Many new mothers find difficulty with losing weight after pregnancy, so you are not alone. It seems as though you’ll never get your body back.
Your body tends to retain extra weight after you give birth as a reaction to what it has been through over the nine months. The body has lots to contend with during pregnancy, and it will take several weeks before everything is back to normal. Be patient and realistic, but take some action to getting back your pre-pregnancy body.
A great place to start is with your abdominal muscles. They have been stretched out of shape but luckily they will be quick to recover if you give them some help. You will probably know how to do pelvic floor exercises, so try and practise these several times a day; when you think of it, do a few contractions when you are sitting, standing, rocking baby or lying down. Work your abdominals the same way; gently contract your abs, hold, relax and repeat four times. Do this when you think of it and in different positions.
You are tired, exhausted and sleep-deprived, but some gentle exercise is going to help you feel better and will increase your energy levels. If you have an exercise machine at home, aim to do just five minutes, twice a day, while baby is sleeping or having a kick on the floor. Start out carefully and gently; you can increase the time and intensity as you gain strength.
If you don’t have a machine at home, there are other exercise sessions you can do. Put baby in the carriage and go for a walk around the block for 15 minutes or so. Pick a nice day and both of you will enjoy the fresh air. Do a short session of step-ups, squats, jump rope, dancing to your favorite music or jogging on the spot – anything that gets your heart rate and breathing up.
Watching your diet will help with losing weight after pregnancy. You might find eating 6 smaller meals or snacks beneficial. Include some protein with every meal; add fruit and vegetables and some wholegrain food. Have healthy snacks handy to avoid reaching for snacks loaded with sugar and fat; nuts or yogurt make a great snack to grab on the run.