonderful new baby you've just made. Dress comfortably and clothes that aren't maternity clothes do magically cheer you up. Particularly when they then start to get too big. You know you're going in the right direction.

I added a couple of pics to my profile to show you what I looked like at the end of pregnancy. I was 8 months in the pic in the red top and 4 days before birth in the black top. I had a comedy enormobump. It's gone. In fact my stomach's in better shape than before. Stretchmarks and crepey skin excepted.

It takes 9 months to put on the weight, so give yourself 9 months to take it off.

You may find that last 10lbs or so hard to shift until you stop bf....(depends how old you are IME)...and how much cake you think you deserve!

I'd recommend postnatal pilates from 3 month or so to deal with your poor abs which will have taken a battering.

In the meantime just concentrate on eating nutritiously and walking as much as you can

If you do opt for postnatal pilates or any exercise really, make sure your stomach has no separation first (diastasis recti). Often you don't realise and some exercise can make it worse. Certain exercises will help it close if you do have one but it's best to get it checked at your 6/8wk check anyway.

10 days is nothing. Get yourself out in the sunshine for a few little walks, building up to longer buggy walks. Try to limit the Starbucks hot chocolate and muffins at your post natal meetups (or at least refuse the extra whipped cream ).
You should have lost loads of weight by 6 weeks, then loads more by 6 months, and maybe that last little bit will hang on until you finish bf.

Hi op. I put on 5 stone when I was pregnant and I remember going to buy jeans and crying in the changing room because I couldn't fit into a size 14. Within 9 months I was back into my size 10 jeans. Much of your weight now will be water. Keep up the breast feeding and before you know it you'll be back to your old self or at least near it.

I put on 16 kg which is about 2.5 stone...i had already put on a stone before getting pregnant as my lifestyle changed...
vaginal birth and lost about 6 kg in a week ....but i think with a c section the water goes slowly? I am having an elcs this time so will let you know...
the rest of the almost 2 stone took me two years...because i never tried to loose it before...i was too busy with baby ...but i can easily say 3 to 4 months my body needed to rest from the vaginal birth before doing any excercise..
this time hope to get moving after 3 months ...
it does come off...but it is so important all women let their body heal before they start worrying bout weight at least a few months...
i couldnt breastfeed much so that didnt help...but tummy went in as i used a postnatal maternity belt

I gained nearly 5 stone with DS! Personally didn't lose hardly any weight while breastfeeding, but since stopping that the weight has gradually come off by itself. DS now 14 months and I'm 6lb off my pre pregnancy weight, this was without hardly any diet or exercise, if I'd done that then I could have lost it all far quicker

I had emcs 6 weeks ago and didn't realise the water retention would be so bad! Much worse than when I was pregnant. I reckon my puffy legs only started going down in last couple of weeks ago! 10 days is nothing. I can just fit into my size 10 jeans now after 6 weeks. Before that I was still wearing my maternity clothes lol!