Postpartum Weight Loss

We have a lot in common. I also have a 4-week old baby, and have lost twenty pounds already. And I have the popular jiggly belly, however, this is my second baby. With my first baby most of the belly went away after a few months (without exercise). This time I have a little bit more belly, considering that it was stretched more. I have been walking a little, but my doctor said that I shouldn't do any harder exercises until 6 weeks postpartum. I usually have my husband watch the baby in the evening while I go walking,or put him in the stroller. As for the self esteem issues, I had those with my first baby, but now I wear my jiggly belly and stretch marks proud ;D

I can not tell you how to lose it but do not exercise yet. If you work too hard before everything is back to where it belongs you can cause yourself more pain. Wait until you go to the doctor. Exercising could cause you to not be able to work out even longer. Your muscles were stretched and have to get back in the places they belong, give it a little bit of time. Congratulations.

You need to be resting and enjoying that new bundle of joy instead of worrying about a jiggly belly right now! You more than likely haven't lost all of the extra fluids pregnancy causes us to retain, much less healed enough to start working out. It took you 9 months to gain the pregnancy weight and it is just not going to disappear the moment you give birth. Pregnancy causes extra blood to be made, fluids to be retained, muscles to stretch, and many other things in a womans body that may take months to become "normal" again. I don't think I was even done bleeding at 4 weeks!! My next period didn't start until 11 weeks and even then I didn't feel myself yet. Please quit worrying about your belly and what may or may not just be your imagination. It is quite a shock to see what our bodies contort to during pregnancy and you may very well be overreacting...there are hormones to blame for that as well. Rest when your baby rests and enjoy every moment of a new life your body created and remember to mention any concerns you have with your obgyn during your follow-up to rule out any post-partum depression if you are so disgusted by your body.

Wow, I remember that feeling. I was on bedrest and gained 40 lbs. I've just now started going on the diabetic diet (9 mo later) to get my weight off. Give yourself time first of all. The others are right- It took a while to get that weight on- and your body may never look the same way it did before your pregnancy. The female body changes shape after being stretched so far. But wait until you see your doctor so you have the go-ahead, and then eat right and exercise more. There are alot of exercises that you can do while bonding with your baby- using them as a dumbell for lack of a better word. I would recommend eating the way that diabetics have to eat. It's very healthy and if you change your lifestyle to that then your child gets the extra benefit of growing up knowing how to eat. That's really important now with childhood obesity on the rise. remember this though- you just had a baby- one of life's greatest miricles. Don't sweat the weight just yet, you just made a life! Get used to that idea and take the time to enjoy that feeling- once you get a night of sleep. good luck.

After baby arrival mummy magic tea helped me magnificently for weight loss...

It took you 9 months to gain the weight and your body was transformed completely. It is going to take you months to get it back in shape. Don't worry. It will come.

It takes a while. It is recommended that a new mom be very very very easy on herself for the first 6 weeks at least - birth is like a major surgery and lots of moms forget that. So give yourself another two weeks and then start trying to go for 15 minute walks. You can go more often and/or start doing some core muscle strengthening (yoga, pilates, crunches) in addition to walking - maybe while the baby is napping or even with the baby on the mat with you at this age.
Remember it took 9 months for the belly to get that way. It usually takes longer to tone those muscles back. If you are breastfeeding that will take away any of the eccess fat you've gotten and with that little one you are going to be weight lifting every day. Just remember to be easy on yourself. That little pooch-belly shrinks more and more each time you breast feed. After that it's just about toning those abs.

Do you even remember what your stomach looked like 4+ weeks ago!? It's pretty impressive that you can already fit into your prepregnancy clothes. Give yourself a little time to recuperate. I can't say I ever got back the flat smooth stomach I used to have (after two kids) but it's close enough, and maybe if I worked harder at it I'd get there. I did a lot of walking/jogging after my first. Baby Joggers are great for that, (but a little pricey). Also, if you can afford it, look into joining a gym that provides child care. So many of them do and I think they usually accept babies at 8 weeks or so. Not only do you get to work out, but it also gives you a little break from the baby. Good luck!

Well, to be honest it takes a good nine months to get rid of it. I do not and have not worked out. I have two children a two year old and a nine month old. I breastfed both of them and I dont believe that helped or mattered as far as losing the weight goes. I was about 130 to 135lbs prepregnancy and about 140-150lbs while pregnant and now I am about 133lbs nine months later with what everyone calls a flat stomach and it looks like it with clothes on. I dont think my stomach will ever be exactly flat like it was before I ever became pregnant but it is as close as it will be without exercise. I dont complain about it because I have seen worse. Both of my children were over 8lbs so I have no complaints. I just say give it some time and it will go down some people say wearing a girtle helps but I found it to be very hot so I stopped wearing it after I had my first child. My mom also told me not to drink much water but I think thats an old tale or something because if you are breastfeeding you have to drink water in order to produce milk. I just dont know I think the body is flexible and if you are not a big person it will shrink back down to size. Good luck to you and congrats on your new arrival!!!!