You should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight by 6 to 12 months after delivery. Most women lose half of their baby weight by 6 weeks after childbirth (postpartum). The rest most often comes off over the next several months.
Losing weight safely — about one pound per week — means that it takes most new moms between six months to a year to return to pre-pregnancy weight. "Half of that weight is typically lost in the first six weeks after delivery," says Dr.
Your postpartum belly won't instantly go back to how it was before you were pregnant – it's a process that can take months or even years, while some bellies may take on a different shape permanently. Some moms may experience a bulge caused by diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy.
"You'll have to slowly build up post-pregnancy to your usual fitness level which may take time to rebuild any lost muscle mass. Muscle mass directly affects metabolism so this may decrease the rate at which you lose weight until you build up your muscle again," says Shapiro.
Holding onto to some extra pounds after pregnancy is normal
Most women who gained the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, remain 2-5 lbs. above their pre-pregnancy weight a year after giving birth. A sizable minority, 15-20% of women, will hold onto 10 lbs or more.
Part of why your body might do this is because of the hormone prolactin. You need prolactin to create breast milk. It can also encourage fat storage in your body. Prolactin usually increases during and after pregnancy and remains at high levels until you're done breastfeeding.
The concern of a belly “pooch” is very common, and although it may seem like excess fat or poor muscle tone, it is actually caused by a condition known as diastasis recti.
What skin changes can happen after giving birth? You may have stretch marks on your belly where your skin stretched during pregnancy. Some women also get them on their thighs, hips and bottom. They may not disappear after giving birth, but they do fade over time.
If you still look pregnant or experience abdominal pain weeks or months after giving birth, you might be suffering from a condition called diastasis recti, or abdominal muscle separation.
It takes most mamas six to eight weeks for their stomach to shrink back down to normal size after giving birth. That's because not only does her tummy grow during pregnancy, but her uterus expands as well. As a result, women can look up to six months pregnant after giving birth.
“A small number of women will be able to get a flat stomach again, but for the majority, it may take a lot of time or not happen at all,” says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., certified strength and conditioning coach and spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
But it can take weeks or months for the body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Typically about 13 pounds comes off immediately after childbirth, and another 5 to 15 pounds over the first six weeks. It can take six months to a year to lose the rest.
It's very common to have loose skin after pregnancy, particularly in the abdomen, as a result of your body accommodating a growing baby bump. That may look like sagging or wrinkled skin that can be easily pulled away from the muscles beneath.
You gain weight over 9+ months of pregnancy, so it's normal to take 9+ months to get back your pre-pregnancy body after your baby is born. However, a belly bulge that doesn't go away for months after delivery can be a sign of diastasis recti—a separation of your abdominal muscles.
You're not eating enough—or choosing the wrong foods.
Your metabolism isn't necessarily the same as it was pre-baby, and not eating slows it down. This can lead to not losing baby weight and even extra weight gain down the road. “There are many [misnomers] women [believe] will help them lose weight.
While breastfeeding burns about 500-700 calories extra per day to fuel milk making, this may not always contribute to weight loss postpartum – many factors like pre-pregnancy weight, diet, physical activity level, etc will impact weight loss after birth (Institute of Medicine, 2002; Dewey, 1994).
It is it a myth that breastfeeding burns up lots of calories making milk. You will burn some stored body fat, but your body protects some fat for the purpose of breastfeeding. Many women don't lose all the baby weight until they completely stop nursing.
The main reason for this is the change in hormones. During pregnancy, the body produces much more oestrogen and progesterone, which increase blood flow to the skin. The increased blood flow provides the skin with more nutrients, which helps to keep it healthy and plump.
For some moms-to-be, constantly touching, patting, rubbing and holding their belly can be soothing. For others, it's a way to feel close to the baby inside. But no matter the reason, rubbing your belly simply makes you feel good.
After six weeks of cardio, the fitness routine should change to interval training: 20 minutes of cardio, followed by muscle work of 16 to 20 reps light weightlifting, then switching back and forth between cardio and weightlifting for the duration of the workout," he said.
"During pregnancy, very often a woman's activity and nutrition levels go down," says OB-GYN Michael Dawson, M.D., of Atlanta Women's Specialists. "These factors mean you gain weight. The extra fat then gets distributed to places where women most often put on weight: the backside, hips, and thighs."
All women will experience some kind of weight gain during their pregnancy, and it's not always easy to get rid of afterward. Many women will also develop cellulite, which can be even more difficult to get rid of than the extra belly fat. Unfortunately, cellulite won't just fade away after your pregnancy.