Weight Loss After Giving Birth

Also: Pregnancy Weight Gain, After Giving Birth

After carrying all that extra weight during pregnancy, some women, first time mums especially, may have the belief that once the baby is born, they will instantly rebound to their pre-pregnancy weight. While such things do happen, it is the exception to the rule. Many new mums are carrying an extra 8-15 lbs after their new born has made their grand entry into the outside world.

That extra weight is nothing to worry about. It is perfectly natural, and is to be expected. There is a very good reason for that weight build up and retention. God designed our bodies with nurture in mind of offspring in mind. Part of that extra weight that you put on during pregnancy was meant to nurture your baby AFTER it was born, not during pregnancy.

There are some simple calorie mathematics that explain that weight increase. During pregnancy your body requires an extra 300 calories a day, just to keep up with the nutritional needs of your baby. After birth, a mother who breastfeeds requires at least 500 extra calories a day to produce enough milk for the baby, and remain healthy. It is therefore natural for your body to store up a little extra nutrition for after the birth, just in case there is not enough food for its needs when it's time for the baby to be fed.

So, if you're breastfeeding, that's good news. You will automatically be burning an extra 500 calories a day, making it much easier for you to lose that extra weight. In fact, you may not need to do anything special at all to lose weight. Just focus on eating a normal, healthy, well-balanced diet. If you're not breastfeeding, though, you won't find it quite as easy. However, your focus should still be on healthy eating, with moderate exercise to burn extra calories.

Here's more good news for new mothers. Some people say exercising is easier. Actually, that's not quite correct. What is true is that burning more calories is easier. It will happen automatically with the new born baby, plus their equipment, to lug around with you. For example, walking alone for an hour burns about 200 calories, while while pushing a buggy, with baby in it, increases that figure considerably. Push the buggy uphill, and the calories used is even higher.

In fact, there are a lot of little things associated with baby that can chip away at those calories. Lifting her and her equipment around happens at regular intervals throughout the day. That's something you can latch onto. Instead of seeing those activities as an extra chore, enjoy them as a recreation that helps you lose weight. Push the buggy longer, and the pounds shed that more quickly; and the more people you'll meet dying to stop and admire the baby. it's amazing the new friends you can acquire along the way.

However, you may find yourself with some stubborn pounds that simply won't come off. In that case, a little extra exercise and a moderate reduction in calories should do the trick. Just as pregnancy itself is not the time for weight loss, then just after pregnancy is not the time to stress your body further with severe dietary restrictions. If you aim to lose about a pound a week, that is a sensible target. But the chances are you will find those pounds coming off faster than that. Being a mum really does use up a lot of energy, and the nice thing is, the more you throw yourself into all the new baby related activities, the easier those pounds will fall away.