Losing the Baby Weight

With stars like Jessica Alba and Heidi Klum sashaying down the red carpet mere weeks after giving birth, Maggie Mason from Mighty Girl wonders if there are unrealistic expectations about losing pregnancy weight. So, is it the baby... or is it the fries? What do you think? How long did it take for you to lose the baby weight? When should this become a priority? Join in the Momversation by commenting below or in our related forums.

More videos on Momversation ... Browse all 348 videos

Showing the Latest of 21 Comments

southernmama
2 yearss ago

Hi! I'm new to momversation and am loving this blog! My son is 5 months old and I'm on that same old boat...I can't seem to drop the last 10 pounds. Now, honestly, I haven't tried too hard. I dropped about 30 of my 49 gained while I was breastfeeding. Seemed easy, nice and convenient. So, I managed to drop another 8 or 9 by sheer luck I think - or walking stairs and rollerblading with my son and hubby. Now, I've hit my wall. It's gotten cold - and I live in Texas so that means rainy and windy which does not work with a baby in a stroller. More than once I've had to stop halfway around the block to calm my little guy. That means I had to pull him out of the stroller and walk home, singing to him all the way. (I can just see the neighbors laughing at the poor mama who can't keep her baby calm.) So, anyway... Life has gotten busy with the holidays upon us, its cold and I don't like taking my son out in it, and I'm flat out lazy. Any one have any motivators? I tell myself that the beach in May is only 6 months away, but I'm a procrastinator! Why do now what I can do 3 months down the road? So, friends, HELP! Any suggestions for the poor southern mama who just wants to wear her favorite blue jeans again?

mommy forever
3 yearss ago

I know what you mean about the stubborn baby weight that just would not go away. You definitely should read this article and learn some tips on how to lose post pregnancy baby weight. http://www.female-workout.com/female-workout/how-to-lose-post-pregnancy-...

atedaldi
3 yearss ago

It'd tough everyone is different when it comes to losing weight. I personally have always made it my priority. I had five children and I lost my weight with each pregnancy - genetics played a big role - but I know that it can be tough. I have a lot of respect for everyone who tres especially if it's tough I say you go girls no matter how long it takes

Peachy 23
3 yearss ago

Listen - women are beautiful. Skinny doesn't matter. Healthy matters. If we had a team of 30 people working on our hair, makeup, abs, nails, meal plans, AND air brushing all of our photos.... then we'd probably look pretty damn good too.

broorel8
3 yearss ago

My first child was IUGR and I had to drink 3 ensure shakes a day on top of my regular meals. I gained like 60 pounds. He was 2lbs at birth (31 weeker) so I'm not sure how much those shakes really helped. I had a c-section and I looked pretty "normal" right after he was born. I never really did get a very big belly because my water broke at 23 weeks and my son pretty much stopped growing after that point. I just got big everywhere else. It took about 9 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Of course, I promptly gained about 5lbs on top of my pre-pregnancy weight and stayed there for the next 2 years. My second baby went to term and I gained about 40 lbs. She's 5months old and I have about 10lbs to lose. I'm still nursing, so I'm not too worried about it. I'm hoping I can get down to how much I weighed prior to any pregnancies, but I'd honestly be happy just getting down to my weight prior to this pregnancy. We'll see.

Kimbokarrie
3 yearss ago

I have always been a big girl, and tend to be an emotional eater so there is only so much that I can blame on my kid. It wasn't until my son's first birthday that I really opened my eyes to how big I had gotten. I didn't gain much weight when I was pregnant with him, but managed to pack on about 30 during that first year. He had reflux and was a screamer, and when I had a really crummy day I tried to make it all better with food. I buckled down and started watching what I ate- and I lost 80 pounds over the course of about 9-10 months. Which was awesome...but ironically enough the weight loss made me fertile (it took us 5 years to get pregnant the first time) and I got pregnant with #2 right away with no treatments. I gained 40 pounds with that pregnancy, and have another 20 to lose to get back to pre-pregnancy. Nevermind the fact that I have another 40 to lose on top of that...but I am finding it extremely hard right now to get motivated to work on my weight again. I sort of got used to eating whatever I wanted, and now with an almost 3 month old and nursing all I do is eat. So it's certainly something that is in the back of my mind, because I feel like I worked my ass off to lose that 80 and now I have to get back there or that entire year of work went to waste.

lverhoff
3 yearss ago

I really enjoyed this piece and enjoyed hearing from real women about the challenges of losing baby weight. The one comment that hurt my ears was hearing judgement on someone taking three years to lose baby weight. I don't believe there is a set time that is right for everyone to lose weight. Sooo... I say HOORAY to the last comment about putting our kids as our priority. But BOO to judging when that priority should shift for women to focus on their weight. I think some women need more time to adjust to motherhood than others. Maybe it has taken that woman three years to find her way up above water. I don't want to sound negative at all because I love these Momversations and I really appreciate the work you have put into it. But as one of those people who took longer than normal to get back into shape (21 months, but I had preemie twins and was on bed rest for three months and it saddens me I always have to preface it that way), I felt I needed to mention it.

shane_onegoodie
3 yearss ago

Through both of my pregnancies, I enjoyed eating (well, you know, after I stopped throwing everything up). When I was finally done with both pregnancies, it was time to buckle down. I worked hard and got all the weight off - back to wedding weight - within 6 months. So many friends asked me how I did. And even more assumed it just melted off because of my genes. Let me tell you something: I have obesity on both sides of my family. I fight the fat. I am up and on the treadmill by 5:30 every weekday because it's the only time I can fit it in. I'm a working mom of two, for goodness sakes. But I have to fit it in. I eat a lot of protein, I drink a lot of water, I control the desserts. I believe that anyone can do it..but it's not easy and no one should expect it to be easy. But ANYONE can do it. Whether you use Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, or your own made-up plan, you can do it. If I can, anyone can. Another tip - your husband gained a few too, didn't he? Have him lose the weight with you. You'll both get healthier together.

Jellybeans
3 yearss ago

I love Maggie's comment at the end. Balancing guilt-laden issues against where they fit into your overall personal priorities is kind of liberating. Thanks for that!

neveraplainjane
3 yearss ago

The very best advice I got when I had my daughter was to remember "nine months up, nine months down." Because of that tiny piece of sagacity, I completely excused myself from any active weight-loss regimes for nine months. That first year (more or less) is the most sleep-deprived time in a girl's life (if you completely forget about college) and there must be a thousand studies done that show getting less sleep is related to putting on weight and keeping it on. My daughter was probably two before I had completely lost all the weight. I believe the first year of anything new is hard - first year of college, first year of marriage, first year as a parent - and twelve months is a good time frame for getting oneself adjusted. If someone wants to comment on my baby fat I think I'd be inclined to tell them that I keep my body parts to myself, they can do the same with their comments.

Losing the Baby Weight

Showing the Latest of 21 Comments

Post new comment

Sponsored Links

Panelists

We Work With 40 Contributors Meet Them All

Express Yourself!

Momversation is the place where real women share personal insights into the issues that affect us.