Postpartum moms wanting to lose weight...

Is there anyone else here that has had a baby recently.  My son is 4 months old (born in June 06) and I returned to work when he was 2 months old.  With 4 children total, I am very busy and have a hard time taking time for me.  I would like some other postpartum moms to keep in contact with so we can support each other as we try to trim off the excess weight, be healthy, while being so incredibly busy.

I am 36 yrs old, 5'1, weigh 185 lb and want to lose 50 lbs.  I want to eat nutriously, which is my main goal, but also really need to get back into shape. 

I think it is easier to stick to something like weight loss when you hold your self accountable with others...anyone want to join in?

Edit: 10/27/06  Any moms can join even though this thread has already been going and has a great group of moms so far!  Just post and we'll have an even larger group of us here supporting each other.  And even if you don't have a new baby, that's okay too!  We're a supportive group so feel free to join in!

sorry i took a while to respond cecily...i went to the store....but I LOVE NURSING SCHOOL!...I have my EMT_B LIC as well and I want to work in the E.R. but my advice is dont go into it for anyother reason other than the love of medicine and helping sick people...it's not a glamorous job...and but i enjoy it....i'll proubly be one of those nice nurses rather than the moody one that seems to not want to be there....but like i said pick something because u enjoy it not because it looks like it will make your schedule easier

Ruthie, no I think it would be something I'm interested in.  The schedule is just one of the perks!  I've been really down lately becuase I feel like I'm wasting my life behind a desk.  I could be doing something productive, for the greater good of humanity, and I'm not.  My husband is about to graduate from paramedic school.  He's a certified EMT/firefighter right now.  He really likes it, and he thinks I would too.  I've been talking about nursing school for the last 3 years, before he even decided to join the fire department.  When my grandma was in a nursing home, I really enjoyed visiting with all the other residents.  I went to see her everyday, but a lot of them never got visitors other than me.  I know it's not glamourous, but I don't care.  Neither is motherhood! I used to want to be a cancer researcher, but there's no way I could make it through medical school.  I've been thinking more and more about nursing, and there is a well-knowns cancer hospital where I live.  I checked out their website, and they have tons of nursing positions open.  It's just up to me to go back to school. :) 

go for it! it's hard for me... i know how you feel. about 7 years ago  before i went back to school i was trying to get a job at some office place and the women looked at my schooling....and was like oh you only went to high school....how sad....i was so embarressed and mad...but it's just what i needed to get myself thinking about what i wanted to do with my life.....i used to want to be a Dr. but i started having children at a young age and the schedule ffor med. school is crazy!...sorry for my typing im typing with baby in my arms

i think we kinda went off the subject of this thread...lol...sorry everyone

Well I have my mother complaining about it since I've alread been through school that she paid for.  I have a degree in geology, but I hate it.  I really feel like this is NOT my calling.  I really enjoyed visiting with the residents at the nursing home, despite the reality of it all.  I should have thought about that before I wasted 4 years getting my degree.  Now I have to start over, and that's what really scares me.  Then I have it in my head that I might go through school again and hate nursing.  I'm self sabotaging, I know.  I've always been that way. 

Sorry to all the other moms for getting off topic!  I'll pose a question to get back on topic.  My son's pediatrician told me to feed him a fruit in the morning and a veggie for dinner.  We've been giving him banana cereal when he wakes up, and I feed him carrots when I get home.  Am I only supposed to be feeding him jar food once a day?  By jar food,  I mean the carrots.  The cereal is either mixed into his bottle, or I mix it with water in a bowl.  I guess I should've asked his doctor if he only needs jar food once a day.  I'm doing carrots this week, and it's peas next week-one at a time in case he has an allergy. 

Look at all these wonderful new Moms and/or previous Moms with new babies.. I've got 2 kids, my boy is turning 6 in April and my daughter is turning 3 in January.. Congrats to you all and it's nice to see you all making strides to get back to your original figures.. I went from a size 10 to a 13/15 when I had my son almost 6 years ago and I really had no motivation to get back down to my original size then almost 2 years after being a lazy bum I became pregnant again.. It wasnt until approx 3 months ago that I decided I have the time and effort to do this NOW, so Im doing it.. I am now back down to a 10, the smallest I have been in over 6 years..Ive lost about 20lbs since joining CC and Im feeling the best I have felt in years..
Congrats to you all, enjoy your babies, they change daily and just grow so fast don't let anything get in the way.

Anyone one here feel free to add me to your friends list if you want!

Hi short2003, I've added you to my friends list!  It's so exciting to meet all the other new moms.  I've met a lot of really great people here, and it's fun to find a whole new group that I have something in common with. :)

short, it's great you found your motivation to get yourself healthy!  After I had Aiden, my almost 6 month old (my my time is going by fast), I kept saying tomorrow tomorrow, I sounded like Annie.  Then weeks later I was still unhappy with my weight and measurements, and I'd think to myself, if I had started that's first day I'd be way down already!!! Well today came a week or so ago, and I finally got serious. 

My ped. told me to start Aiden on cereal when he was 3 months... he wasn't gaining weight very well and needed something other than nursing, which I quit and went to formula anyway.  Last check up she told me to work our way up to 5 tbsp of cereal with 3 oz formula and 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp of fruit 3 times a day.  She told me not to work veggies in until my next visit.  He still takes about 15 oz a day in a bottle too.  He's eatting and gaining like a champ now.  Hopefully by his 7 months he will have doubled his birth weight.  LOL i'm depretely trying to lose, he's despretly trying to gain!  I was never worried about his weight... he's been extremely active, happy and strong.  he actually got up on all fours when he was 2 months and 3 months at his check ups.  Dr was very surprised.  He just might be a little guy!  Heck i'm 4 11... how tall is he really gonna get?

Mine's already 21lbs at 6 months.  He's a really big boy, and lots of rolls!  Sounds like we're doing almost the same thing with the exception of veggies.  Cole is trying to crawl, but his doctor laughed and said he might have a hard time holding all that weight up.  He's good at getting up on all fours, just not so great at moving. ;)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone who added me to their lists I have added you aswell!

my daughter is Paige Elizabeth....Paige was a name my husband picked out and we both thought it was a happy sounding name that would be adorable, and Elizabeth was my middle name before I got married. My grandmother and my mother kept their maiden names as their middle names once they got married and I really wanted to do the same. Plus I knew that Elizabeth would be much easier to pass on to my daughter than my maiden name! Welcome to all you new additions! As christianrock_chick said, feel free to add me to your friend list and I will do the same with you! 

Good moring ladies!  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

For all you mommies with toddlers, or grown up toddlers, do you have any potty training tips?  We've tried everything from bribbery to going without any bottoms on.  he understands what to do, he just won't do it!  The peeing part is going just ok, but #2 is still out of the question!  I had to pull him from preschool, I feel bad his missing an awesome experience!

Good morning to you too!  It's been awhile since I potty trained, but with my girls I devoted a whole weekend (with my moms help) to just potty-training...stayed home and used regular intervals to put on the potty.  My son, we used a potty chart with stickers and he loved it...we cheered and he got a sticker on the potty chart each time he did potty...and the potty chart was hung in the bathroom!  Good luck!

Both of my kids were different.  With my son he slept through the night w/o peeing when he was 2 but we didnt start pottytraining unril he was 2 years and 8 months.. I was pregnant when I started so I took my maternity leave 1 month early so I could work with him 24/7 instead of training at home and having him in a diaper while he was @ a sitters, I didnt want him to be confused.. Initially I started him sitting, it took about a month for that.. Then after he saw dad standing and he wanted to do it that way.  I remember bribing him w/ candy, cookies or w/e but you have stated that this hasnt worked for you and this is what I did with both of my kids.. My daughter was opposite, easy to train on peeing but when it came to #2 she would NOT go on the toilet.  She would wait all day until bedtime when I would put a diaper or pullup on her then go RIGHT AWAY. She was still peeing at night and that is why we used the diaper @ night.. She did that for about a month and we took away the diapers so she would go in her panties... :S ... When she needed to go #2 she would have really stinky gas so then I would make her sit on the toilet for 20-30 minutes, she would cry, I didnt even care and after 4-5 times of that she just went and as been going #2 on the potty ever since... She knew how to hold her number 2 so she KNEW how to let it go or else i wouldnt have forced her to sit on the potty.. I KNEW she was capable.

Let me just say something real quick, this was a motivator for me.. My sister in law has a friend who has a 7 y/o and this kid still will NOT go number 2 on the potty.... So for all the moms that are having trouble with this; as long as you know your child is capable of doing it FORCE them.. If you arent sure they are ready then dont push them but remember the 7 year old kid who STILL doesnt crap in the toilet next time you are potty training..

Like someone had mentioned above constantly cheer them on.. When my daughter went pee the first few times I called Gramma, Aubelita (sp) all of her aunties and some of my friends to praise and encourage her.  I dont know if it worked but I figured it was worth and shot and it wasn't going to harm her so why not, right?  I also did the same thing when she #2'd..

I have one potty trained and another we are working on. I think the biggest thing is to wait until they are physically ready. My 2 year old can go pee on the toilet completely by himself if we tell him to, he doesn't even need help and yet he doesn't have the control yet to hold it. He can make himself go if you tell him to but so far he's not gone much longer than 15 minutes without wetting his diaper. And besides that, I don't have the energy right now to try and train him. One of these days I'll try again. I'd like him to be able to wait an hour between potty trips, so far that hasn't happened. My oldest one was much easier!

Hello,

  I am a post partum mom too! I have a (nearly) 4 month old and a 2 year old. They are both June babies, June 12th '06 and June 13th '04! I am 5'4" and 181, down from my delivery weight of 220 (yikes!!).  I set my first goal to reach 150lbs. I plan to re-evaulate at that time. I am glad to see so many other moms are using this website. I need the encouragement!

Thank You!

KJ

Hey all. I actually just posted a new thread and was given the link to this one. I just had a baby Aug. 28. Since I was already overweight when the baby was concieved, I only gained 13 lbs, I have lost all that already +6 more lbs. So really, my issue is the excessive weight gain from my first pregnancy over 5 years ago. I was actually losing that weight not too long after my older daughter was born, but then came depo, unemployment, and the stress of a court child support battle. So I gained all that weight back and then some. I'm 5'4, 238 lbs (yeah, I know...yikes!) but my highest point was last year. I was at a whopping 260. Fortunately, the weight is all very well distributed...but anyway. The healthier choices I have made recently have resulted in a higher energy level, and I made the decision because I am getting married in cancun next June. I just don't think I could handle it if I end up being apalled at the pictures of one of the happiest days of my life. (plus I don't want to look like a total lard next to the other women at the resort) I'm very glad to see here are so many other new moms here.

Welcome kj and manda!  We're getting a lot of new moms here which is great...we can be so supportive of each other and we do need the encouragement, don't we.  I think pregnancy can really throw hormones out of whack for a little bit and who better understands then someone going through the same thing.

Feel free to add me to your friends list and I'll add you too!

Hi there Kj and Manda!  Welcome.  I'm glad to be meeting new people here, and it's really nice that we have some big things in common... especially our "lose the baby weight" goals!  You can go ahead and add me to your lists, and I'll add you to mine! 

I hope everyone's weekend was great.  We had fantastic weather here in the Chicago land area...finally!  Yesterday, my husband and I took our boys on a Juvenile Diabetes walk.  4 Miles.  Thought is would be a little straining, but we did it in an hour!  We could have made better time if we didn't have a stroller and get stuck behind some mopey people (there was a HUGE turn out...yea!).  I think we are thinking about doing this for ourselves a couple times a week.  It was really nice!   

The best thing that happened this week?  One of my closest friends is getting married next year, so we had to go out and pick bridesmaid's dresses....oh dread! well, I told the lady that I was  size 14 in jeans...but as it turns out i'm a very comfortable size 10 in their dresses!!!! I was grinning ear to ear!  I probably could've went with an 8.  So that's what I ordered, in hoes of even taking that down a few sizes! 

Thanks for the potty training advice.  I'll try the forcing him to sit everyday...probably multiple times a day.  We'll see! :)