Losing the 'baby weight'?

[WifeofAnt]

I am probably SO early on asking this.  My LO is now 3 weeks (and a day) and I'm wondering when the weight is supposed to be coming off.  I know I'm probably not going to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight but, not counting the first week PP, I haven't lost anything.  I use a little charting weight tracker and its a huge landslide followed by what is practically a flatline.  At first I thought it was just swelling or something other than fat leftover from pregnancy like extra blood still circulating.  Now I'm starting to think it really is fat.  I can't even get my wedding ring on and I wore it until 36 weeks!  My highest weight was 161 right before my baby was born.  A week later I was 140 (and still am).  Immediately prior to being pregnant I was 123, a few months before I was 118.  My current goal is to be near or under 130.  Using a BMI chart the normal range for my height is 105 to 140, any heavier than I am now and I'd be classified as 'overweight'.  I'm only 21, breastfeeding, and had a super metabolism prior to becoming pregnant... shouldn't I at least be losing slowly?

Oh and my appetite sucks.  I eat but I'm definitely not stuffing myself with food!

[Marissamom]

my personal experience was i lost the extra weight in about 4 months. some people don't lose all of the weight, or don't lose it until after weaning. I think part of it can have to do with when in your pregnancy you really gained (weight gained toward the end usually goes off easier than weight gained in the first couple of months). really you don't want to have noticeable weight-lose right at the beginning (after losing the water-weight) because your body needs the reserves to recover from the birth and establish breastfeeding. 

[lunarlady]

It took me about a year to drop close to my pre preg weight. That is with breastfeeding, and a high metabolism. I, like you, am not very heavy usually, so those pounds translated into massively different clothing sizes. You really don't want to drop too fast as it can cause stretch marks, loose skin, and issues with breastfeeding. It takes at least 6 to 8 weeks for your insides to get all properly organized again, then you should start to see a very slow decline. But for me, i never really lost anything noticable until my little one started solids. In the mean time, buy some clothing that flatters your mama body and be easy on yourself.

[katelove]

I think my weight loss was pretty slow at the start. I put it down to establishing breastfeeding. J is now 7 months old and I am 3kg off my pre-pregnancy weight. I think I gained about 15kg in total. So, as you can see, it's coming off sloooowly. I could have put more work in with both diet and exercise but I have been nervous about changing my diet and affecting my supply (and I like ice cream!) and I am lazy about exercise so  

I work on the 9 months to put on, 9 months to take off theory and I seem to be on track for that so far. I intend to put a bit more effort into eating well in 2011 as I was 10kg over my ideal weight when I fell pregnant so my goal is to get back there next year 

[Peony]

I barely lose in the first 6 months, and then I lose it all from 6-12 months. Except with #3, I went into #4 with the last 10lbs of DS's baby weight still hanging on very stubbornly. 

[homemademom]

I hardly lose anything in the first two months, which I attribute to getting breastfeeding established, too.  With my first two babies, I didn't make a concerted effort to lose the weight, and it all came off by the end of the first year. With my last two babies, I began Weight Watchers at 8 weeks pp (following the program for nursing mothers) and I lost it all in 3 and 4 mths.  

[Italiamom]

I think I really saw weight begin to drop starting at around 6-8 weeks pp.  All but 15 lbs came off before 6 months, and the rest hung on until about 9-12 months pp.

Now at 20 months pp, I'm actually skinnier than I was before DS was conceived.

But at 3 weeks pp, you're probably still carrying water weight even!

[plantnerd]

I gained about 80 lbs (yikes!) in my pregnancy.  The first 50 came off within 4 months b/c I couldn't eat from stress.  The next 40 came off more slowly and took another 6 months. 

[OkiMom]

I didn't lose any (actually gained some despite exclusively nursing, tandum nursing (with my first and second), eating a good healthy diet and exercising) until after 9 months. I was within 15 of my pre-pregnancy weight when I got pregnant with DD2. When DD2 was a year I started losing really rapidly and lost a good 40-50 lbs in 3 months which means 3 years after DD1's birth I was finally down to my pre=pregnancy weight.

[Momsteader]

Be sure you are eating and drinking enough! If you aren't, your body may be in 'starvation mode' and trying to conserve what weight you have for the 'survival' of your baby. It's thinking...wow she doesn't have enough food...best to keep the metabolism low to keep the weight for later to produce milk for our offspring! 

A common way to look at it is 9 mos up/9 mos down. Everyone has their own way of losing/gaining weight during and after pregnancy.

[Caryliz]

Originally Posted by CrunchyClark 

Be sure you are eating and drinking enough! If you aren't, your body may be in 'starvation mode' and trying to conserve what weight you have for the 'survival' of your baby. It's thinking...wow she doesn't have enough food...best to keep the metabolism low to keep the weight for later to produce milk for our offspring! 

A common way to look at it is 9 mos up/9 mos down. Everyone has their own way of losing/gaining weight during and after pregnancy.

ITA! I gained 27 pounds with DS1, and it took almost a year to the day for all of that to come off. That said, my only "trick" was breastfeeding, which we did exclusively for the first 6 months and then on demand while slowly introducing solids thereafter. I ate whatever I wanted during that whole time, and did not engage in any exercise regimen at all (except that we were living in NYC in a 4th-floor walkup with no car and I walked and wore DS wherever I went, which I guess adds up!). But seriously, I love to eat, I ate PB+J sandwiches for breakfast and had ice cream whenever I wanted, and though I always strove for an overall *healthy* diet, I did not worry about a "reducing" diet. I was 39 at the time, with an average metabolism. And it *still* all came off. 

Seriously, I know it's easier said than done, but give yourself a target date 9 months from now and think long-term. Right now your body and your baby need that extra bit to keep everyone healthy! 

[brooke13]

Yes you sooooo asking this too soon. I think the bigger question is how we as mothers can dive into our new baby bodies and learn to love them unconditionally. You just did the biggest most incredible thing in the world! You created a life! The media is so backwards and the messages are so deep about what we are supposed to look like by when after we have a baby.The most important thing is to stay healthy and strong for your little one which means you need to eat enough. The weight will take care of itself. Trust that you body is doing exactly what it needs to do. it's an opportunity to fall in love with our curves and create a new relationship with our bodies. We all need more of this in the world.

[Coconut Chronicles]

Originally Posted by CrunchyClark 

Be sure you are eating and drinking enough! If you aren't, your body may be in 'starvation mode' and trying to conserve what weight you have for the 'survival' of your baby. It's thinking...wow she doesn't have enough food...best to keep the metabolism low to keep the weight for later to produce milk for our offspring! 

A common way to look at it is 9 mos up/9 mos down. Everyone has their own way of losing/gaining weight during and after pregnancy.

this totally... give yourself some more time mama!

[lizsky]

I hear you...I wondered the same thing.  I lost a lot the first 2 weeks and then plateaued.  None of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit but maternity clothes fit me awkwardly.  I finally resigned myself to my new post-partum size and then somewhere around the 4th month I gradually lost the rest of the weight.  I think every woman will have a different story.  Give yourself time mama!

[etsdtm99]

i am on #3 ( who is 4 mo old) and i have lost with the same pattern each time - first drop with birth (like .. 15lbs) and then don't lose anything for a few weeks then start losing 1-2lbs a week .. with the holidays i stalled a bit but now i'm losing again.. down about 25lbs at 4 mo and 20lbs to go to pre-pg weight.. if i follow my pattern i will be down to within 10lbs by 7-9 months and then down to pre-pg weight around 15-18 months.. when you are BFing i've read that it is not good for your milk supply etc. to lose more than 2lbs per week..