How to Get Rid of Baby Weight

Hi, B.! I just wanted to encourage you a little bit...I have 3 girls and it took me about a year with each of them before my weight really started coming off. I didn't really try with the first until a year; with the second I started working out and eating better right away; and with the third I worked really hard during pregnancy and gained 10 pounds less. But it didn't matter! That's just how my body works. And everyone's is different. So if your focus is on being healthy (which I know is hard if you're not seeing results) that's the best. Don't worry about how other moms look. It's really easy for some people and happens right away and for others it takes longer. Just remember that it's worth it!!

I am breastfeeding and had a c-section as well. I was one of the lucky ones and lost 50 pounds within a month of birth when I only gained 35 during the pregnancy though. However, I still have my 'roundy belly' as I call it and my daughter was born almost 5 months ago. A lot of the issues I have with my stomach is skin. It all hangs down and I can grab fistfuls of it and lift it up and down. And as far as I know, you can diet and exercise all you want and it won't change loose skin. Only surgery helps that unfortunately.

I've found it really hard to diet while breastfeeding because I'm ravenous almost ALL the time. I think what helped with my weight loss was the fact that it mostly all came on as water weight near the end. LITERALLY I lost 20 pounds overnight - I had to step off and on the scale a few times before I believed it! - it was all fluid. I exercised quite a bit my second trimester and early 3rd as well, so I'm guessing I changed my body underneath the baby too, which helped when the fluid came off.

I still feel sore in my incision now and then, especially when I try to exercise the muscles there. I've tried a little bit of bellydancing for a fun way to work my abs. Pilates is also good I've heard. I haven't done any myself yet though. I'm having a tough time finding the energy to get eveyrthing done around the house and take care of the baby let alone exercise! Getting back in shape after having a baby presents a lot of challenges! Keep at it!

I think it partly depends on how motivated you are to lose the weight.

My sister started going to the gym as soon as she could and her weight dropped right off (she did not breastfeed either).

I breastfed exclusively for 1.5 years and it did not magically melt the weight! Fast forward another year, and I am still 22 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I put on a lot of weight being pregnant, and and my son slept badly until we quit nursing him, and I didn't really feel all that motivated to exercise, so I am now facing a hard uphill battle.

My advice to you is to begin exercise when your body is able, start slowly and ramp it up as you can, but get on a regular exercise schedule like my sister did, and watch what you eat.

I think it may also have to do with how much you gained during pregnancy and also to do with your metabolism. Some of my friends barely show in their 7th month, and they look like the never had a baby two days after delivery. Others are either bigger ladies or put on a ton of weight (like me), and they never really totally have regained their pre-baby state yet.

I still say my main problem is lack of motivation- I am not all that into how I look- so if you are motivated, that should help a lot.

P.S. If you can, do lots of your exercise now while your baby still takes naps and is less mobile. Once they are moving around and sleeping less, your time is sucked into the toddler vortex. and you will have to get a babysitter if you want to exercise in peace.

I can't say enough about pilates. It has reshaped my body in a way that running and weight lifting couldn't do. The Reformer machine was something I used while pregnant and I credit that with helping me in that area (which is my absolute weakest area).
I also laid off on the dairy - the calories are so heavy and my body felt it so acutely. I eat very little now but you should still take care of your caloric intake for breast feeding purposes... just something to consider down the line.
Just take it one day at a time, don't be too hard on yourself, congratulations and good luck!

for me, my weight stays ON when i am nursing. so, i've just had to wait it out with both my babies until they were weaning (around 15 months). this is how another friend of mine's body is, too.

just enjoy your baby, and worry about the weight later. if you eat well and try and get a little walking in, you'll be fine.

congrats on your baby!

Don't stress too much about the weight. I gained 50 pounds with my first baby (I was almost 31 when she was born). It took her whole first year for me to lose most of the weight, and the last 15 didn't come off until after I weaned her. Baby #2, I gained 35 pounds, but at 3 months, I'm still holding onto that last 15 pounds. Your body will hold onto some of it while you breastfeed, and dieting (not to be confused with eating healthy for your and your baby) could have a negative effect on your milk supply. By all means, start walking, and when your doc says you have healed sufficiently, work on your abdominal muscles, but give yourself a break.

Hi B.. I am a mother of 4 (12,11,8,7), 40 years old. I gained about 40 lbs with each pregnancy, then I'd lose 30 so I had some weight to lose after each one. Finally, after the last I was so sick of the way I looked I made a drastic change and began marathon running. I did lose the weight, but had to work very hard at it. Well, the last one I did was over 3 years ago, and now that my kids are getting older, much of my time has been spent running them to their activities, and since training takes so much time, I kind of gave it up. I had packed on extra weight and even with some exercise it wasn't coming off. I found a program this summer that worked. I lost 17 lbs, over 24 inches in 8 weeks and have more energy than ever. The products are all natural and perfectly safe to take when nursing or even pregnant. With a little exercise and healthy nutrition I feel great and pulled out a bin of clothes I haven't worn in 3 years. It's amazing how our bodies and metabolism can change. I have now helped others who want to lose weight get on our products, which is very reasonable in cost. I could go on and on....If you are interested, feel free to call me at ###-###-####.

M. Anderson

B., nursing certainly will help. You need to keep your diet much like it was while you were pregnant and drink lots of water. Remember it took 9 months to produce your son and it will take time for your body to get back to its pre-pregnancy state. Good luck to you!

B.,

I gained about 30 lb's with my first and about 35 with my second (total weight gained before baby came). I didn't diet at all and within 9 or 10 months of breastfeeding I had lost nearly all the weight the first time, and by a year had lost it the second time. Two months is not very long at all, you need to give yourself some time and credit for having a newborn and breastfeeding!

If you want to speed the process, walking is a great way to start exercising after a baby, but don't cut calories too much because your body needs them to produce milk. Think about it this way, it took 9 months for your body to gain the weight, you should expect it will take about that long to go back to normal after.

Good luck to you!
J.

Im 30 and had my third in Jan. Im still hanging onto the last 10lbs. It sucks but our bodies tend to do that. I have been eating healthy and just started to work out. I know that it depends on your body type and how u were b4 u had the baby. I would concentrate on getting your milk supply established and then start a light workout. 2 Months after having a baby u will still have some left. It takes about 3 months to get a good milk supply established though so watch that cause to much exercise can cause u to dry up. Good luck and i still have some extra tummy left too. 8m later. Remember it took u 10m to gain it and it will take u about that to loose it.

Hi B.,
Congrats on the new baby!

With my son, I never exercised or watched what I ate (I probably should have, to be healthier!), just ate when I was hungry (and I'd be ravenous as a nursing mom!). I nursed my son for 17 months, and I lost 60 pounds, 30 of which was the baby weight, and the other 30 was extra weight to begin with. It was like magic for me, thankfully. I got lucky, I think.

I have another baby due in a couple weeks, and I'm hoping that it works the same way this time!

Good luck to you!

I was pretty active before I had my daughter in Feb - but I still have about 6 lbs to lose. I am also breastfeeding and I have heard that your body holds on to those last few lbs until you quit. Now it is a lot harder to actually get to the gym to work out but I still find time about once a week. I would say it would be smart to watch what you are eating especially since you are breastfeeding. I think 2 months is a little early to be concerned about the weight - it takes 9 months to put it on... I am sure you have heard it before :)

Hi B.,
I breastfed for 16 months, the weight did 'melt off' BUT it seemed that over time my metabolism got used to breastfeeding and slowed down, and the weightloss slowed down and then stopped. as soon as I stopped breastfeeding it crept back on!! If I could go back and do it again I would exercise more and try to lose as much as possible while it IS possible! I joined weight watchers and the Y this summer, now I go to a TURBO Kick class 3 times a week and have lost 13 lbs in the last couple months. I found that once I turned 30 it is so much harder to lose or keep it off! good luck!

I didn't read other responses, so you may have already heard this. Basically, it should take as long to lose the baby weight as it did to gain. If not longer!! Give your body time and don't have too high of expectations. And good luck!

If you are having problems losing it I would recommend watching what you eat and make sure you are drinking lots and lots of water especially if you are nursing. Nursing does burn a lot of calories so you'll get there. Good luck:-)

Hi B.,
Unfortunately because of the C-section, it is going to be harder for you to get back to that pre-baby flat tummy. Your stomach muscles were cut apart and stretched out even further, than those of us who didn't have the c-section. It will take some work and determination and your part, but you can get it back. The only way to get it back is to really work at strenthening those core muscles....good old fashioned situps. There are several variations of situps that you can do, but you gotta do em to get that flat tummy back. Those muslces will never fully grow back together either if you don't do situps...even us vaginal delivery women have to do situps to get the muscles to grow back together after being stretched apart.
Oh and by the way....you should still watch what you eat even though you are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding really does burn a ton of calories and gives you a great jumpstart on loosing the baby weight, but you can't just sit around and eat whatever you want like McDonalds and chocolate and sugar all day and still expect to loose weight. Even if not for loosing weight, you should still be watching what you eat, because you want to eat the good healthy stuff that will offer your body alot of vitamins, minerals, protein and calcium becuase your baby needs all that stuff in the breastmilk. Your baby isn't going to get the healthy stuff he/she needs if you sit around eating junk and fatty foods all the time. When you are hungary between meals and wanna snack, snack on an apple, orange or grapes. Eat well balances meals, with vegetables and protein and not alot of fat and you should loose the babyweight and give your baby healthy milk.
Oh and just another quick tip. Exercise never killed anyone...you should be exercising as well. It is great for you and gets your endorphines going to make you feel good everyday and gives you the energy you need to keep up with a baby, plus it helps your milk supply. It can actually help keep your milk up or increase it.
Good luck

over about 3-4 months i lost all the baby weight and by a year i actually had lost 5 lbs over the baby weight, just by breastfeeding and a little bit of walking.
my son is 21 months old and my stomach is still saggy and "weak" looking.
one thing you might want to think about is something heidi klum said - what were you like before you were pregnant? you cant kid yourself, you arent going to look better. and i suffer from stretch marks myself, and i dont think they have faded that much.

just remember this, there is no cure, there is no magic potion (i received strivectinD - a 70$ bottle - from a magazine company that went out of business, however redundant that sounds, it made no difference in the appearance of the stretch marks) that will make them or the saggy skin go away. isnt it worth it though?

yes you should and can take good care of yourself and get back to a healthy weight. i say healthy because you will not look the same, ever. and you shouldnt. you are not a teenager anymore :D ive kinda just accepted my body for what it is - an amazing body that nurtured and gave birth to a beautiful son! :D
the longer you breastfeed the better, around 8 months after having my son i lost more weight (thats where the other 5 lbs went i think LOL)
i breastfed my son until he weaned himself at 19 months.
i weight less than before i got pregnant, but still was overweight anyway, so im trying to lose more. this spring i lost 10 more lbs by eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less meats, fats, and other assorted animal products. i do eat animal products, but a LOT less than i used to. it really makes a difference. drink lots of water (or plenty, keep a glass around all day and sip on it) - and some light walking, and even the occasional small sized dessert. reduce serving size - buy smaller plates if you have to.

anyway good luck with this and congrats for being an awesome breastfeeding mom! :D

Mine really started to come off a lot more once they (my babies) became more active. I know this sounds like a long time away from where you are at, but really not. It goes by so fast and in no time you will be chasing a toddler around! Also for me it took a bit longer with #2. I'm sure you will get there! Good luck!

I had a c-section at the end of January and did not breast-feed. Gained > 50 pounds. All weight lost by end of July.

I don't eat much - a side affect of the late pregnancy heartburn cut down how much I could eat and I never really regained an appetite - and of course I run up the stairs and down the stairs constantly during the day to take care of the little one. I try to go for a walk as often as possible.

2 months is very early to be worried about the weight. Eat right, exercise if you can, and give yourself a little time to recover. Even though we all feel like we're recovered pretty quickly, they say we really aren't for many, many months.

Congrats on your new baby. I have a 6 month old and also had a C-section and breastfed. It takes time. I put more weight back on because I started snacking when my son ate....every two hours. Not a good idea when trying to lose the weight. I suggest working out slowly as you are able, but it is difficult. Best of luck!

I am sure that everyone is different but I have a 6 month old and didn't do much exercising (besides walks) or change of diet and I have lost all of my weight. I attribute it all to breastfeeding. I do remember that I really started to notice the weight coming off around the time he was 4 months.

Congratulations on the birth of your first child. I have two boys now at the age of 36. My first son was born when I was 24 and my second son was born when I was 34. I nursed both of them. The first one for only 3-4 months due to work. I gained a considerable amount of weight with my first child. I went from 120lbs to 180+lbs. I lost that weight considerably fast and even weighed less than before pregnancy. I didn't even really try to, but I think the stress of work and having to leave my newborn to go back to work had a lot to do with it.
Now, with my second it was a totally different story. I started out at about 150 due to being off work from a car accident and couldn't do a whole lot of anything. I got up to a little over 200lbs. I had a c-section with this child. I didn't have to go back to work with this child, so it might be why I took so long to lose all the weight because I wasn't really trying to hard this time either. Also, I think my age this time had something to do with it. I dropped down to 175 pretty fast, but then I was stuck there. I started trying by walking at first and that didn't do a whole lot for me. When my son was about a year old I knew I had to do something. I started to change the way I ate during the day. It wasn't what I was eating, it was how I was eating. I still eat anything I want I just have different eating times and portions. I eat small portions all day long. I don't sit down and have big meals twice a day like I use to. When I changed this I lost weight like crazy. I went from the 175lbs to 135lbs in about 6 or so months. By this time my son was 18 months old and he got a really bad cold and had a hard time nursing, so he weaned himself pretty much. He's now 28 months old and I still weigh 135lbs.
Now, of course my shape isn't exactly the same as it use to be, but it's pretty close. I have stretch marks too, but not as bad as they use to be. My stomach isn't as firm as I would like it to be, but I really haven't tried to work on that either. I'll probably take some of the advice of the other moms on here and do some of those crunches now.
If I was you I wouldn't worry about it too much. It will come off eventually.
I would enjoy that little boy you have now and cherish every moment you have. My first is now 13 almost 14 years old. I didn't get to enjoy his infant and toddler years as much as I would have liked to due to working so much. I'm taking advantage of being able to be a SAHM now and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Good luck and best wishes to you.

Don't worry. The tummy fat will go away - especially if you're breastfeeding. It just takes some time. My daughter is 3&1/2 months old and I am breastfeeding exclusively, and my tummy is finally back to normal now. I'm sure the older you are, the longer it takes too.

Hi B.-
2 months- give yourself a break dear. At 34 your body isn't like a 20 year old nor is your health which is part of the process.
My Doctor told me at 41 it might take up to 2 years which it did by the way- to finally get rid of that kangaroo pouch I carried arounnd after everyone told me to give it up.
Breast feeding great, but there are still basics
First off- add in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement- important for heart, brain, energy and all around wellness. You baby depleted your stores unless you were supplementing or ate alot of wild seafood- takes up to 3 years to replenish before your next child.
Basics:
1)cal in, cal out for you not just general- only a 500 cal reduction per day off your current resting metabolic rate
2)the right amount of proteins for your body- based on your lean mass
3)half your weight in water- more if you're breast feeding
4)only one serving of starch per day- maybe 2 healthy ones during breast feeding ( a bagel is 4)
5)7 servings of good carbs- fruits and veggies- colorful eating unless it's meat- then the lighter the meat the better
6)exercise probably necessary if you're under 5'4" - walking great as a start

A fun thing for you to do, might be to join a new online Biggest loser weight loss challenge. It's for everyone and isn't program specific. The first group starts Monday Sept 15- so you'd have to quickly register at http://www.challengevictor.com There will be others starting but they wanted to get one with all 12 weeks in before the holiday season. There will be groups of 40 so you can win up to $600. It's only $29 for the 12 week class, 1/2 hour every Monday night 815pm CST online and with a 30 min call with free coaching. Check it out.........

If my reply doens't make sense, or if you want to know more specifically about your own personal profile, email me at ____@____.com and put momsource in the subject line so I know to open it.

You can do this- just give yourself time as you aren't other people. Only compete with yourself.

B. J
about me- 47yo med. professional, wellness coach, mom to 7yo twin girls
____@____.com

Dear B.,

give yourself at least a year to get your old tummy back. I've had two Cesarean Section births, one at age 30 & one a couple years later, and I cried a lot about my tummy after the first one. Got my belly back about 18 months later. Now I am 37 and completely happy with my body. I didn't like how everyone claimed I would lose weight while breastfeeding and not get my period while doing such, because neither happened to me!!! I hope you have an awesome snuggly winter. Congratulations on the birth of your baby!!!

Congratulations on your new baby! Everyone varies, but it can take some time to get the baby weight off. Even after you lose all of the weight your body can change. I lost the weight, but many of my old clothes never fit again because my rib cage widened and my waist never went quite back to its old form. For my first baby it took about 9 months to get the weight off. For my 2nd I breastfed for 14 months and stayed 15 pounds up the whole time. It took 18 months to get the weight off that time! But there is hope--when my youngest was about 3 I started lifting weights and now 5 years later I am thinner and in better shape than I was before I had my kids. I did start watching my diet a little better too. Exercise is really important for any weight loss or fitness plan and combining cardio with some sort of strength training is the best bet. That said, your baby is still VERY little and at your stage I was mostly thinking about getting enough sleep! So, enjoy your baby, eat healthfully and get some moderate exercise for now. There will be time later for weight loss and toning. Good luck.

It depends upon your concentration and not losing your wits. My pre-pregnancy weight was 139lbs and gained 34 pounds extra after giving birth to my LO. I was really anxious how to get my body shape back. A friend suggested some organic tea and I did give a try to mummy magic weight-loss tea. After taking mummy magic tea for one and half month, I dropped 32 lbs.

Hi B.,

I had a c-section also and lost now of the weight while breastfeeding. Only about 50% of women lose while breast feeding the rest of us either stay the same or some even gain weight. Also remember that it took you 10 months to put on the weight so it will take a while to take it off. My doctor said usually figure a year maybe even a bit longer depending on how long you breastfeed.

For the stretch marks and as you put it the flappy stomach skin. I have found that using Arbonne Body Serum and Hydrating Lotion has helped to fade the stretch marks and helped with the elasticity of my stomach coming back. I wish I had a picture to show you what a difference it can make. If you are wondering where to get Arbonne products or have questions about them, please send me an email at ____@____.com Hope this Helps!!!

J.

I had went from 115 to 147 for my pregnancy and within the first few weeks I lost a good portion of it. The remaining part took a bit but I eat healthy and try to stay active...even if it means just cleaning I do all of it in a day so that can be considered exercise. Every lady is different. Breastfeeding does help you lose weight because you have to eat so frequently it helps to speed up your metabolism. Even if you wanted to tighten your tummy do 20 crunches every morning and that should help out. I have heard amazing things about Pilates...you can always get a dvd and work out from home. I am one of those human beings that hates gyms. You pretty much should stick to the same foods as you did while pregnant. Do whole wheat instead of white...eat a salad ocassionally. Eat foods high in protein and calcium especially if you are breastfeeding. If you are into seafood you can do I believe it is 12oz per week you are allowed to meet the mercury allowance. If you like just type into google hot to lose baby weight and all kinds of info should pop up. Good luck.

J.

I've had 3 vag births and 1 c-section. It took me almost a year to fully recover from my c-section. My stomach changed also. I much prefer a vag birth because of recovery time.

Also, I've breast fed all my babies for an extended period of time - 2 plus years on each child. I would agree that 2 of my 4 babies I lost weight easily with breast feeding. I believe it largely depends on how efficient of a nurser your baby is. Also, it's very important to eat well and exercise. Start with a daily walk.

My best advice is to realize that your baby IS ONLY 2 months old. Get plenty of rest and give yourself time.

My daughter is almost 15 months, I breast-fed-- and I still have a bit of a belly. It isn't as easy as some make it out to be. I eat right, and I work out...it is going down.... slowly but surely. I am finding that it is just as difficult as it was before I got pregnant.

I know at the 2 month mark I didn't even feel myself yet, I dropped probably 30lbs right in the first month because I had a lot of water weight, and you just do. After about the 6 to 8 month mark it started to get a little more difficult to loose. That's when I had to watch what I ate and worked out more often. (When I had time between taking care of baby and working)

You just had a baby--relax about the weight and take the time to enjoy your little one. They grow so fast and you miss that newborn phase eventually, take it from a mom who has a new walker!

Good Luck!

I to had a c-section but did not breast feed it has been fifteen months and I have only now started to get my old body back kind of. I have just been finding time afew minutes here or there to work out walking I really try to make time for usually I'll take my son with me or on weekends my husband watches him while I take a longer one. I also do sit-ups and crunches while he naps. I do my sit-ups on an exersise ball so that I get the full use of my stomach muscles and crunches on the floor. These have really started to reshape my midsecton. Just start out slowly just afew sets of 10 and work up from there. I'm now at about 140 sit-ups straight forward and ones with a twist to get the sides. It doesn't take much time each day but it really does start to make a difference. Best of luck to you and remember it just takes time and everyone is different but your body will not come back magically, but a little effort goes a long way. Also c-section's cut your muscle wall which makes it harder to gain back the strengh and shape but is not impossible.

I have a 5mo and haven't lost all my wt. yet and opf course have that saggy tummy look. However what I try to remember is it took 9months to put it on and most likely it's gonna take at least that long to take it off. I've read several books/articles on this and talked to people and most agree it took 9mo-1yr to really get back or get close to pre-pregnancy weight. Something I read was about a woman w/several kids and she said even when she worked out really hard and really dieted despite faster weight loss it still took 9mo to get back to the same shape. So even though that sucks when you are in the middle of it and can't wear all your clothing at least you can keep in mind that there is nothing wrong w/you for not loosing wt over night. Just focus on eating healthy, moderate exercise,and give yourself the time to get back to feeling good, all the while realizing that your body might be different even if you get back to the same weight. As for b/f I've heard it's a myth that it melts weight off, though that is true for some people it is not true for all people. Don't forget if you diet or take in too few calories you can lower or alter your milk supply so be careful in that respect.

Congratulations on your new baby! I just had my daughter 7 months ago and believed the line "If you breastfeed, you will lose weight faster", however, this was not the case for me. I weigh more now than I did at 9 months pregnant. Every person is different so you will know your body best. If you struggle with losing weight, I would caution you to listen to what everyone says.

Hope this helps! And enjoy being a mommy.