Baby is almost here, what kind of diet should I start after the baby?

Hello everyone, I am 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and am soo excited to stat a new diet after the baby is born. He is due May 12th, which is next Tuesday !!! Anyway, I will like to know what kinds of diets have helped you loose the post baby weight? 

oh, and I am going to try to breast-feed, so it can't be any kind of detox diet since that wouldn't be good for my lil one. 

Congrats on your little one on the way.  If I were you I wouldn't think about starting a diet per say but to think in terms of nourishing your body so it can produce the besk milk possible for your new little guy!  Stick with loads of veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats and you'll have high quality milk and probably start losing weight to boot.  Good luck!!!

New babies are so exciting!  However the birthing process and nine months of pregnancy wreak havoc on our bodies.  You def. lose some lbs. at birth, but you will still be shocked at how your body looks.  Give your body the full six weeks to recoup, and remember that you will need extra cals. for breastfeeding.  Anyway eat several times during the day ,like five or six.  Try to grab something nutrisous(sp) from each food group.  Eating oatmeal in the am and drinking LOTS of water and milk always helped my milk come in fuller.

I had my first baby December 16 and I now weigh about five pounds less than before I got pregnant (I gained about 45 pounds during my pregnancy).  I eat mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.  I am a vegetarian and I limit my intake of dairy products sticking to mostly soy.  When you are breastfeeding they say that you need an extra 500 calories per day as opposed to the 300 extra you need when you're pregnant.  I have been breastfeeding since she was born but since I've been back to work we've been mix feeding.

After the baby I ate whenever I was hungry but made sure it was healthy.  The first 25 pounds melted away the first six weeks. Afterwards, I started counting calories and limiting myself to 1800 per day after six weeks at 170 pounds and now I'm down to 1500 per day at 145 pounds.

You HAVE to exercise..maybe not the first six weeks but in order to get your body back in moving condition it needs that conditioning.  I started yoga at 4 weeks after birth (very light until my body felt comfortable) and then slowly started walking then jogging.  Now I take spin classes, jog and lift weights about five days per week.  It's also great to drop off the baby at the daycare gym and get a few hours to yourself where you can concentrate on your needs. 

Good luck with everything and if you have any questions please ask!

Congrats!

I think that's a great question. I'm going to keep an eye on this forum since I'm almost the same boat.

Thanks for asking.

~X

Well, in my opinion, you may not have to worry about going on a "diet" to lose weight after the baby is  born because if this is your first child and you have good genes you will probably lose the weight quickly without having to worry about it. This happened to me after my first child, but with my second child (about 8 yrs later) I blew up like a balloon and I also breastfed.

I would just go for not necessarily restricting yourself but just making sure that you are eating healthy...pretty much what the other posters have said. Although you do burn 500 cal/day just through breastfeeding alone you will have to be careful with what you eat because you will be hungry ALL the time, or at least I was and I didn't really watch what I ate until I got fed up with being fat.

So, I would wait until after the six weeks and see how your body is handling everything. As I said before, you may not even have to worry about trying to lose weight if you're lucky. Best of luck to you!

I had my daughter Feb25 and I was already down to pre-pregnancy weight by her 2mo mark :)  (I gained 49lb)  Lots of walking and 2000cal a day + vitamins, I didn't restrict my diet other than calories (sorry for the people who will gripe at me for that but yes I still had my chocolates and etc).  The best thing I bought was her carrier, she loves it and it helps get in some extra exercise while I'm doing housework or walking/shopping.  I am strictly breastfeeding as well...  Also, I didn't lose any weight for about 2weeks after she was born from swelling and water retention.  Remember not to work hard as your body is healing still, wait until your 6wk PP checkup before you start doing anything but walking and lifting baby!!  :-)

kfirth1

"When you are breastfeeding they say that you need an extra 500 calories per day..."

Just curious, but is your normal calorie intake then 1,300 a day since you went to 1,800? I could never eat less than 2,000 to 2,200 a day when breast feeding full time and would still feel starved. But my normal cal intake is about 1,500 for weight loss, 1,700 for maintenance.

I'm with makemesmile80; I have to eat in the 1900-2100 calorie range to maintain my milk supply AND lose weight. If I were breastfeeding and maintaining, I'd have to be eating in the 2400 calorie range. I will NOT lose weight if I eat 1500 calories a day while breastfeeding. I know because I cut my calories down WAY too low about 3 months PP and I just plateaued and my milk supply dropped to almost nothing. After I stopped counting calories for a while and eating (the right kind of food!) when I was hungry, the weight started melting off again.

To the OP: don't worry about how much or how little you eat. Worry about the quality of food. Whole grains, lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies like everyone has suggested. The weight will come off if you eat well when your body tells you it's time. Don't worry if the weight doesn't come off RIGHT AWAY. It takes a few weeks for all the swelling to go down and the fluid retention to stop. After the initial weight loss, you may not lose for the next several weeks/months and then find that you suddenly start losing again.

Good luck!

If you're breastfeeding make sure you eat.  I was not able to count calories w/ a new baby.  I was too distracted.  But, make sure you drink a lot of water, eat veggies and fruit (I know certain veggies can make a baby gassy though).  Whole grains, low sodium-  focus on you -  take the baby for walks (it will be nice out) and you'll see that slowly but surely the weight will come off. 

Babies stay little for a small amount of time.  Enjoy it.  And just be concious of what you're eating; but try not to let it rule your days.

congrats momma!

I breastfed exclusively for the first 6 weeks.  Now I breastfeed all throughout the night and about 3 times per day.  I still get engorged but we had to start mix feeding her because I am a flight attendant and I am gone about 10 days out of the month.  I was never able to pump and save enough so that she could exclusively drink breast milk while I was gone. 

I think what I am trying to say is that while I limited my calories I have NEVER had a problem with producing breast milk.  I only eat whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean proteins and healthy fats (like olive oil).  I don't fill my diet with any junk or empty calories.  As long as you do what works best for you, don't worry about it.  You will know if you need to eat more or if you can manage to eat less.  You will find the balance between eating enough to maintain your milk supply and still lose weight.  I have found that balance and some days I do shoot up to 2000 calories because I feel like my body needs a bit more. 

Congrats on your newborn and worry about taking care of her and yourself...you can't do one without the other.

Be careful with calorie restriction! at 3 months post pardum I tried to reduce my calories. I am about 200 lbs and cut down my calories to a 2000ish ... after 3 days my milk production had stopped. To get it back up to normal took 2 weeks of eating more, taking herbal supplements, drinking nonstop and pumping and many many feeding (about once an hour to stimulate the breast). It was insane! So not all bodies are able to do a "diet"

What I have been doing since then is make healthier choices and to exercise. The weight is coming off but VERY slowly.

My suggestion is to have lots of healthy meals pre-prepared and in the freezer.  I found myself snacking on easy and fast foods after I had my daughter, resulting in almost no weight loss during my maternity leave.