How quickly are you losing the baby weight after birth?

I gave birth four weeks ago and have lost 35 pounds already! I did gain a bit more then i had hoped to, but i am happy it is comming off. i have noticed a slowing own, so i think i am in the trouble phase of how much longer until i get it all off!

i have to ask, what's your secret?! ;o) 

i'm about 4 weeks post-delivery now ...

Hello everybody

I have two kids.  After my first, it took me about a year to get almost back to normal.  I could fit into pre-pregnancy clothes but they were a bit more snug.

I gained tons of weight with #2.  I was like the side of a house (I stopped weighing myself at 32 weeks pregnant and 42 lbs heavier).  It took me nearly 2 1/2 years to shift it.  When I did, though, I actually weighed less than before getting pregnant with #!.  I now fit into all of my clothes from my life BC (before children).  Of course, now most of them are out of fashion.

I should mention that  I've never been tiny in the first place:  5'7 and an American size 12.  So, I got back the figure I never had in the first place with the added bonus that it's all stretched and heading south.

On a more serious note, my body went through a lot of changes after #2.  I don't know if it's because I was a few years older (35), but about six months after the baby, I experienced bad monthly cramps and periods.  That lasted for four or five months and then my hormones began to settle down and that's when the weight began to drop off, bit by bit until I got back to my normal weight. 

Hang in there and don't lose hope.  It takes 40 weeks to make baby during which time, your body goes through changes like no one can imagine until you've been there.  Then you need to give your body a change to recover.

Now I can focus on my mid-life crisis!

Kellie

i have to ask, what's your secret?! ;o) 

i'm about 4 weeks post-delivery now ...

My secret is I was all alone taking care of the baby. My husband left for THREE business trips in a row two days after I came home from the hospital. I did everything on my own. Plus, we have an 8 year old that I carted around town to swim lessons to science classes. I never sat or had a break. I worked myself to a frazzle. I am now finally able to sit and relax. I know the rest of the weight will take a while to come off, but I had a great start!

Same question for Kelly8yearsinUK - what did you do after child #2 to shift this? 

Still have 10 lbs to go.  I've been in maternity clothes for 18 months now as i have no in between clothing.  No time to buy it and I keep hoping I'll lose this weight.

Hi Muse

10 lbs is really close!!!!

I noticed a bit of a pattern with the weight loss after #2, which did take some time.

First, my body went through hormonal changes at around six months after birth, which lasted for about five months.  I think I was "getting back to normal."  After that, the weight came off slowly, but surely.

I found that eating late in the evening didn't agree with me.  So what I did was set myself a "no dinner after 7:00" rule, which I really stuck to.  If my husband was home before 7:00, we ate together.  But if not, I ate earlier, with the boys.  I hope it doesn't make me sound harsh, but my lovely husband was happy to help me!  Yeah for microwaves!

This seemed to help, although it wasn't quick.  As the weight was dropping, I noticed a pattern:  I would lose several pounds, then "plateau" for a few weeks.  Then another few pounds would come off, then "plateau" again.  As frustrating as the plateaus were, I stuck to my guns and I got to where I wanted.

I should point out:  I'm not thin and never have been.     I do like to eat so I have accepted that I'll never be less than a US 12.  But I feel like it's the right weight for me because I'm moderately active and eat well.  It's what I maintain well.

If you've only got 10 lbs to go, stick with it and you well get back to where you were.  The not-eating-late seemed to do the trick for me.  I hope it helps you!!!  Good luck!

Kellie, thank you for your advice.  I'm bumping this thread to finally respond since I took your experience and did the same except used 7:30pm because I read your post wrong!  But it seems to have worked and my body did the same thing you described with the plateau, then drop a couple lbs, then plateau, especially around my period (then weight dropped after each cycle).

I'm back to where I was pre pregnancy which is great.  I'm a few lbs away from pre preg weight before my first child so I really want to get there!  I can see it, though.

Since I'd like more children, we'll see what my bod does after birth 3, 4, etc.   And the maternal age thing, gotta love that factor.

Woohoo!!!!  I'm so glad it worked for it!  You must feel great!

I'm sure the last couple of pounds will come off; congratulations! 

Thanks!!  Weight is one thing, sag is something else.  Funny how one can weigh the same but the hips and ars* don't seem to be the same at all.  So I may have to toss the pre kid clothes anyway. 

Too right!

Congratulations. I'm still losing my 60 pounds. About 50 down though - so I suppose the end is near somewhere. BLah.

It took me one year total.  I had MAJOR swelling; gained about 60 lbs.  People thought I was heavy before I got pregnant, I was that swollen.  I'm a short, small person.  I lost a lot at the beginning, b/c all that edema dropped off.  Then came the hard part.  Even though I'm back at pre-baby weight now, it all seems to have shifted - downwards, too 

Yep, edema was a HUGE problem for me too, but that in itself took ages to go away. I'm not big to begin with and as far as other people can tell I look fine and look like I'm back to my pre-baby weight - but I know the numbers, I see myself naked, and it is just a matter of principle at this point.   

I see myself naked, and it is just a matter of principle at this point.   

Arrggh!  I can relate.  S/times I want to cover all the full-length mirrors in the house.  I've gone all fertility goddess statue in shape.  I'm still athletic - nowhere the level I used to be when I was a climber and hillwalker in my 20s - but those slim hips, nipped waist, cellulite-free inner thighs and pert boobs are gone for good!  :\\\'(  I look at Kylie and think, 'Well, she's never had children . . . '  It's little consolation, but some at least  .

I got pregnant again when my little boy was only 8 months and I hadnt lost all of my pregnancy weight, so I piled it on for birth number 2 - over 65 lbs! I did indeed have a 10 lb whopper, so I think I lost 20 lbs on the night of delivery!! And breastfeeding was obviously a magical cure as well...but then it came down to the last stone that seemed to want to stay around forever...Dieting wasnt working alone. So when baby number 2 was 8 months old and settled into a routine, I started getting up at 5.00 and going running. The rest of the weight fell off, I felt great and perky for the rest of the day and the boys never even knew I was gone as I was home in time for their wakeup.  Not an easy choice to make, especially in the winter months, but it worked fairly quickly and has stayed off as children are now 4 and 5.

Ah...I'ts so reassuring that I'm not the only one out there!  I gained a whopping 80 pounds with my daughter and it took a year to come off (mainly down to huge chocolate cravings while breastfeeding) but it did.  I got pregnant again three months after losing it all and swore I wouldn't go nuts with the eating, but I have.  I was feeling really down about it, but seeing that other people have done it and taken the weight back off puts me at ease.  Thanks to everyone for sharing!