Working to get back to you ‘pre baby body’

[CBhope]

When did you start to work on losing the baby weight after giving birth? Pre pregnancy I was a size 8 (now a 10 in tops at 19 weeks) I have never dieted or had consistent exercise sessions so it’s all unknown to me of how to go about getting back into the pre baby jeans when ready. So when did you start actively working on getting back to a size you felt comfortable with? Is it best to start light exercise as soon as possible to help with recovery or is it best to wait a few months to fully recover and then begin exercising. Was it a real struggle or did you feel some of the weight slowly starts to lift as your body recovers from birth etc?

I should add I’m aware how controversial this topic can be but I’m asking out of curiosity and not because I feel like there is any right or wrong. It’s also far from my main priorities list

I was the same as you before having a baby; after my first I only gained 6ib and with breastfeeding the weight dropped off by 6-8 weeks. With my second I gained a stone and for various reasons didn’t breastfeed and at 4 weeks after my baby was born I joined WW and had lost the weight within 12 weeks. I didn’t intend to start so early; I’d planned to give myself 3 months before trying to diet but it was making me feel rubbish about myself.
Despite losing the weight tho it took up to 6 months for my hips and rib cage to go back to normal and start feeling like myself.

Women who've had a baby will never have a pre-baby body again because, they are living in a post baby body! Not trying to be a smart arse or unsupportive but I think it would be really healthy to regard our post baby bodies as firstly absolutely amazing for performing pretty much a miracle (creating and birthing a human), and secondly to try to be healthy and just love and enjoy our bodies.

I was lucky in some senses, I had a hard pregnancy in some ways but size wise I stayed pretty much size 10-12 with a big beach ball bump which went down and left me back to normal mostly with a C sec pouchy bit and saggier boobs. I don't care about the bits that show what my body went through, I'm actually proud of them.
If you've gone from size 8 to 10, that's still slinky and slim! Just crack on being a happy mum and having wine and treats when you can!
Congratulations on the new baby too

I am 4 weeks post partum with my first child and I am waiting until my 6 week check up and green light from GP before I start to diet and exercise.

I say diet but I dont actually calorie count or anything, I just make sure that everything I eat has some nutritional value, make sure my portion sizes are the right size, eat lots of fruit and veggies and limit anything that is unhealthy. I dont cut out any foods completely.

Pre-pregnancy I was a size 8 and during pregnancy I gained a huge 3.5 stone. 1 stone went as soon as I gave birth and half a stone within the first week so I am left 2 stone heavier.

That said, my size 8 maternity wear still fits me so it cant be all bad and I still think I look pretty good. I cant get into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes (but I can some depending on the cut) but that's mainly because my stomach is still deflating and my boobs are much bigger.

I was quite active before COVID and lockdown struck and I have no doubt that once I start exercising the rest of the weight will drop off. My appetite has naturally decreased since giving birth too.

After my first Daughter, I breastfed for a couple of weeks and the weight just dropped off me. I was back to my pre-baby size within 2 weeks and I had started doing lots of walking about a week after C section. It didn't last though which is a shame! I put on about half a stone again really quickly and was never able to lose it.

I had my 2nd Daughter 14 weeks ago, and had another C section, but didn't start exercising again until about 3 months this time as my body didn't feel ready for it. Still half a stone to lose, but finding it impossible. No matter how much I diet or exercise, it is just not shifting.

I would say just listen to your body, you will know when you're ready.

I am currently 5 months postnatal after second baby. I was size 8 before babies.
I put on 3.5 stone with first baby, then lost 3 stone very gradually, got pregnant again and put on 4 stone. I am actually embarrassed to say that. I was borderline for gestational diabetes for both. Not healthy. Not sure why weight gain was so massive, but definitely affected by morning sickness and needing to eat to control that.
I started WW 3 months post natal this time, and been exercising mainly with walking. I have lost 1.5stone in 2 months, and have half a stone to go. I feel great now for doing it, but I wouldn’t have started actively dieting before 3 months.
I also have been exclusively breastfeeding and have a baby on the 91st centile, so it doesn’t appear to have affected milk or feeding (I was very worried about that).
I had 2 Caesarians, so didn’t exercise apart from walking until 3 months, then started Pilates and gentle running once a week.
Good luck and congrats - everyone is different, listen to your body

I would say light exercise as soon as possible because it’s good for your health regardless of weight.

I breast fed and while I very slowly lost weight over the first 6 months it wasn’t dramatic (I’m sure it was nothing to do with the extra tea and cake all the time 😀). I went back to work after 7 months mat leave which involved walking to work/nursery 1/2 hour each way pushing pram with some significant hills And that more or less sorted the rest

I lost my baby weight from my twins virtually overnight. I was an 8 before my first, an 8 after him, and 6 weeks after the twins, I was a 6.

I am undisciplined. My diet isn't restricted. I don't exercise, except, I walked everywhere. Everyday. I got out of the house, and pushed their chunky behinds for miles. When they were born, combined they were a stone. The pram weighs at least 2.5 stone. The changing bag full of wipes, bottles, my stuff, another stone. If you go to the shops, you can easily add another stone of shopping. Suddenly you're pushing 5.5 stone and you don't even realise it. They weigh 2.5 stone now, so I push 7 odd stone, and only weigh just over 8. It sounds crazy, when you add it up like that, but you genuinely don't notice.

I respect this won't be practical for everyone, but the weight just fell off.

I intended to start ASAP on the weight loss and was actually looking forward to it but after a traumatic birth and non sleeper, I just wanted to eat cake and lounge around for the first few months at least!
I started off at a 6-8 and gained 2 stone whilst pregnant. Baby was 9lb so lost around a stone at the birth and with breastfeeding and time (am 9m pp), have naturally lost all but 4lb without any real effort. I appreciate that I have been lucky but friends of similar ages/starting weights have had similar experiences with their first child. I don't think it necessarily goes the same way with subsequent babies!
That being said, my shape is different and I no longer fit into the size 6 clothing despite weighing only 4lb more. I'm finding it hard to care - maybe if I weighed several stone over my goal weight, there would be more motivation!
Congratulations on your pregnancy

Erm for me I didn't feel up for exercising (running I prefer) until about 12 weeks as I just couldn't bare the thought of pounding either floor with a weak pelvic floor so for me last time I didn't really start until around then, I was too tired and felt too sore/rough to worry about my weight until that point but the weight does slowly come off starting from straight afterwards x

I love @BrandoraPaithwaite response and completely agree. You're body may go back to looking the way it did, it might not, but I wouldn't go above and beyond living a general healthy lifestyle to try and force it back, if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen.

After my first I ate normally and was active to the extend of running round after a baby and returned to my pre-pregnancy size about 12 months later, but I lost that 'you look like you've just had a baby' look around 3-4 months later. My second is now 8 weeks old and I'm not convinced I'll ever go back to 'normal' now after a second pregnancy within 2 years. I've started running at 10 weeks pp and taking it very easy, week 1 of Couch to 5K!

Ah yes, that's true. Whilst you may regain your shape, your "consistency" may be rather different

Forgot to say, the reason I waited til 10 weeks PP as I had a degree of separated abs, diastastis recti which is very common and strenuous exercise can make it worse, pelvic floor exercises are recommended as a gentle way to rebuild your core and help repair DR before starting any other exercise again.

I did Mum & Baby yoga as soon as they'd have me at 6 weeks pp and did a lot of walking, swam when I could get someone to hold the baby (not often!). I was focused on getting strength back for the first 8 months - breastfeeding and very broken sleep were destroying me. I didn't start actually trying to lose the weight until I started to feel better. Poor DS2 is going to get sleep-trained a hell of a lot earlier than DS1 was!

Never. I never consciously made an effort to lose weight - I was eating around the clock to help with my milk supply as that was the priority for me. 4 large meals a day plus snacks.

Without me making any effort the weight fell off naturally and by 6 months postpartum I was back to size 10 / 9 stone.

Breastfeeding and brisk walking to the shops with the buggy was what worked for me but it never felt like trying deliberately to lose weight if that makes sense - the breastfeeding was obviously about the baby and the buggy walking was always just about getting from a to b.

I put on three stone - one stone came off immediately (baby+waters), one came off in the first couple of weeks (water retention + uterus), and one stayed on until I finished breastfeeding at 9 months. I gave up sugary snacks then, which helped it along, but honestly my appetite shrank massively.

I wasn't up to doing any real exercise until at least 3/4 months. At two weeks, I was still out of breath going up stairs (from anaemia caused by blood loss). I know people who did quite high impact stuff from 6 weeks, but you just don't know.

I personally didn't find it realistic to diet while breastfeeding and the baby was waking at night - too hungry and exhausted! You need snacks to get you through that stuff.

As PP have said, my body is permanently different in some ways too, nothing to do with weight - wider rib cage, bigger hands and feet (needed new shoes and had to resize my rings).

If I’m brutally honest (and in no way saying this to scare anyone), I put on more weight post-pregnancy than I did during pregnancy itself. Combination of a “bad” sleeper, PND and anxiety all added up to comfort eating and a decreased motivation to do any exercise. The reason I’m saying this is because I really feel like you can’t know pre-baby how you’re going to feel after they’re here so to plan to exercise/diet etc is all well and good in theory but may not work out that way in practice for you. And that’s okay! I’m an extreme example but my point is to be kind to yourself above all things. Don’t punish your body for the miracle it’s produced.

I’m 30 weeks now with baby #2 and already have thoughts sneaking in of “I’m going to lose all the weight once this baby arrives” 🙈 so I’m repeating the above like a mantra to myself!

I put on 2st8lbs with dd and never lost it all, I was a size 8 and everyone assumed I would snap back quickly which I didn't. I didn't do any exercise for about 5 months after, mainly because I couldn't be bothered but weight just naturally decreased over that time and then I started the gym and lost the rest except 4 or 5 pounds. Am now 16 weeks with dc2 and I want to get back to exercise sooner this time but mainly because my wedding had to be changed due to pandemic and is now 16 weeks after my due date so I would like to fit into my original dress if I can

I was the same size as you on my first kid. Honestly, I just shrunk back with basically no effort. I was back in size 10 jeans by week 5. I always had a little more weight, maybe 4 or 5 pounds, and my tummy isnt as tight as it was, but I didnt care really. I was happy being a bit softer. I did walk a good bit to baby groups and out around parks, and tried to eat healthily, but I never made a conscious effort to lose weight. You may just shrink back. If you dont, I would give yourself maybe 3 or 4 months before thinking about it. You will be wrecked. It's a hard adjustment, and you body has been through a lot, so be kind to it. It needs time to recover. You wouldn't expect someone who went through a major physical trauma to be worrying about their waist size before they have healed. Having a baby is the same. Just focus on the baby and your mental health first, and then tackle the baby belly if you want to once those two are settled nicely.

I suppose it all depends how big you actually get and where abouts you hold your baby weight. I was a size 10 in tops before Pregnacy and wore my usually tops still. I carried really well but I worked a lot so I never really over ate until maybe the back end. I put on 2 stone and I BF for a few months. I think I didn’t loose all my a baby weight until around 9 months after I gave birth. My belly went down straight after I gave birth literally. I’m bottom heavy though (12) and it was my first pregnancy.