How Much Weight Can I Shed 3 Weeks After Having My Baby?

You are funny! After I had my 3rd, my high school reunion was 3 weeks later. Argh! The bummer was I did not gain a little weight like 13 pounds, I gain around 70 (I am very skinny normally but 6 ft tall so 70 doesn't show as much on me as most)! Needless to say, I was a bit stressed to say the least. Regardless, by the reunion, I was down 40 pounds. I went and got a girdle and wore it under my dress. I was so close to looking like my normal size that I was fine and have no problems looking back at my photos.

Since you are getting a C-Section you won't be able to work out right away so just go with what you lose and get a girdle if you need .

Good luck!

I gained 50 lbs with my last and lost 30 lbs of water weight within 3-4 weeks! Yuck! It just depends, but like others said, everyone will know you just had a baby. I wouldnt worry too much.

I, personally think you are worrying too much about the weight you will gain for the wrong reason.
I know a wedding is a big event and I know that you want to look your best, but you are 26 weeks and it seems you are hoping to put a number on things.
If you aren't to your pre-pregnancy weight when the wedding happns, everyone will know it's because you just gave birth and the photos will reflect that very special time in your life as well.
Don't start worrying about this too much. Your first priority is to grow a perfectly healthy and happy baby. After that, it's all cake, so to speak.

Evreyone's bodies are different after birth and you just need to focus on the thing at hand first. Your baby.
My sister was in my wedding just weeks after having my nephew. I teased her about how humongous her boobs were, all in fun since mine are small. But, she looked beautiful and she held my nephew for many of the photos. She is my sister. I love her. I couldn't have gotten married without her there no matter what.
I'm sure everyone else will be feeling the same way about you.
Your baby is priority one right now and however you look three weeks after having him will be the beautiful reality of your life at that point. No one else will worry about it as much as you are.

Best wishes.

I think your focus should be on growing a healthy baby, not on gaining only 1 pound each week.

I was a size 4/6 before both my pregnancies. I gained 50 lbs with my 1st and 43 lbs with my 2nd--and no, I didn't eat junk food... Our 1st was 7.7 lbs., our 2nd was 8.8 lbs. Both were born at almost 41 weeks. Our 2nd is now 3 months old, I'm a size 10 pant. 3 weeks after, I was probably a size 16 pant. It takes time for your tummy to shrink...

I think how much weight you need to gain depends on the baby's genetics, your genetics (how your body deals with pregnancy) and how many weeks you're pregnant (if you deliver at 36 weeks, you'll gain less than at 41 weeks).

Not much. 3 weeks after delivery your body really still hasn't gotten back to the "not pregnant" look I wouldn't think. After my second baby I was swollen from all the fluids Im guessing and actually looked bigger then then when I was preg. That lasted about 2 weeks for me. I think you may just have to be satisfied with the just had a baby look. Dont wear sleeveless and hold the baby in front of you for pics or get in the back of pics...maybe that will help?! :)

Updated

Not much. 3 weeks after delivery your body really still hasn't gotten back to the "not pregnant" look I wouldn't think. After my second baby I was swollen from all the fluids Im guessing and actually looked bigger then then when I was preg. That lasted about 2 weeks for me. I think you may just have to be satisfied with the just had a baby look. Dont wear sleeveless and hold the baby in front of you for pics or get in the back of pics...maybe that will help?! :)

You might drop about 15lbs but your hip bones and rib cage wont go back to normal that fast. You better get some spanx, and have fun. If the pics come out looking like you just had a baby, well, uh, you did!!

Just eat healthy for the two of you. If you gain about 26lbs, which is pretty much just right, you'll lose at least 1/3 of that or more at the birth I believe (baby+amniotic fluid+placenta). I wouldn't try to lose any - you'll be too tired, and if you're breastfeeding, you may drop a little, but do NOT skimp on food while breastfeeding - bad for you and baby.

Depending on your height, you'll look fine, and if you're in any of the official pictures, just tell the photographer you just had a baby and am conscious about your weight in the photos.

And the right dress would be flattering regardless. There are also those spanx girdle things if you're really desparate. Have fun and get lots of sleep :)

I say the only thing to worry about is what dress can you get that you love and will look just great on you. Something that flatters you now, would be great. I wouldn't worry at all beyond that. Something dark would be great and comfy, as you will still be healing. You bro's wedding is way secondary, as important as it is, you and your baby's health is paramount. Just show up and look your best!!! Congrats on both counts!! But please don't put any pressure on yourself about weight post labor, your plate will be full enough without weight on your mind.

k, not to be critical....but your having a c-section, which means that your activity is going to be pretty limited for the first two weeks at best....just focus on healing. try to find something that will flatter your post c-section body, nothing fitted, flowing...spring time apparrel will be out by then, and you could potentially use spandex to slim your figure-just don't hurt yourself
good luck and congrats!

I just had my 2nd c-section 3 months ago, and I was really surprised at how quickly my waistline returned to almost normal. I think I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans by 2 weeks, as soon as my incision was healed enough that they didn't chafe. Everyone's body is different, but I think what made a huge difference for me this pregnancy was that I pretty much stopped eating sugar during my 3rd trimester (I had slightly elevated numbers on my blood sugar test, and I noticed that eating a lot of sugar was making me feel awful). Of course, I also weigh about 140 pounds, so I don't know if your smaller body type will be able to hide some of the extra fat the way mine can. :) But I just thought I'd share my experience. Good luck!

Everyone is different. I had lost 35 pounds by 3 weeks post delivery (gained 5 during the pregnancy so was down 30 pounds) No particular excercise, just healthy eating during pregnancy and after. SPANX are a great solution.

Hi--
I've had two. With my first I stayed looking pregnant for a few weeks after. With my second the weight sorta just fell off. I am about your size, but I gained 41 and 38 pounds respectively with my two. I lost all the weight by 4 months with the first, but lost all the weight by about 2 months with my second. I think you can expect to still have baby weight, but probably won't still look pregnant. Those nursing outfits can hide that pretty well as well.
Congrats on the new baby!
J.

I think with a 3 week old you are going to be way too sleep deprived to worry too much about how you will look. If you are going to be breast feeding you might want to make sure you wear something that will have easy breast access. Although every baby is different, my son cried (it seemed) almost non stop for the 1st 6 weeks of his life and I could not take him anywhere except for home and the doctors office.
Also, some brides do not wants any kids at their wedding. Babies are natural centers of attention and the new bride may not like sharing the focus of her day.

I would say 15-20 lbs should come off if you eat properly and nurse your baby. That is about what it was for me. However, your stomach will STILL be ballooned out a bit beyond what you would probably like. I would look into the Belly Band-it or a body shaper to suck it in for the wedding (that is what I did for an occasion after the birth of #2 -- big holiday semi-formal party 4 weeks after unexpected c-section with #2). Also, it depends on the woman -- how fast did you bounce back with #1 and #2 :) Good luck and totally stinks that it is SOOO CLOSE! Wow....I too am a little over halfway prego with #3- Best wishes!

let's see...definitely get an imperial waisted dress or cami (if you plan to wear pants or a skirt). I actually think that wearing pants may "skin you out", as dresses can look like little tents if they have too much fabric. If you take care of the midsection (by hiding it, basically!) perhaps pencil pants or skirt will help you get that hourglass figure that is inevitably missing for now.See what looks best on you and stick to dark colors with brighter accessories. For the photos: what really matters is how swollen your face looks, so drink lots of water in the meantime to help things along and pose at 3/4 (not frontal) when the pic is taken. I totally feel your pain as I have hideous pics of myself at my last baby shower where I look HUGE..i still have friends gasping at the way I looked as my face was so swollen, I didn't even look like myself!! Power of hormones...what can we do?? I agree with not showing your arms, just yet, and I would get a slightly darker foundation with blush expertly put on your cheeks to "refine" the oval of your face. As for your hair style, I'd avoid curls and opt for a sleeker kind of look, but it depends on what it looks best.This is what I'd do for myself anyway!!! Have fun!!

You are still going to look pregnant. Sorry.

Honestly, don't worry about it. Get a nice dress, do your makeup, and have your husband sit and you stand behind him for the pictures. I have lots of pictures from my son's bris (8 days after he was born) and even though I still look a little pregnant, I can look at them and say "wow, I look pretty good for just having had a baby."

Consider buying a really nice non-maternity style dress now, because three weeks post partum you'll probably be the size you are now. Yes, it won't feel great mentally to be wearing a maternity dress, but you then won't have to worry about shopping for a dress that fits for a wedding the next day when still recovering from a c-section and dealing with 3 kids! I got a really lovely maternity dress that really didn't even look like a maternity dress - I was sad when I had to pack it away.

Good luck.

Perhaps you should wait and see how much you gain all together. I hope you have a happy healthy baby that could be part of the wedding also, that would be my main concern, good-luck.

You don't say how tall you are. 110(or 90-110 lbs) is the ideal body weight for a female who is 5'. A woman should gain 15-30 lbs for a healthy pregnancy. I am curious to know your height. You could be underweight already because of height.

Also, this is your brother-in-laws bride's day to obsess about being beautiful for the pictures, not yours;)

It is not just how much you weigh that makes you still look pregnant. It's also how much extra skin is on your abdomen and it takes longer than 3 weeks for that to shrink. You've gained very little weight actually. I think the placenta alone weighs around 12-15 lbs. You can wear spandex panties or a girdle so that you look more trim.

Do not restrict your eating now. The weight you gain during the last month is all baby weight. You want your baby to be a healthy weight.

One of the mothers of multiple baby births looked good on their TV program but she was still wearing a firm girdle years after their birth. She finally had a tummy tuck to get rid of the extra skin. With a singleton your body will absorb the extra tissue but it takes time. A firm foundation with as little weight as you've gained should take care of the extra.

I've had several abdominal surgeries and it took 2-3 months for my abdomen to flatten out again. Surgery causes bloating. Organs have been moved around and they take time to settle back into place.

A more realistic approach than losing weight is to go shopping and buy a flattering dress; something A-line without a waist; something that fits at 3 weeks post birth. Wearing a dress with a flattering cut takes lbs. off of our appearance.

Then for pictures stand sidewise at an angle. Not completely sidewise. Also, if you take the baby holding the baby will block the view of your middle and remind viewers that you did just have a baby.

Take Shane's message to heart. Your figure isn't important. I know we want to look our best. You will look your best post pregnancy. Those who love you will be so excited about the baby and seeing you they won't notice your tummy. And you can camouflage it somewhat for pictures bt wearing a good fitting and flattering dress, standing slightly sidewise and placing yourself slightly behind someone else..

I've had 3 c-sections and about to have another (scheduled ) in 3 months. Sadly, when you leave the hospital you will still look pregnant. Your belly (as will be the rest of you) will be bloated (swollen). You won't lose a significant amount of weight in 3 weeks since the first 2 weeks you should be on strict orders from your doctor to do very, very little. You will NOT be able to exercise until you get your doctor's okay and I can most certainly guarantee you will NOT get a thumbs up in 2-3 weeks.