Many women experience the same complaints after giving birth to their first child. Among those complaints is the recurrent, “When am I going to lose all of this weight that I gained during the pregnancy?” During pregnancy, women can put on twenty, thirty, and sometimes up to fifty pounds. This weight is made up of amniotic fluid, blood, breast milk or colostrums; and up to twenty pounds of the weight gain is usually fat used by the mother’s body to make breast milk.
Body changes after pregnancy can be a jarring experience, not to mention the hormonal changes. A poor self image can lead to postpartum depression if it is not taken care of. Regular exercise and a good healthy diet can speed up the weight loss process. Sugar and simple carbohydrates like white bread and white rice should be avoided if not totally eliminated from your diet. Increase your intake of complex carbohydrates. Anything made with whole grains and brown rice is considered complex carbohydrates.
Also, another thing that you need to do is increase your protein intake. Studies show that protein increases your muscle mass while burning fat. Green vegetables such as kale, broccoli and collards have much needed iron. During pregnancy, most women need to take a prenatal vitamin with iron because they become depleted in order to supply the fetus with the mineral.
After labor and delivery, the woman’s body becomes further depleted needing a large increase in iron. If at all possible, the source of the iron is best served when derived from green, leafy vegetables.
Regular exercise is recommended three times a week for twenty minutes a stretch. A long, brisk walk is really all that is needed to get your heart rate going and anything above and beyond that may be too difficult anyway. It is also good for the new mother’s state of mind to get out of the house for a little while and sunshine on the baby’s face helps to reduce jaundice. Putting the baby in a baby carrier such as a sling or front pack rather than pushing a stroller is more beneficial to mother and baby. The mother gets to further secure her bond with her baby and the baby is actually exercising as well. If the baby is lying in a jogging stroller there are really no benefits for her.
The decision to breast feed after having a baby also increases your rate of weight loss. The breastfeeding woman’s body burns an extra thousand calories per day. It actually shrinks the uterus after giving birth as well. It is recommended for women who are breastfeeding to lose less than five pounds a week. Studies show that if she loses more than five pounds per week, her milk can become toxic and may be harmful for the baby. As long as the mother is breastfeeding, she will retain about ten pounds of body fat as reserves for the baby. This usually comes off when the mother decides to wean.