J.L.
I am still trying......last baby 17 months ago....I am committed this week to more excercise and weight watchers. It is so hard.....
Dont yell at me for being vain, but I want this baby weight OFF. My baby is only a couple weeks old, but I still have 20 lbs to lose. Im hoping it comes off quickly because I have nothing to wear! My size 2 clothes are wayyy out of reach and I dont want to wear maternity clothes anymore. How long did it take you? Im hoping it will only take a couple months!
I am still trying......last baby 17 months ago....I am committed this week to more excercise and weight watchers. It is so hard.....
I gained 65 pounds and lost it in about 1 year. Yet the furniture as it was had been totally rearranged. My baby is now 16 (that's years not months) and I can only keep that stomach/pooch down by exercise ;-) much exercise.
But honestly I don't worry about it. I'm still hotter than ever. Go figure.
My 2nd just turned 8 months. I started out at a size 6, and am currently between a size 8 and size 6. I stepped on a scale last week and found out I have 15 pounds to go.
Be careful about dieting while nursing. Your breast milk is only as good as your own diet.... If you are not eating a full range of foods and dairy fat, your breast milk will not be as nutritious. Also, your body will release a chemical into the breast milk if you don't consume enough calories--that chemical is bad for the baby.
A friend of mine lost weight quickly after birth (her baby wasin NICU). She said she lost the weight in all the wrong places--her boobs, the curve of her bum, etc.--and didn't lose the fat where she wanted it to happen.
My doctor told me it took 10 monthsto put it on and I needed to give myself at least 10-12 months to lose it gradually.
ill let you know! lol I have an 18 yr old, 4 and 5 yr old. My hips and feet never got any smaller afterward.
I was on maternity leave for 12 weeks with both children and by the time I came back to work I was in my regular clothes (I was certainly not a size two but was back into some size 6 and all of my 8's). I breastfed/pumped with both kids so that certainly helped. We are all very different however.
It took me 6 months and then a few more to lose extra. I still can't fit into some of my old pants... Hips are wider. But I'm 10 lbs less than prebaby and my body is still weird lol. Belly pudge I can't seem to get rid of! Oh and my DD is 13 months now. It takes time, if you're breastfeeding that really helps.
Molly,
First of all, it is not vain to want your pre-pregnancy body back, or to want to feel comfortable in your weight/skin/clothes. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Vanity is an excessive belief in one's abilities or attractiveness. I don't think this applies. =)
But at the same time, it is important to realize each body is different and women of all sizes are beautiful (really, they are) and maybe you look good with a few extra pounds on you! Maybe hubby loves it!
Now, back to your question....
I was a size 4 before having baby number 3, gained 38 lbs with this pregnancy, and it took me 8 weeks to get back into my size 4's. Then, I went down to a size 2 (current size), smallest I have ever been, when my son was about 4 months old.
It takes time - most women take longer than me to lose the weight. Feeling good is most important. Breastfeeding helps! Good luck to you!
We are all different, so don't be discouraged by my case. My kids are 12 and 2. I have not lost significant weight after either of them. I had a period when I was 135 lb, but it was due to stress about graduating from college and moving to another state and my husband starting new job. But I kept my job and telecommute now. So I have been sitting on my hind for 5 years now. And all weight came back :-(. I exercise and eat properly, but baby#2 pounds like me so much! I lost some of it, but I was so huge with #2 (people actually thought I was carrying twins) that my belly never returned to it's former shape.
But I think, since you were tiny to begin with, you'll loose your pounds pretty quickly.
My baby is 3 weeks and i can fit in my shorts all ready but i tell ya this belly is still nasty. I want it gone too. I still have a sore hoo ha from vaginal birth tear and my lower abdomen still hurts, so i don't want to start exercising yet. I only gained 24 pounds this pregnancy and i've lost 22 of it. So i feel okay. But i need to tone up my stomach for sure!
1st baby- never had the chance, got preggers with #2
2nd baby- almost 2 years before I felt like myself
3rd baby- OMG the weight was gone in 3 weeks and now I'm SMALLER than I was in high school! That's what happens when you're chasing 3 kids!!
Be realistic though, so you're not disappointed. It took 9 months to put the weight on, it will take at least that to take it off ;)
With baby number 1 it gradually came off on its own, I never lost the last 15 lbs, but I never made any effort to either.
Same thing with baby 2.
With baby 3 I was determined to lose it quick. I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight about 8 weeks, and then lost an additional 10 lbs a few more weeks after that. I wanted to get rid of the weight quick this time, so I went on a strict diet, and exercise plan. I have continued my eating and exercise and I havent been this thin since I was in highschool.
I was back in pre-pregnancy pants by about 3 weeks, and we don't have a scale, but I was at my pre-preggo weight by my 6 week postpartum visit. I actually dropped below my pre-pregnancy weight when he was a couple of months old because of all of the breastfeeding (he was a chubby little guy!). However, all of that being said, it took a while before I felt comfortable wearing some of my pre pregnancy clothes because my belly is not nearly as toned as it was pre-baby (even now 2 years later). I tend to lean to more loose-fitting shirts than I did before, cause when you are 5' 2" and 105 lbs, having a little extra right in your tummy sticks out more easily.
It will also depend on how much you gained. I only gained 25 lbs, and I lost almost half of that the day he was born. If you watch what you eat, breastfeed and go for lots of walks with the baby I think you'll have no problem getting back to you pre-pregnancy size in a couple of months.
The saying is "9 months up, 9 months down," and that's probably been my average through 5 kids - a few were faster, a couple were longer. (My 4th was the quickest!)
This time around, I still have a good 25-30lbs to go and ds is 5.5 months old. But he was hospitalized twice, so I spent a good deal of time sitting on my butt and eating whatever was easiest.
I gained about 45 lbs. The first half came off within the first 3 months and I had my pre-pregnancy weight back after 10 months. I nursed, did not diet and did not exercise.
But even if you loose all the weight, you may find that your shape has changed a bit and your old clothes don't fit you as they used to... just be prepared, that was definitely the case for me.
One more word of caution, though I went all the way back to my pre-pregnancy weight, when I weaned (at 18 months pp) I did start packing on the pounds again and still struggle to get those last 5-7 post weaning pounds off.