Actually, weight loss starts immediately after you gave birth. You will lose about 12 pounds because your uterus will shrink back down to the belly button level. You already release the baby along with some blood, fluids, and amniotic fluid so you have lost some weight from it.
One week after you give birth, you are still going to pee out a lot of fluids especially if you had an IV or epidural. But don’t scale yet, focus on how your clothes fit first instead of thinking about the scale. Breastfeeding also has a contribution to losing weight. Nursing moms are advised to consume an additional 500 calories. However, oftentimes, nursing moms lose more weight than formula-feeding moms. That is because breastfeeding consumes calories. But this is not true to everyone as well. Some moms may lose weight quicker than others regardless if they are breastfeeding or not.
For the first two weeks, mom should not weight themselves yet. You are still in the baby blues and seeing your weight with its undesired number can only send you to crying. Also, the weight you have at that moment will not reflect the body fat you have because you will still lose some fluids. Don’t discourage yourself by looking at the weighing scale yet. You can measure your waist once a month to track your inches instead of pounds.
If moms are worried about how to lose the postpartum belly, remember that you are going to shed some 20 pounds in the month after your delivery. Since you will gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy, you might be back to your size before pregnancy at this time.
Since the uterus will return to the pelvis after six weeks of giving birth, it will go back to its original size. This means that your belly will look flatter now. There is a saying “nine months on, nine months off”. It means that you will usually go back to your original size after nine months of giving birth. It would take a little longer if you have gained more than the recommended pounds to gain. Each mom has their own pace in losing weight as well so every woman is different. It is important to take note that some women’s skin loses its ability to regain its elasticity so it may not go back to the way it was before.
In order to help moms get their stomach back after pregnancy, here are some tips they can use:
Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
Mom should eat enough calories and consumes vitamins and minerals that are necessary to enhance healthy skin and weight loss.
Exercise
Getting some exercise will likely help you lose weight. You should include a little fitness every day. You can be a healthy mom and a role model for a healthy lifestyle for her children as well. But you should be warned against fad diets because they do not promote long-term weight loss. Another worse is a crash diet that can deny your body of nutrients and can delay the healing after birth. You can also deprive your baby of critical calories and nutrients when you are breastfeeding.
C-sections mom should wear a belly band or wrap
C-sections moms are advised to wear a postpartum belly wrap or band because it can help with the incision healing of C-section. Although belly wraps don’t actually cause weight loss, they have some benefits. They can tighten your stomach, improve circulation, support abdomen, and reduce swelling through compression. For those who have diastasis recti, you can also benefit fully by using postpartum belly bands. You should also consult your doctor if you want to use a belly wrap.
The list and explanation above are proven to be reliable and effective. We hope that parents especially moms, have learned how to get their stomach back after pregnancy. We hope that you will achieve your goals and you can lose the weight that you want.
Read also:
- Do you Consider Chia Seeds for Pregnant Women?
- All of the Things you Need to Know About Nut Allergy During Pregnancy
- Fruits for Pregnancy: What are the Benefits of Eating Dates During Pregnancy
