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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Is it worth losing baby weight if you plan number 2 in a year?

16 replies

rachelhill · 08/02/2007 17:53

My LO is 16 weeks and I am bfing so I can't really diet but I plan to have number 2 ASAP. I plan to bf till she is 12 months and was wondering if it would be worth me trying to lose the weight from number 1 first or just not live on chocolate as I did when carrying number 1.

OP posts:

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Flossam · 08/02/2007 17:54

I have a much bigger gap than you but never really got down to what I should have done. Didn't see the point when I was TTC, however, now when at 9 weeks I feel a complete fat lump I really wish I had!

CorrieDale · 08/02/2007 18:02

Yes, it's worth it. I didn't (it was always on my list of things to do tomorrow), DS was 15 months when I conceived. Like Flossam, I feel a fat lump, even though having an active toddler to look after all day, instead of an immobile typewriter, means that I am significantly fitter this time around than last.

Rantum · 08/02/2007 18:07

Depending on how much you gained I think it may be worth trying to lose a bit of the weight just because as your DD becomes more active (as she will in 9 months, it can really help if you are not feeling too heavy - and if you gained weight with number 1, you are likely to gain even more weight with number 2 which means you will have almost twice as much to lose, with a toddler and a newborn. Just my opinion though. Although I wouldn't advocate that you worry about losing every last inch if you want to get preggers soon, it took me a year to lose all of the baby weight with DS! I just think trying to lose a bit might make life easier for you in the long run!

sputnik · 08/02/2007 20:13

I only lost most of my pg weight after 2 years, then got pg again. I'm glad I did lose it as I'm piling it on again quickly, think that if I hadn't it would just go on top of the first lot. I had/have lots of good intentions not to live on chocolate but here I am eating some as I type. Some things are irresistible, anyway, they say chocolate makes for happy babies

time4tea · 08/02/2007 21:48

I'd say, don't go nuts on dieting, but it is worth losing a bit. I went from size 14 to size 20 after the birth and felt very tired carrying the extra weight. It came off again pretty quick with GI Diet, which I heartily recommend - you don't feel hungry or deprived (I did Weightwatchers for a while, and was hallucinating about food in a very mad manner and extra-knackered). GI Diet is nutritious and good and the weight fell off, esp with lots of pram-pushing etc. And I continued to enjoy the odd pudding, choccy treat etc.

Uki · 09/02/2007 00:06

You want to be as fit and healthy as possible for each pregnancy, you will have better pregnancy less chance of problems, gestational diabetes, blood pressure, etc and probably better birth.

BF uses tons of calories and I lost all my weight just by this and walking the pram. Why the hurry anyway, i felt like this at first and now i'm glad there will be a bit more of a gap,(2.2 years) it's so nice spending quality time with your first to help them develop and grow the second one will have an older sibling so they will learn most from them.

nearlyfourbob · 09/02/2007 03:46

Pushing the buggy miles and bfeeding will help keep you fit. Just how much weight are we talking though?

NotQuiteCockney · 09/02/2007 06:41

You absolutely can diet while bf, particularly once you're out of the first 6 weeks or so. You just need to be fairly sensible about it, and not aim to lose more than 1 kg/week (but losing more than that is unwise, even if you're not bf, anyway).

And yeah, as Uki points out, starting out a pregnancy heavier is not as good. I have had two kids, with a three year gap. I started out (and stayed) at least half a stone lighter with the second pregnancy. So even though it was three years later, the pregnancy was easier, or at least not harder.

IntergalacticWalrus · 09/02/2007 07:27

Yes, definitely. I was about 3 stone hesvier when I conceived DS2 than wehn DS1 was conceived. I am now left with 4 stone of excess baggage to lose.

I really wish I'd laid off the biccies.

divamumplus · 09/02/2007 14:46

I had the same idea, and hit gym hard since last january(dd was 9m) It was hard work, i used to come back knackered, lost astone or so ( put 3stone with dd) and then we ttc. it didnt happen for 6m. i reduced my gym hours, and at the end i stopped going and after 3m i stopped im pg now. put loads eight back again. well got to work hard after this one. the gap will 28m when bump arrives.

nh101 · 09/02/2007 15:35

I can also recommend the Gi diet (or the GL diet as my guru calls it). Try the Patrick Holford books - the food is so nutritious, you won't feel hungry and you can carry on the eating plan during pregnancy (the maintenance part not the weightloss part of course)

Original poster

rachelhill · 10/02/2007 16:51

Thanks ladies. I do actually sort of do a GI diet naturally - I have PCOS and it stops me being a scary hormonal cow . I gained I guess 28lbs and I guess I have about 20 to go still to take me back to my ideal size - I don't do scales, but I'm now a size 14 and was a large 10 or a small 12 so it's not too bad.

I'm going to start picking up on the exercise though, although we do do the pram push a mile up the hill and back to get a paper every day - bloody killed me in the snow I can tell you.

My HV keeps giving me the 'if you diet while bfing your milk will be crap and your baby will wither and die' argument (I'm paraphrasing obviously .

Have discovered my daughter likes me to pop her on my tummy and do crunches with her sitting there laughing - only problem is - I can only do about twenty and she's just getting into it at this point

I ended up on bedrest for four months so I don't actually think I did too badly considering. But I hate being overweight, I do feel heavy and sluggish and above all, I have a flipping double chin!

More porridge, less choccy for me then

OP posts:

Jennster · 11/02/2007 18:06

Hi Rachel

My DD is just 1 year and am 4 months pregnant. I lost quite a bit of weight JUST before I got pregnant with dd and never got down to what I was (about 7lbs off) but was by no means overweight anyway. I'm still breastfeeding too. GI diet is perfect.

One thing I would INSIST you do is pelvic floor exercises. I am really suffering with leaking when I'm coughing. (but then I have a horrid cold and am coughing violently)

MrsFish · 11/02/2007 19:02

I would definitely say it is worth losing as much as you can before your next pregnancy. I managed to lose all what I gained with my first who is now 20 mths I am now 6 weeks pregnant again and the same weight as I was first time round, but absolutely determined NOT to put as much on this time round. So far I haven't put any on in 6 weeks so feel quite happy. Bf defintely helps to lose the weight, you only need to eat an extra 400 or so cals a day if bf, which should cancel out the extra calories you eat. I would hate to think how big I would be if I hadn't have lost the 3 and a half stone I put on.

Skyler · 11/02/2007 19:05

Not read thread but in answer to OP I think getting fitness back is more important. I lost weight but didn't get fitness back and suffered with second pregnancy imo.

Frenchsmallfry · 11/02/2007 19:47

I would say YES too if you can. I was 15stone when I conceived with no1. I then lost 5 stone after he was born with slimming world (god I love that eating plan) Miss it sooooo much being in France now. Anyway, I was 10 stone when I conceived no.2 ds was 18mths, and I had an amazing 2nd pg'cy. I had so much more energy and felt like I had a new life. When no.2 was born I'd gained about 2 stone of my weight back and as we had decided to have no.3 fairly soon I didn't bother doing anything about it putting on another stone in the meantime. dd is 18mths now and I am 26 weeks pg. Ohhhhhhhh how I wish I had of lost the weight before this one, I can really notice the difference. This pg'cy has been my hardest yet, I just feel such a heavy weight. I think the added fact that I am 5 yrs older than my first doesn't help but boy the weight is a big part. You can do slimming world btw whilst you are pregnant and BF if you wan't to. I can't wait now until this baby arrives and I can really concentrate on getting slim again.

Good Luck

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