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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

How difficult is it to get back to pre pregnancy size? (haha)

52 replies

rattigan · 15/12/2009 21:02

So...im beginning to get really bored of the clothes i can wear at the moment. It mainly consists of leggings, tunics and topshop skinny maternity jeans!
Im an 8-10 and all of my favourite clothes are vintage pieces that i have spent years collecting so i obviously wont be able to replace them if i never get back to my pre-pregnancy size!
Is it generally quite easy to lose weight after a first pregnancy or am i gonna have to start collecting clothes a size bigger?
Ahhhh! Haha kind of a dumb question!

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tinierclanger · 15/12/2009 21:08

It's an 'it depends', I'm afraid! I was back in my old clothes very quickly but I don't put on weight very easily, and I was BF DS who was constantly feeding, so the weight fell off. But I know lots of people who are still at least a size bigger.

I'll take your stuff off your hands though, if you can't lose the weight.

Ceebee74 · 15/12/2009 21:12

There is no definitive answer to this - some lucky people manage it without trying at all and others never get there and I don't think there is anyway of guessing which you will be.

Fwiw, I put on 2 stone (went from a 12-14 to a definite 16) with DS1 and never lost it (did some half-hearted attempts but never got very far). Got pg 2 years later with DS2 - put another 2 stone on so ended up a size 18+ and 4 stone overweight.

DS2 is now 13 months and I have shifted 3 1/2 stone since January this year and am almost back to where I started - but my shape has changed completely!! Pre-children I used to be totally pear-shaped, I am now apple-shaped

OnlyWantsOneFartleBerry · 15/12/2009 21:13

I was 9 stone 4 at booking appt (and 5ft 8) and when my DD was about 9 months I was back to the same weight (altho different body shape)

I put on 5 stone when pregnant !!!

winnybella · 15/12/2009 21:17

I gained 50lbs each time and lost it without any diet by the end of the first year. Was ( and still am) breastfeeding.

peppapighastakenovermylife · 15/12/2009 21:21

I think it depends on a lot of things. When I eventually lost the weight after my first baby I was still a different shape. My hips were a bit wider and my ribs didnt seem to have quite gone back down. Also my tummy was squishier - not painting a good image here amd I . I think it depends on your genetics though and whether you are naturally slim.

ceebee of course I agree. By the way I'd watch out if I were you - I'm pregnant again . Apologies for hijack.

SleighBelleDameSansMerci · 15/12/2009 21:21

I lost weight after I'd had the baby and am still a size smaller than I was before I was pregnant. I didn't try to lose the weight but I am definitely more active than I used to be.

I also didn't breastfeed. I'm pretty much the same shape as I was before too although my bra cup size has gone up two sizes. Oh, and I'm an older mother (was nearly 42 when DD was born).

I'd lost the weight by about four months after DD was born.

I think it depends on your metabolism really.

jaype · 15/12/2009 22:19

Ask your mother

Probably the best indication about metabolism or whether you will be the same shape again.

BikeRunSnowflake · 15/12/2009 22:30

9 months, lots of walking. Didn't BF. Trained for a 10K run, which was when DS was 9 months old. I wanted to give a hand to the adage "9 months on, 9 months off". Boobs a size bigger than before though.

inveteratenamechanger · 15/12/2009 22:36

I probably ended up marginally slimmer than I was before - with absolutely no effort. This seems to have happened to a lot of people I know.

Have to say that the pounds are in danger of creeping back on now, as I have continued to eat a 'breast feeding' diet long after BF has finished!

carrielou2007 · 15/12/2009 22:38

I lost it quite easily with combination of lots of BF and miles and miles of walking. Never quite the same shape though .

My sis didn't lose the last half a stone until she's finished BF which is when I put a bit back on.

I was a stone over weight when I was expecting dd (pretty much a 14) put on 3 and a half stone - big baby. By the time she was 10 weeks old I had to buy a size 10 bikini as my 2 was too big when we went to Canaries.

This time my ususal size 12, have put on two and a bit stone - hoping it will come off as easily second time around I'm not o sure this time!!

dontrunwithscissors · 15/12/2009 22:50

I got back down to my old weight after about 15 months. It only started coming off after I finished BF (my body seemed to desparately hang on to the weight whilst BF). My body shape also changed, and clothes that suuited me before DD suddenly looked daft. My boobs went from a 34DD to a 32F. (I was really looking forward to them shrinking a bit - huh!)

peppapighastakenovermylife · 16/12/2009 08:16

Oh yes I found I could not lose the weight whilst breastfeeding either. A month or so after I finished I had lost it but was then pregnant again anyway.

Ceebee74 · 16/12/2009 08:27

Peppa wow congratulations Am really pleased for you although I am a little scared now as I definitely don't want another

SardineJam · 16/12/2009 08:36

Im also smaller now than before i was pregnant. DS is now 8 months and i think it took about 6 months to get to where i am, but i basically lost 1 1/2 almost immediately after giving birth! Im still breastfeeding albeit not as much, but walk loads as we dont have a car. Im sure the fact that we live up a very steep hill, is a contributing factor!!!

vulpes · 16/12/2009 08:36

15 months and counting..........also found that when BFing the weight wouldnt shift, after that, started coming off.

i havent been dieting though, have just been doing 'normal' eating and 'normal' exercise.

i dont really have any expectation of getting my pre baby body back though. i may eventually weigh the same as before, but my body shape has for sure changed. like someone else said, my ribs are wider still and my tummy is squishy.

the only thing i really mourn though is my boobs. i had awesome boobs before the baby.

but hey, thats what they invented the push up bra for, right?

Maveta · 16/12/2009 08:42

I think at about 8 mths post partum I was more or less back to normal. I was a lot fitter before, never got back into going to the gym so though weight wise I´m about the same everything is a lot ´floofier´. And I was thinking last night my waist isn´t as defined as before, must get back to the gym!! (when I find the energy??!). Ds is 2.7 now.

Bonsoir · 16/12/2009 08:44

I found it quite easy - I breastfed for a very long time, and ate healthily (no snacks between meals after my six-week post partum resting phase). I was much thinner than before pregnancy by around 8-9 months post partum.

llareggub · 16/12/2009 08:48

I'm a lot smaller than I was pre-pregnancy. I was a size 18/20 and am now verging on a size 12. I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old and agree that my activity levels have significantly increased. I also stopped drinking in 2006 when I got pregnant and suspect that has had a huge impact on my weight.

Bonsoir · 16/12/2009 08:51

Well done llareggub! You must feel fab - slim and gorgeous and two lovely children!

llareggub · 16/12/2009 08:59

Thank you bonsoir. Yes, it feels great but it is hard to remember sometimes that I am a lot smaller. I get a shock when I see myself in the mirror and buying clothes is still hard because I have no idea what I should buy for my new shape. It is wonderful to have the choice however.

I have kept a few old things to put on occasionally to remind myself of how I used to be!

Interestingly I haven't put a great deal of effort into it. I've just started exercising regularly which is a great way to get some time alone, and take the boys out for a walk daily. I've been breastfeeding since October 2006 which I suspect has also had an impact. But food-wise I eat very well. I love food and enjoy cooking so haven't really dieted.

Cies · 16/12/2009 09:27

I was back to pre-preg size or even a bit slimmer a couple of weeks after birth - basically once I´d sweated out all the water I´d retained during pregnancy. I only put on 8kg during pregnancy though. But my tummy is definitely squishier. I´m like my mum in this, so ask yours how soon she got back to normal.

hattyyellow · 16/12/2009 09:43

I also found both times that the weight didn't come off while breastfeeding. It dropped off again once I stopped. My metabolism slowed as well and my thyroid went underactive after second birth - now I am on meds for that I am back into my pre-preg jeans.

IQuibbleThereforeIAm · 16/12/2009 09:49

Agree with others that you don't go quite back to what you were until you finish breastfeeding.

I lost the weight quite easily, in fact I had to make an effort to put a bit back on!

I did heaps of walking which helps.

kidcreoleandthecoconuts · 16/12/2009 09:50

I was back to my pre pregnancy size a couple of weeks after I had DC1. With DC2 I never really lost all the weight tbh. I'm now pregnant with DC3 and hope to lose the weight and get back to my pre children size (well I can dream!)

MrsBadger · 16/12/2009 10:01

yep, 'it depends' and 'ask your mother' are spot on

2y after dd was born I was actually a stone lighter than when I got pregnant with absolutely no effort - ie the shape and weight I was before I started taking the pill...

...exactly the same as my mum.

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