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. A healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds. Breastfeeding can also help with postpartum weight loss.
Most women lose around 13 pounds (6 kg) right after childbirth, which includes the baby's weight, as well as the weight of the amniotic fluid and placenta. When it comes to fat loss, with a healthy diet and regular exercise, you may lose about 1 pound (0.5 kg) a week.
6 to 12 weeks postpartum
This leaves about 7.5 pounds left to go. A third of all women will lose the entire amount by the sixth week, but most will have a few pounds remaining. Because this weight comes from the fat stores you needed for a healthy pregnancy, it isn't as easy to lose.
“It can take up to six weeks or more for those changes to go back to normal,” she says. But that's just fluid and doesn't take actual excess weight into account. Gage says it's “very common” for people not to have lost much weight by six weeks postpartum.
“Most women lose about half of the weight they gained in the first few months,” she says. “You may lose a pound a week early on and then about half a pound a week after that.”
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. A healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds.
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.
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.
On average, exclusively breastfeeding mothers may see a loss of 1-2 pounds a month and over time, breastfeeding moms tend to lose more weight than mothers who do not breastfeed (Dewey, Heinig & Nommsen, 1993).
This is common, and after you give birth, both your stomach and your uterus will start to contract to their pre-pregnancy sizes. Expect it to take around six weeks for your uterus to contract fully. At six weeks, you may have already lost the weight you gained during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories a day. This means that even though you are probably eating more to sustain breastfeeding, you can still lose weight. On average, if you're taking in the recommended amount of calories each day and breastfeeding exclusively, you should lose about 1 pound every week or two.
Set realistic weight-loss goals
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. Borchardt.
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.
Postpartum weight gain can happen for a number of reasons, from the fact that you're fatigued or don't have time for a regular excercise routine, or because of an underlying health condition that requires attention, such as postpartum thyroiditis, diabetes, or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
Your belly will gradually slim down as your uterus shrinks back to its usual size and excess fluids are flushed out of your body. Your stretched-out abdominal muscles and lax skin will most likely begin to firm up.
6 weeks postpartum belly
Your uterus has contracted down quite a bit, and at six weeks postpartum, Bhagwandass says that many women “feel like their bellies are now back to their pre-pregnancy shapes.” Of course, all bodies are different, and this isn't the case for every new mom.
The uterus starts shrinking within minutes of giving birth, but it takes about six weeks to fully return to its previous size. If you're concerned that your uterus is not shrinking after pregnancy or you still look pregnant after the two-month mark, speak to your doctor or your local pelvic floor physiotherapist.
How long should I wear a postpartum belt? Postpartum belly wraps are your sidekick, especially during those first few weeks. It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
Shrinking of the uterus to its pre-pregnancy size may take 6 to 8 weeks. Sore muscles (especially in the arms, neck, or jaw) are common after childbirth. This is because of the hard work of labour. The soreness should go away in a few days.
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.
So how many extra calories do you burn when you're making milk? Many breastfeeding resources will tell you that you burn an extra 300-500 calories while breastfeeding.