You have just given birth to your baby. The doctor has assured you that you are now officially a mother and that this is “the one”. Your baby is healthy, beautiful, and perfectly formed. You are overjoyed and want to share your happiness with the world. However, you soon realize that being a new mother is not all sweet words and joyous celebrations. While your body undergoes major changes, you will notice that your weight does not appear to be affected much at all. In fact, many new mothers end up gaining a large amount of weight, which is not at all what they expected after giving birth. Does this sound like you? If so, read on to find out how much weight you will lose after giving birth.
Weight Loss Will Be Slow
While it is normal for your body to undergo a major physical transformation after giving birth, this does not mean that you will lose a large amount of weight immediately. Rather, your weight loss will be relatively slow and steady. After giving birth, it will probably take you about six months to a year to lose the extra pounds that you had before pregnancy. During this process, you will probably gain a little bit of weight, but overall, you will stay in the same weight range as you were in before you got pregnant. This is all perfectly normal and does not mean that you are putting on weight or that you are not doing your body any favors. It just means that you are adjusting to your new life as a mother and that this takes time.
Losing The Baby Weight Is No Accident
If you are lucky enough to lose the weight in the same amount of time that it took you to gain it, you will be able to conveniently avoid any extreme weight fluctuations. However, this is certainly not the case for everyone. Some women end up seriously overweight or underweight after giving birth. The reasons for this are complicated and vary from woman to woman, but there are some common factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Among the most significant factors are lack of exercise and an unhealthful diet. Many new mothers indulge in unhealthy habits such as drinking, using drugs, and not eating healthy foods. This can lead to serious medical complications, which could ultimately be attributed to the fact that they are now unable to exercise due to their new baby duties. In these cases, it will take the mother a lot longer to shed off the baby weight than it took to gain it in the first place. We are talking years, not months.
Signs You May Be Failing As A New Mom
When you are pregnant, you will experience a lot of changes. Your body will grow massive, you will gain a lot of weight, and you will stop taking care of yourself. After giving birth, you will start feeling guilty about this, even though you have no reason to. This is normal and something that all new mothers experience. One of the main changes that you will notice is the lack of interest that you have in taking care of yourself. While you were in the process of becoming a mom, your body did not need food or water for sustenance. It needed only the baby. Due to this, your exercise and eating habits changed a lot. You will start walking more, which will help you regulate your weight. For some women, this is enough to bring them back to their old habits. If this is you, then you are at risk of gaining a lot of weight. Be careful and try to avoid this at all costs. You have just given birth to your baby. The last thing that you need is to ruin your postpartum body due to unnecessary weight gain. Your health is the most important thing, and it is a matter of time Before you know it, you will be wondering why you did not pay more attention to your body in the first place.