How long did it take you to lose the baby weight?

Hey, I am currently 32 weeks and still teaching cycling classes 3 days a week, working out the other 4 days.  I am measuring great, my baby is doing awesome and so far I am up 20lbs and will probably finish around 25 or so.  I am just wondering how long it will take to shrink back to normal, I know the tummy will take some time to tighten up but even my butt and back has some extra softness which the doctor said is fat stores our bodies produce. 

I am not a skinny woman by any means, I am 5'6 and my happy/healthy weight is 145 and now I am 165 and seriously I am hoping the weight falls off quickly so all I have to do is tone.  This is my first baby, I am 29 and just curious.  I do not want to focus on my body till after I recover but would like some input on other peopls's experiences.  Please let me know.

I don't think you will have a problem if you only gained 25. After birth most women lose 15 pounds in the hospital and if you breastfeed you can lose alot more right away. Good luck christine

They weight will probably fly off of you. You have the benefit of being young, active and having minimal weight gain. I'm willing to bet you'll lose it all in the first several weeks. It does take some time for your body to "deflate" and rid itself of extra fluids so don't beat yourself up if you don't look like you've lost weight in the beginning.

I gained 40 pounds during my most recent pregnancy and I wasn't very active through it. I lost 20 pounds in the first several weeks, stalled for a little while and dropped the rest by 4-5 months post-partum. I haven't been super active but I have been breastfeeding.

I'm now trying to lose 15 more pounds that I slowly put on before becoming pregnant. I've become more active and have resumed the weight loss at a moderate pace.

Best of luck!

I lost 20 pounds first couple of weeks and the rest after 6 months. I am working on losing extra weight that  I never took off from my first daughter.  I did not breastfeed her and I also put on 56 pounds with her as well. I am 32 years old too. I think it is definetly easier on your body to lose the younger you are.  Your one step ahead by not gaining to much in pregnancy. Best of luck Try breastfeeding its hard but soooooooo rewarding. chris

I think everyone is right I never ever worked out when I wasn't pregnant didn't even try to watch what I ate while I was pregnant except to watch it go in my mouth and I have a condition that causes premature birth so I'm on bed rest most of my pregnancy and I lost it all with no effort with my first two and I gained 40 lbs with my second. But I breastfed them both for a long time it is rewarding and very hard in the beginning but after 3 weeks when the soreness goes away it's easier than bottles you can feed the baby anywhere anytime without lugging all that bottle stuff around. But back to baby weight I didn't have trouble until #3 (about 35lbs gain) even then I only had 10 lbs that wouldn't go away that's why I joined here and have since lost that and more in less than 3 months. So don't worry with your stats you've got it made and you already know how to stay in shape so it shouldn't be hard for you to get back in it. Good luck and congrats!!

Thank you all so much for the replies!  It is sad how the media shows women looking perfect right after, just very unreasonable.  As for the brest feeding I am really looking forward to it and planning to do it at least 3 months which coupled with exercise should really help.  But I need to hear that it is hard and after a few weeks it gets better, so many women have discouraged me saying it hurts so bad and is horrible.  But the health benefits are awesome for both of us, and free!  But knowing that I will bounce back with a little bit of work and not killing myself eases my worries.  I just do not want to be one of those women that has a baby then stops caring how she looks and then refuses to be naked with her partner.  Lol!  Sorry but that is also a big scare in my head, I am scared about what is going to happen down there and how long it will take for my libido which is gone to return.

The media is ridiculous but celebrities are even worse. They use Spanx and have the money to hire personal trainers, chefs and nutritionists. Even so, they still do things that no human should go through to lose weight. Their bodies are a major part of their profession so they have to be in tip-top shape. It's what they're paid for.

Breastfeeding was a breeze for me with both kids. I had no soreness and no issues. I started putting lanolin on my nipples daily about a month before giving birth and I think that really helped with not having sore nipples. It can sometimes be frustrating to be depended on so much during while nursing but, as you said, it saves so much money and has enormous health benefits. One thing I strongly suggest is visiting with the lactation consultant in the hospital even if you're having no issues. I saw one twice while in the hospital with my son and she showed me some things I never knew about that really improved my experience.

Just make sure you take in enough calories while breastfeeding. Being only lighly active, I have to eat no less than 2,000 calories to maintain my milk supply. Being as active as you are, you'll really have to keep up the calorie intake.

My libido disappeared with both pregnancies. It did take a while to return given the lack of sleep, physical recovery and hormone adjustments. Just be patient, it will come back in full force :-]

Well, lets see -- my daughter is 28 and my son is 25... 

Actually I put on about 60 pounds with my daughter and lost almost 50 of that by my 3 week check up.  I was retaining a *lot* of water. 

I got down to within 5 pounds or so of my pre-pregnancy weight before I got pregnant with my son. With him, I gained about 30 pounds and lost about 25 of it by 6 week checkup, but I never lost the rest. 

Regarding the libido, I think it just really depends on the person. My partner and I had sex all nine months and we even got in a quickie while i was in labor... TMI? maybe.

Anyway, Waiting the six weeks to get the green light to resume sexual activity was horrid! We actually couldn't and started up again at four weeks PP. Sex hasn't really feel different PP and I actually am much more amarous and excited than I was while pregnant.

You just gotta be careful with the leaking boobs... That was embarassing the first time...

sex?  what's that?  after working, going to the gym, taking care of julia, and maintaining a semi-neat house every single day; i'm so tired.

my poor husband.  :-/

Amy, I've heard of midwives who encourage orgasm during the pushing phase of labor. I've heard that many, many women find labor pleasurable. My one labor experience was not pleasurable at all. :( Definitely different depending on the person.

Vanessa, my poor husband, too.