After your wonderful baby has arrived, you may be tempted to rush to regain your pre-baby self. But do yourself and your baby a favor:  take it slow and easy, and get back into shape the safe and healthy way.

 

by Nicole Mento

You’re a glowing new mom. Amidst adjusting to your baby and its schedule, you’re probably wondering if you will ever see your waistline again. The urge is strong to get back into the shape you were in before your pregnancy.

This is a perfect time to pay tribute to you. In the past nine months you have experienced nature’s most phenomenal miracle:  conception, gestation, childbirth, and motherhood. Give your waistline a little break—it’s been through a lot.

During your pregnancy you tried to maintain a nutritious diet to protect your baby and you. You may feel now is the time to bite the bullet and go on a crash diet or follow a trendy weight loss program. But postpartum is not the time for either, because they can limit or restrict your intake of the nutritious foods you need, and contribute to fatigue and stress. Start your child rearing style right by taking it slow and easy. Your baby will thank you--and you'll feel better in the long run, too.  

Wise food choices when breastfeeding

Kimberly A. Tessmer, R.D., L.D., author of The Everything Nutrition Book: Boost Energy, Prevent Illness, and Live Longer, says the fuel supply that helps produce your breast milk comes from energy stored as body fat during your pregnancy and from extra energy from food choices.

Tessmer says, “Your body uses about 100 to 150 additional calories per day to produce breast milk. While breastfeeding, a woman needs an additional 500 calories per day beyond non-pregnancy maintenance needs. In other words, if you needed 2,000 calories to maintain your weight before pregnancy, you need 2,700 calories per day while you are breastfeeding.”

Trying to lose weight through a strict weight-loss regimen is not recommended while you are breastfeeding. If your caloric intake goes lower than 1,800 calories, you probably will not get enough of all the nutrients your body needs for proper breastfeeding.

Take it slow

The University of Rochester Medical Center reports that postpartum weight loss should be a gradual process that allows your body to heal from childbirth and feed your baby if you are breastfeeding. It is tempting to try to lose weight quickly through strict diet and exercise, but doing so may keep your body from recovering well.  

After the birth of your baby, you can expect to lose about 12 pounds. During the next several weeks, you may lose several more pounds as water retention decreases and you begin breastfeeding.

Patience and flexibility are important parts of your weight loss efforts. Your body undergoes many changes throughout pregnancy and the months following the baby’s birth. Regaining your shape and fitness will take some time, but a gradual approach can be the most successful one.

Women who are not breastfeeding should not go below 1,200 calories a day. A good guideline for weight loss is to lose no more than one pound per week.

Customized good nutrition

In recent years, the United States Department of Agriculture has made great strides at reformatting its nutritional food pyramid, and has taken special conditions into consideration, including the needs of postpartum moms.

Just go to MyPyramid Plan for Moms, and you’ll be guided through a couple of basic questions including your age, weight, and child’s date of birth. When you fill in the blanks, in a couple of seconds the site will provide you with the foods and amounts that you should consume on a daily basis, as well as some valuable tips to help guide you toward your nutritional and weight loss goals.

Exercise with activities you enjoy

The Cleveland Clinic, one of Ohio’s leading hospitals, recommends that when starting out, new mothers should plan an exercise routine that is easy to follow and stay with. As the program becomes more routine, you can vary your exercise times and activities.

Choose an activity you enjoy. Exercising should be fun and not a chore. You can even include your baby. Try jogging or walking with the stroller. Think of the little bundle of joy as a 12-plus pound weight. Exercise can double as playtime.

Schedule exercise into your day, and add a variety of exercises to avoid boredom—not that you’ll have time to be bored with your new little one to keep you busy!

 

Nicole Mento is a Florida-based freelance writer. Her two young children are the inspiration behind her love of writing about babies, children’s issues, and the joys and challenges of being a new parent.

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