It’s been a year since you gave birth and you’re finally back to your pre-baby body. Congrats! You’re not alone; over a million women share your excitement.
But what happens to your body post-partum? Do you still have that baby weight? Does the extra skin even come off? Can you get back your pre-pregnancy figure?
Let’s dive into the numbers to find out what you should expect from your body after giving birth.
How Much Weight Do You Lose After Giving Birth?
When you had your baby, you likely heard that you would lose a significant amount of weight after giving birth. This is true. But how significant is the weight loss? How much can you actually expect to shed?
Depending on your prepregnancy figure and the baby blues you might experience, you could lose anywhere from 5 to 12 pounds after your baby is born. But…it also could be less. So don’t expect to wake up one day and find yourself at your pre-pregnancy weight. That’s what’s great about postpartum weight loss, it’s not predictable. And it might take your body a little while to get back to its pre-pregnancy state.
When Does The Weight Loss Begin?
You’ll start to lose weight as soon as you give birth. Some women will even shed a bit more weight than predicted due to the extra hormones and fluid their bodies produce. But you’re bound to lose at least some weight after your baby is born. The weight loss will be gradual and you’ll probably notice that your clothes aren’t fitting as well as they used to. As you lose weight, your body’s natural rhythms will adjust and you’ll feel more energetic than you have in a long time.
When Do You Lose The Most Weight?
While you’re losing weight, you’ll probably feel like you’re going through an extraordinary transformation. But you’re not alone. Over a million women share your excitement about finally getting back to your old self.
You’re going to lose the most weight in the first month after giving birth. Why? Your body needs additional calories to stay healthy during and after your baby’s birth. Plus, you’ll have extra hormones running through your system. All of this adds up to you needing to eat more. So if you want to lose the most weight, avoid dieting and focus on eating healthy foods.
How Much Weight Do You Lose After Giving Birth?
Once you pass the first month after giving birth, the pounds start coming off more gradually. Some women have reported losing as much as 10 pounds a month after their babies are born. But this is an exceptional feat and, as I’ve mentioned, it’s not going to happen to everyone. After your baby adjusts to life outside the womb and the pounds start coming off, you’ll start noticing that your clothes aren’t as tight as they used to be. Hopefully, this will lead you to believe that you’re back to your old self and not the quirky, pregnant woman you once knew. One year later and you’ve finally returned to your prepregnancy weight. Yay!
The whole point of this article is to tell you that your body doesn’t have to look like a post-baby supermodel to have you back. You’re going to feel better and healthier than ever before because you’ve finally done what all women have dreamed of: having a baby. So don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about your body. You’re going to feel fantastic.
How Long Does It Take Your Body To Recuperate?
Once you’ve had your baby and started to lose weight, it’ll take your body a little while to get back to its pre-pregnant state. This is normal, it’s not failure. You’re not the only one who feels exhausted and bloated once your body has finished producing milk. Depending on the size of your family and how active you were before becoming pregnant, it could take your body six months to a year to get back to its pre-pregnancy figure. This is a long time, so don’t be discouraged if your body seems sluggish or you feel like you’ve hit a rough patch.
What About The Skincare?
While you’re losing weight and your body is adjusting to life outside the womb, you’ll also want to be careful about what you put on your skin. When you were pregnant, you had to change your skincare routine to accommodate your growing baby. But now that you’re back to your prepregnancy figure, you can get back to doing what makes you feel beautiful. After your baby is born, you’ll want to avoid using too many products and going for a ‘pore-cleaning’ skincare routine. Try out some of the natural products that you normally use before becoming pregnant and see how you feel. You may find that some of them didn’t agree with you while you were pregnant and may still not agree with you now that you’re back to your prepregnancy figure. You don’t want to overload your body’s natural detoxing systems just so that your skin can be at it’s best. Focus on eating healthy foods and getting plenty of sleep so that your body heals and grows stronger than ever before.
Overall, Expected Weight Loss After Giving Birth
So, what’s the overall weight loss expected after giving birth? Based on your prepregnancy figure and the baby blues you might experience, you could lose anywhere from 5 to 12 pounds. But, again, this will depend on a lot of factors. How much weight did you actually gain while you were pregnant? How is your baby sleeping and feeding? How is your mood? These are just a few examples of questions you may want to ask yourself. But, as I mentioned before, it’s not going to be easy to lose the weight in a neat, little package. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t lose exactly what you want to. Your body will tell you what it needs and you’ll adjust accordingly.