baby weight

Mary Renee - posted on 12/29/2010

oh yeah, my weight also dropped dramatically after my daughter started solids (although I still breastfeed). I don't know why. I've heard from other mom's at Stroller Strides that some women's bodies hold on to five to ten pounds while breastfeeding and then lose it as soon as they stop, like it's in their boobs or something. I don't know if this is true, but it seemed like it since as soon as she started solids I lost five pounds literally within a blink of an eye.

Mary Renee - posted on 12/29/2010

I know how you feel but don't be too hard on yourself, 3.5 months is WAY early to be back to your pre-pregnancy weight. I made a deal with myself that it took 9 months to put on the weight, I'm not going to feel bad about myself unless it takes more than 9 months to take it off!



I'm happy to say that by 7 months, I lost 35 of the 40 pounds I gained during pregnancy and I fit into most of my prepregnancy clothes (and by most I mean everything except bras because I still have these larger boobs). I'm not interested in losing the last five because I was really skinny before and I want my daughter to be able to hug someone who isn't all skin and bones.



Like you, I am breastfeeding so calorie restricting dieting isn't really an option but I kept track of what I ate and made sure that all my meals had protein and vitamins and quality substance for me to pass on to her.



On top of that I did Stroller Strides Work-out three times a week and that did wonders for the last ten pounds I lost.



When my daughter was two months old I went to Ross (or any discount clothes store would work) and I bought myself some comfortable jeans and empire waist tops that fit my "temporary" body so that I could go out and feel pretty even before I lost all the weight and it did wonders for my self-esteem. I know some women DON'T buy jeans in their "inbetween" sizes as a mental thing but if you had clothes you liked that you felt good in, you could have gone out, enjoyed the weather, and felt good. Feel good about yourself! I swear, empire waists during that inbetween time is good, adjustable wrap dresses can work before and after... go ahead and buy yourself an outfit or two to make yourself feel good in the meantime. It's worth it and places like Ross and TJ Max and Marshalls can make it pretty inexpensive.



You have plenty of time to lose the weight, enjoy your life and your infant right now because she won't be an infant forever!

Jennifer - posted on 12/29/2010

I have lost 60 pounds since having my daughter a year ago -- and I actually did restrict calories a bit while breastfeeding. I asked the women at la leche about it before cutting calories, because I was worried my milk supply would suffer. They actually reassured me that if you do it slowly, you can reduce your calorie intake without affecting your milk supply... just go slowly and make sure everything is ok -- don't do anything drastic... and make sure you are still eating a very healthy balance of foods and getting all your nutrients. I reduced my calories slowly and saw no drop in my milk supply, and my daughter and I are both very healthy! I found it helpful to eat less in the evenings, since she didn't nurse as much overnight. For a while I just stopped eating after 8 pm, and that worked out well (I kept drinking water though). I would wake up in the morning ravenous, but my milk supply was fine since it had the overnight period to replenish. You can play with different tactics and see what works for you. Good luck and keep up the good work!! Congratulations on your weight loss so far... that's awesome!

Andrea - posted on 05/04/2010

40 lbs already is amazing! Keep up the good work! After my 2nd child I did a lot of weights and circuit training and lost more than the 57 lbs I gained. Currently my 10 week old is still up once a night and I'm very tired. I plan to kick my butt into gear once I get a little more sleep. Everyone has vein moments. They can be good motivators. I have jeans in a variety of sizes which I bought after my last pregnancy. I try them on periodically to check my progress.

Jodi - posted on 05/04/2010

I gained 51lbs with my now 7 month old. I just reached my pre-preg weight a few weeks ago! At 2 months I was down 30 something lbs but was stuck on that for a bit. I thought I was going to be that size forever, but once he started sleeping through the night and I was getting more rest (around 4 months) the weight started to come off MUCH easier! Also, it takes awhile for your hormones to go back to normal. My cousin has 2 girls, and she swears by 4 month post partum the weight starts to come off easier..and it seemed to be the same for me.You seem to be doing great so keep up the good work!