Weight after childbirth usually does not suit any mother. With rare exceptions, a woman after childbirth feels exhausted and “unattractive” in appearance.
All the tips on how to effectively lose unnecessary body weight, remove belly fat, cellulite, restore breast shape, make stretch marks invisible, the reasons why we gain weight and the secrets of getting rid of it are presented in our article today.
Reasons that prevent you from losing weight quickly
During the time that passes from the beginning of pregnancy to childbirth, all women, as a rule, gain weight. The average weight gained is 12.5 kg, of which about 6 kg is lost during childbirth and for several months after it. But it’s impossible to quickly reset the rest even after a year.
Excess weight after childbirth may be due to:
1. Imbalance of a woman’s hormonal levels. Signs of it can be not only quickly gained weight, but also:
- a decrease in the amount of milk produced by a woman’s mammary glands;
- sudden shifts in emotional processes;
- severe non-stop hair loss on the head;
- hair growth in places previously uncharacteristic.
2. Regular lack of sleep is the cause of constant fatigue for a young mother. The body requires more food to restore strength, which leads to weight gain.
3. Lack of movement. Starting from the last months before childbirth, a woman’s physical activity is sharply limited. The body not only quickly accumulates calories and weight, but gets used to doing this constantly, which makes it even more difficult to lose extra pounds afterwards.
4. Nutritional imbalance. Excessively high-calorie dishes will not fail to affect the female form. The habit of eating at night or before bed is also harmful, which is especially familiar to nursing mothers.
5. Isolation and lack of vivid impressions lead to the fact that food begins to act as the main pleasure, often leading to overeating.
What to do? Fighting extra pounds
Knowing the reasons why excess weight is gained, we can lose it more effectively. General tips:
- First, it is necessary to check the level of hormones in the blood in the hospital. If the check shows that their level is normal, move on to the next steps. If not, contact an endocrinologist.
- Secondly, get plenty of rest. If you do not overwork, you will lose weight effectively and quickly.
- Third, increase the amount of effective physical activity. It's good to start with light jogging, race walking, yoga, and water aerobics.
- Fourthly, you need to make your diet correct. This applies to both the products themselves and the rules of eating. Here are some recommendations: eat little and often - about 5 times a day;
- have breakfast without fail;
- have dinner three hours before bedtime;
- eat more foods that are sources of dietary fiber: bran, cereals, dried cereals, beans, cabbage, apples, greens;
- do not forget about protein foods, especially if you do physical exercise: low-fat meat, dairy, fish dishes;
- fats should also be present, however, no more than 40 g with a daily intake of 1500 kcal;
- It’s better to drink not juices, but as much water as possible;
- Women who are breastfeeding are forced to eat a varied diet, but limiting the consumption of fatty, sweet foods and baked goods will be completely useful.
Exciting women's problems: how to overcome them
So, you have already started losing excess weight. The first grams or even kilograms began to decline. What about the most difficult problems? Stretch marks, cellulite, sagging breasts, an ugly protruding belly after childbirth... You can fight this too.
Breastfeeding and weight loss
Losing 5, 10 or more kg after having a baby may seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but there is a great way to cope with it that can replace a few hours on the treadmill. As many young mothers testify, leaving reviews online about how many kilograms they lost after giving birth, breastfeeding helps melt away the kilograms in record time. In fact, depending on how much milk you produce, breastfeeding can burn about 500 calories a day. What's more, it stimulates the production of hormones that help shrink your uterus (and your belly) after baby is born. Unfortunately, contrary to what you may have heard, you don't need to hold on to that extra 2.5kg of weight as a reserve while breastfeeding (so those last few stubborn pounds may require an extra workout at the gym).
Once you stop breastfeeding, your body will have less work to do—meaning it will burn fewer calories than while breastfeeding. However, at the same time, you may notice that weaning naturally reduces your appetite—your body's natural way of telling you to eat healthy. Your activity level will likely increase. So when you stop breastfeeding, don't worry too much about gaining back those lost pounds.
How to remove belly fat after childbirth
Probably the most pressing problem for a woman after childbirth is her stomach. The fat layer has become larger, the muscles have weakened, and proper nutrition is useless. Let's reveal a few secrets on how to lose belly fat and the weight along with it:
1) Physical activity on all abdominal muscles. The lower abs are strengthened when you lift your legs while lying down. The other part of the abs, on the contrary, swings if you lift your upper body. Cross movements of the legs and torso train the oblique abdominal muscles.
2) An effective remedy that quickly removes belly fat is the hula hoop. A regular iron hoop or a modern version with special bulges that perfectly tighten the skin of the abdomen will do.
3) Abdominal massage. Do it regularly, for a few minutes every day. Start with stroking movements in a clockwise direction so that the skin of the abdomen warms up well. Then you can perform various plucking movements from top to bottom. Tighten your abs while doing this, so you will further strengthen your muscles.
Anti-cellulite program
Physical activity and massage will help.
The simplest sports activities:
- walking up the steps is a replacement for step aerobics;
- jumping rope - not only cellulite, but also overall weight goes away quickly;
- exercises at home - swings, leg lunges; squeezing the ball between your thighs.
The effectiveness of the massage can be increased if you use the massager together with anti-cellulite products.
How to get rid of excess weight after childbirth
Immediately after giving birth, you absolutely cannot lose weight - this can negatively affect the general health of the mother in labor. At this time, the body’s main task is to recover, and this requires energy.
At this stage, you can change your diet - switch to a fractional, daily menu based on the following products:
- fermented milk dishes;
- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- lean fish and meat.
The energy value of the diet immediately after childbirth should not be less than 2000 kcal per day.
You shouldn't be surprised if your weight stays the same despite a healthy diet. This may be explained by an extended drinking regime. To stabilize milk production, a woman needs to drink a lot. It is recommended to drink half a glass of tea with milk or another hot drink - rosehip decoction, dried fruit compote - half an hour before each feeding and 10 minutes after it, so that the milk comes in.
After 2-3 months, lactation is already stable - the baby receives as much milk as he needs. You can no longer pour excess liquid into yourself, and slowly reduce the portions. At this stage, independent weight loss usually begins - by the end of the first year, a nursing woman manages to “lose” 7-8 kilograms without any additional effort.
Exercises at home will help you get rid of excess weight. You can do regular exercises, dance with the baby - he will play the role of a “weight,” twirl a hoop, jump rope... Long walks with a stroller and active games with the baby contribute to weight loss. There is nothing wrong if you leave the baby with your family for a while, and at this time you return to an active life, start playing sports, and switch to a suitable diet.
Just don’t torture yourself with hunger - caring for a baby requires a lot of energy, and the body - as already written - replenishes its supply from food.
If for some reason there is no lactation, then losing weight is much easier. You should not force things and go on a strict diet - you need to give the body time to recover, but you can immediately reduce portions and reduce the calorie content of food. Sports activities are allowed only from 3 months - when the uterus has completely contracted and the condition has returned to normal.
Restoring the shape of the breast
Before giving birth and while breastfeeding, pay attention to the underwear that supports your breasts. Then later you will spend less effort to restore shape. Constantly monitor your posture. The straighter your back is before and after childbirth, the less your breasts will sag.
After feeding is left behind, you can begin sports exercises:
1) Push-ups from the floor or stand, can be done with bent knees. The back should be straight. First, do the exercises several times, moving your elbows back, parallel to your body. Then try moving your elbows out to the sides. This way different muscle groups will swing.
2) Standing or sitting, fold your palms with the inner surfaces, elbows pointing in different directions. Squeeze your palms forcefully for 20 seconds, then relax.
3) Circular arm swings are very effective for restoring breast shape.
4) Exercises lying on your back with dumbbells. Stretch your arms in different directions, then bring them together in front of you, repeat 10–20 times. Similarly, place your hands behind your head and lift them up to chest level.
Along with the exercises, the fullness of the arms acquired after childbirth will quickly go away, the relief will become clearer, strength will increase, and the shape of the breast will improve.
Down with stretch marks
The best way remains to prevent the appearance of stretch marks - mandatory daily moisturizing of the skin of the chest, abdomen, thighs during gestation and for some time after childbirth with special oils, a bandage, and shapewear.
If stretch marks do appear, they will quickly become almost invisible, especially after the weight goes away. To speed up the process, use special creams.
Any woman wants to remain in the same shape after childbirth. Believe in yourself and you will be surprised how quickly the excess weight gained before and after childbirth goes away!
Exceptions to the rules and why the stomach protrudes
The above values characterize the approximate weight loss immediately after childbirth under conditions of normal physique and uncomplicated singleton pregnancy with delivery on time. It often happens that if kilograms are within the norm for weight gain during pregnancy, immediately after childbirth you lose a little more or less than you should. What is this connected with?
If in the third trimester of pregnancy you had increased swelling or during childbirth and after it there was intensive “dropping” with droppers, then in 3-4 days the body may not be able to cope with removing the excess volume of fluid. Therefore, weight loss may not be significant.
Determining that you have swelling is quite simple. When pressing with your fingertips on the outer surface of the foot and lower leg, dimples should not form, or they will quickly disappear. Also, with swelling, rings and gloves are difficult to fit and take off, shoes cannot be put on immediately in the morning or evening, and traces of elastic bands from socks remain on the shin.
If the boundaries of the body “floated”, the butt disappeared, the belly sagged, stretch marks appeared (protein is needed for the formation of collagen), and there were ears on the sides, then most likely muscle tissue was replaced by fat. In this case, there is both excessive and insufficient weight loss after childbirth, depending on the amount of fat stored by the body.
If during pregnancy little protein entered the body of the expectant mother, then for the development of the child it was taken from the maternal muscle tissue. Plus, reduced physical activity and muscle mass are partially replaced by fat. There is a weight loss effect - a decrease in total weight and an increase in volume, and the contours of the body become blurred.
Also, one of the reasons for weight loss not meeting standards may be hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance is an absolutely normal phenomenon after childbirth and the ratio of female hormones stabilizes on its own within several months. It is difficult to predict how many kilograms should be lost due to hormonal imbalance.
How long do they stay in the maternity hospital after giving birth, when do you need to stay and for how long?
Symptoms of this condition are headaches, dizziness, insomnia, unstable blood pressure, fluid retention, and swelling. Both sudden weight loss and an increase and failure to lose extra pounds can occur.
It seems that the weight has come off as expected, and maybe even more than it should, but the belly doesn’t want to go anywhere. It is difficult to make such a diagnosis immediately after childbirth, but it occurs in 40% of women who give birth. We are talking about diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. It becomes obvious 2-3 months after the birth of the child and is a consequence of the expansion of the white line of the abdomen and the distance of the rectus muscles from each other during pregnancy. An unaesthetic protrusion of the abdomen may be observed. If a woman tries to keep herself in shape and devotes time to physical activity, then diastasis is not very noticeable, but this does not mean its absence.
So how many kilograms does it take after childbirth? For each woman, the weight loss process is so individual that it is impossible to answer this question for everyone at once. And if your values do not fit into some standards, then don’t be upset! With a competent approach and following the recommendations of specialists, maintaining breastfeeding and an optimistic attitude, the numbers on the scales and appearance will definitely reach the desired level!
— How do you manage everything with a small child, what is your secret? - My secret is simple - I don’t have time to do anything!
Many girls worry about gaining weight during pregnancy and are very worried about how many kilos they lose immediately after giving birth. It is impossible to answer this question with certainty, since each case is individual. The amount gained depends on the baby’s weight, tendency to be overweight, increased appetite, frequent overeating, genetic predisposition and other factors.
Some girls can boast that weight decreases quickly immediately after childbirth, while other mothers may experience less: weight loss will be insignificant, and the struggle with kilograms will become chronic. It is worth understanding what a young woman can expect immediately after giving birth and how long it will take to return to her previous appearance later.
Gaining additional kilograms while carrying a baby is an inevitable process, but for each young mother it occurs individually. What weight is considered normal? Only the attending physician who is caring for the pregnancy can say this. The average acceptable value is 7-12 kg. If mommy gains more, it will be more difficult to get rid of the excess and it will take longer.
When the weight gained by the mother is 20-30 kg, this can harm the baby and the mother herself.
It becomes very difficult to move, breathing becomes difficult, heart problems arise, the load on the legs increases, which can provoke swelling and varicose veins.
It is worth understanding in detail what the bulk of the mass gained during pregnancy consists of. This:
- child;
- amniotic fluid;
- placenta (baby place);
- enlarged uterus;
- formed belly fat;
- tissue fluid.
Some fat may accumulate in the girl's legs and buttocks. Increased breast size also adds mass, which prepares for milk production - the lactation period.
Much depends on the nutrition of a pregnant woman. If you eat high-calorie foods and regularly overeat for nine months, you can gain weight very quickly. When planning your daily diet, you should choose healthy foods and consult your doctor. Chocolates, cake with rich cream, pancakes, bread and butter, fried cutlets, pasta, mayonnaise, ketchup and other junk food can not only ruin your figure, but also seriously harm your health.
How to avoid problems in the future and immediately return to your previous shape after childbirth? It is necessary to give preference to light and dietary foods. There should always be fresh fruit and water on the table, the morning should start with a steamed omelet or cottage cheese with berries, for lunch and dinner you can choose boiled fish, soup or salad.
What to do if the weight does not go away after childbirth
If your weight stays the same and – despite all your efforts – you cannot get rid of it after pregnancy, then you need to seek help from a doctor. Neuroendocrine syndrome requires mandatory treatment; the better known name of the disease is postpartum obesity.
Additional symptoms of the disease: headache, periodic nausea, increased blood pressure, periodic temperature fluctuations, menstrual irregularities - menstruation does not come or is long, heavy...
The causes of postpartum obesity are hormonal imbalance, excess production of prolactin and testosterone, decreased progesterone synthesis...
Stabilizing your hormonal levels will help you cope with health problems and, in the future, get your figure in order.
A rational diet, exercise and an active lifestyle will quickly help you return to your previous volumes. You should not force the process of losing weight - everything will definitely return to normal within the first year and a half after giving birth, if you make at least a little effort.
