New Baby!!...and body :(

I just had a beautiful baby boy 2.5 months ago.  Prior to pregnancy I weighed in at about 140.  Right before delivery I was at 195!!!  I'm down to 175, but now I'm stuck.  The weight's not going anywhere and I need advice and some encouraging words.  I don't feel like the MILF I'd quite expected to be.

Well congratulations!
And be kind to your body and give yourself some time - it took 9 months to change your body, its not going to just snap back!
Enjoy your baby, eat healthy, exercise, and you'll get there.
(It took me 6 months after my first one to get back to pre-pregnancy weight - I didn't do anything extraordinary, but I did breastfeed for 6 months)

My "Nursing Specialist" said that breastfeeding burns 500 calories per day, which was thrilling!  However, I ended up having a stubborn newborn along with mastitis (infected breast tissue) and am unable to breastfeed-not by choice however.  I'm so frustrated! 

Please be carefull if you are breast feeding your baby. If you diet to strictly, you will deprive your baby of nutrients. My advice would be to up the normal absolute low of 1200 calories to at least 1700 to keep you both healthy. Better would be to excersise more and eat your normal daily allowance of around 2100 calories.

As a mother of three I'd like to gently point out that your body will NEVER be the same and it took me an entire year after my first baby to come to grips with that.  Just be patient...and congratulations on the beautiful baby boy!  Put that lil guy in a stroller and walk off the weight.

angelanwilson84,

Congrats on your new baby...motherhood is a beautiful thing in itself! I also had a baby 4 months ago and let me tell you I know first hand it's hard, hard as hell, I thought the weight would just continue to melt off like so many people told me it would...well not.  But you know with a lot of postive motivational advice from the people on this site, I am taking it one day at a time.  I was around 140 ish pre baby and I am now around 153 (lost 2lbs so far) and would like to get down to 125.  If you need some one to talk to our whatever you can email me.  Just stick to it and one day you will turn around and the weight will be off.  It's worth the try, what can you lose other than weight?

Ejoy :))

Congratulations on the new baby boy!  I had a boy 7 months ago, and the only thing that has been not so wonderful is the weight issue!  I breast fed until about two weeks ago, whats funny is that within 8 weeks after my sone was born I was down below my pre pregnancy weight, but then it all came back and more!  I was 135 pre pregnancy, 130 8 weeks out, and now 147 7 months out?!  I am really confused, but trying to just focus on being healthy for me and my family.  If you need  someone who understnads email me, I'd locve to hear from someone going through the same thing, I think support is a huge key to losong weight and gaining self confidence!

After my oldest son was born it took about 4 months before I could wear my pre-pregnancy clothes. 

After my twin boys were born 2 1/2 years laters....well its been 14 years and the only size 8 I own is my shoes!

This website is great though and now I'm sure I can see that size again.  

Congratulations on your baby boy!

Congrats on your new addition!  They're so much fun!   I have 3 of them....a 9 yr old, a 2 yr old, and a 1 yr old (surprise!  The last two are 12 1/2 mos apart--yikes!).  You'll have a blast!

I do agree with pshizzo...your body will never be the same...but that's OK!  I'm actually better than I was before the birth of my second and third kiddos now!  Better than before my first---uh--no, but heck, I was in my early twenties.  Anyhow, the point is, you can get where you want to be again.  Your body may carry your weight a bit differently, but it's all good. 

This site has been such a great help for me--I'm down 37 lbs and depending on the brand 4 or 5 sizes (crazy!).  You can definitely get where you want to be!  You're already one step ahead of me...I waited 6 mos post baby before I finally decided to get off my rear-end and do something about it....you're only 2 1/2 mos after!  Good for you!  You can totally do it!

Congrads on the new edition to your family. I had my baby girl on December 18 2006. I bought an elliptical and started exercising and counting calories on Janurary 24, 2007. You can do this!!! I have lost 38lbs to date (hit 2 plateaus). I am barely starting the conditioning exercises that target your tummy and abs due to me having a c-section. I now feel that my incesion is strong enough to do some hard-core exercising.

Good Luck!!

I, too, am the mother of three. With my first two pregnancies I lost weight and felt and looked healthy within 6 months of giving birth. They are 3 years apart. My third child is 2 years old and I am just starting to lose weight. My point is this, every body is different. Every pregnancy is different. And every set of circumstances after delivery is different. Eat healthy. Get some exercise. Look for a mommy and baby class in your area -- a lot of them are fun and a great way to meet other new moms. And most importantly, give yourself some time. Cut yourself some slack and enjoy these first months with your baby. When you look back on this time you may think, "Ugh! It took me 6 months or 1 year to feel like myself physically!" but if you consider that same amount of time in your baby's life, it will seem all too short! :) It's good perspective.

Hi Angela!

Congratulations for the baby boy!  In my case I can not speak of a personal experience (God knew well what He was doing when He decided women and not men would bear children) but I have several friends who were able to eliminate all the extra pounds after child birth, using a Meal Replacement Plan.

The concept is to replace meals with Nutritional Supplements so you are in a low-calorie diet but at the same time in a highly nutritious diet.  When breast-feeding you need to make sure the baby gets enough fat in the mother's milk so it may build its own fat reserves.  Since you are not breast-feeding this is not a point of concern.

Hope this is useful.

I'm there with you! Pre-pregnancy - 135, Full term - 185, 2 weeks out - 165, 6 weeks out - 158, 4 months out - 151. 

If I stick with 1700 calories, I lose no weight.  If I go to 1200 calories, then I lose about a pound a week. 

Not able to do weight bearing exercise due to foot problem from pregnancy.  I do walk the dogs & general housework. I just started swimming.

With my first child, I lost the weight quicker.  I was back in my clothes at the 4 month mark.  This time, I think it's going to be the 6th month.

Eat to hunger.

Mind you, the 1200 calories has to be packed full of punch. 

 Whole grains, mixed salad greens, lean meats (I like Frozen, marinated Wild Pacific Salmon from Costco - sold in single serving, & chicken).  I do have an occassional steak - but make it a good, lean Filet Mignon), olive oil by a single teaspoon, fancy vinegars, a regular ham & cheese sandwich for lunch, oatmeal w/ peanut butter, and alot of fruit.  A cup of strawberries tastes so much better than french fries - and so much less calories.  Today, I ate the best peach!  But, if I have to go fast food...my favorite is the Chick-Fil-A, the charbroiled chicken sandwich is 270 calories & a fruit cup.

Plus, I take supplements of calcium & vitamins.

Angelanwilson:

Congrats!!  I am pretty close to you.  I just had a baby boy 3 months ago (my 3rd in 4 years!).  I was 143 before pregnancy and was 195-200 at term.  I lost enough weight to get down to about 179 and then it stopped.  Right about 2.5 months was when I felt better able to actually monitor my diet better and start exercising, but that is also because my DS is wondefully and miraculously sleeping through the night.

In researching losing weight while breastfeeding, I have read that you shouldn't go below 1800 calories. And you are supposed to need about 500 calories extra while breastfeeding. So I took the analysis of what my body normally would need (1800) and just stuck with that +100 to make sure I didn't go too low as my daily goal for calories and I eat back all of my exercise calories.  I also get most of my calories from bveggies, fruits, lean meats, and a few whole grain carbs. So far in the last month, I've lost about 2 pounds per week or so, which is about how much you want to lose/week safely.

I also listen to my body. If I am hungry, I feed it, but often with fruits & veggies if I need an extra snack.  Like tonight, I'm at 1900 but feeling hungry so I'll probably eat some blueberries with some milk or yogurt -- I should say I also make sure to get at least 3 servings of low-fat dairy in as well to make sure I get enough calcium. 

Feel free to email me personally if you want to talk more about losing weight while breastfeeding. 

Good luck and enjoy your little one while he's still little. I can't believe mine is already so big!!! Time flies so fast.