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.
The good news is that you might lose as much as 20 pounds (9 kg) in the first few weeks after giving birth. On average, new moms lose around 13 pounds (6 kg) due to the baby's weight, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta when giving birth.
6 to 12 weeks postpartum
The math is complicated but, if you gained 25 pounds during your pregnancy and lost 10 pounds at the time of your baby's birth, the remaining 15 pounds will only be 50% reduced by six weeks. This leaves about 7.5 pounds left to go.
So all in all, it's not uncommon to lose up to 20 pounds in the first few weeks postpartum. Of course, every woman is different and some may find they lose weight faster while others may take longer. It also depends on how much weight you gained during pregnancy.
If it's harder to lose baby weight than you expected, there may be several reasons for this, including sleep issues, breastfeeding, and hormone imbalances. Read on to learn why these things can affect your postpartum weight loss and some tips to help you lose weight healthily after pregnancy.
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.
A belly bulge that doesn't go away eight weeks after delivering your baby is the most noticeable symptom of diastasis recti. You may see a bulge pop outward or a hollow space along the midline of your abdomen. This bulge can occur with even minimal activation of your belly muscles.
Five reasons it's hard to lose weight after baby
Once the initial weight is lost, you'll need more time to lose the other pounds gained: "You will lose water weight and baby, amniotic fluid and placenta weight quickly, but losing fat pounds takes time and commitment."
People often lose around 10 pounds straight after birth and a bit more in the first week after childbirth. After that, breastfeeding may help people lose weight. People who exclusively breastfeed may use 400–500 calories daily to produce the milk a baby requires from 0 to 6 months.
Thicker Thighs and Legs
It can take up to a year to lose the weight gained during pregnancy, says Dr. Dawson. To lose weight gradually, experts recommend a mix of exercise and well-balanced nutrition.
If breastfeeding alone isn't enough to help you return to your old weight, experts agree that it's safe to adjust your food intake and exercise to try to lose up to 1 ½ pounds per week. But steer clear of crash diets that promise faster weight loss — they could affect how much milk you produce.
Eating more vegetables and fruits after delivery is always a good place to start, along with other foods that will help you lose weight and increase the quality of your breastmilk. These are some of the foods you should eat after giving birth: Low-fat dairy products. Whole wheat bread.
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.
“As your body eliminates extra water weight during the first week following birth, you'll also lose an additional 2-3kgs. In the first few weeks after giving birth, it's not uncommon for women to lose up to 8 to 10 kgs,” Dr Gupta told indianexpress.com. However, every woman is different.
That said, it's not a guarantee that you'll gain weight after you stop nursing. “Some women actually lose weight after weaning,” Cording says. It's worth checking in with yourself if you're concerned about your overall health or feel like your eating habits haven't been the best lately.
The baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, and other fluids leave your body, and over the next six weeks, you will continue to lose weight as other fluids in your body return to pre-pregnancy levels. (Mckinley et al., 2018) I remember getting on the scale shortly after giving birth, and I was down almost 11 pounds!
On average, exclusively breastfeeding mothers may see a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per month. For those struggling to lose those extra pregnancy pounds, breastfeeding isn't the answer. Instead, the focus should be on a healthy diet and exercise.
Then moving forward if you are breastfeeding, try to weigh yourself after you have breastfed and pumped in the morning for the most accurate weight. But as you are drinking and eating, your weight will constantly fluctuate each day. Be patient with yourself and the scale at this time.
Chubby cheeks, chubby hands, chubby belly: They make babies so huggable. But that pudgy appeal can quickly become a health concern. “It's normal for a child to slim down between ages 2 and 5,” says pediatrician Roy Kim, MD.
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.
"Bounce back" culture may leave you feeling like you're supposed to quickly shed pounds postpartum, but not losing weight after having a baby is more common than you might think: While on average most women lose about 13 pounds during childbirth (which includes your baby, your placenta, and amniotic fluid), it can take ...
Does a Postpartum Saggy Belly Go Away on Its Own? With time, your postpartum belly will start to reduce on its own. Although, there are a few things you can do to help the process along from home.
It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
The plumping in the cheek area can also cause the facial contour to become weaker and less defined. For many women, this leads to an overall "fuller" facial appearance that makes them look older and heavier than before pregnancy.