For as long as I can remember, I wanted kids. I couldn’t wait to be pregnant, have a cute, perfectly round basketball belly, and eat ALL. THE. THINGS. I couldn’t wait to hold a perfect, tiny human in my arms, and to get the title of ‘mom’. As fantastic as it sounds, living it is a bit of a different story, especially the 4th trimester.
Before getting pregnant with baby #3, I felt great about my body. I was strong, lean, and I felt good in my skin. Going into my 3rd pregnancy, I thought I’d created a good base to start from, that I’d continue working out during pregnancy, and that I’d “bounce back” super fast. Well, my body had different plans….
This was me right after I got home from the hospital. I still looked pregnant, still had bruises from the IV, was exhausted, and squishy everywhere. I didn’t mind it too much at first, thinking that everything would go back to ‘normal’ over the next few weeks. Well, after 3 babies, and creeping up on my 30th birthday, let’s just say things did NOT go back to normal as quickly as I thought they should.
Here are the things that I wish I’d done, and the mentality I wish I’d had going into my 4th trimester.
Eat the Food
From the day I had Waverly, I started being super conscious about what I ate, only eating healthy food, and probably not eating enough. But here’s the funny thing about breastfeeding – if you don’t have enough food in your system, your body goes into starvation mode, holding on to every ounce of fat left on your body to make sure the baby gets enough food. Your metabolism slows, and you don’t lose weight. Well, bummer. The thing that’s supposed to ‘melt away the pounds’ is now preventing them from going anywhere.
I’m not saying to eat junk, but feed your body. It’s just created a child the last 9 months, and is still sustaining that child’s life. Same goes for moms who use formula. Your body is healing, and it needs food and nutrients to do that. Your body knows what it’s doing, so fuel it well and it’ll take care of the rest.
Ditch the Scale
This one. This one was HUGE for me. It still is. I jumped on the scale when I got home from the hospital. I’d only lost like 10 of the 28 pounds I gained. With my first, I’d already lost 21 pounds by the time I got home from the hospital. This time was different, and I obsessed over it. I stepped on the scale every day. And pretty much every day, I felt defeated by it. I wanted desperately to lose the weight before my sister’s wedding and family vacation in the Florida Keys, but at 12 weeks postpartum, I still had 15 pounds to lose. It wasn’t until I got home from that trip that I told my husband to hide the scale. I continued working out regularly, eating (mostly) healthy, and being okay with having a couple of cocktails now and then. And you know what? My mental health improved so much. I’m 5 months postpartum, and I still have yet to get back on a scale. I’m happy, healthy, sustaining a human life (breastfeeding, and I fit in most of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I know my body isn’t where it was pre-pregnancy, and while I do still want to get back there, I’m having grace for myself in this season.
Don’t Rush the Workouts
This time around, I started working out at 3 weeks postpartum. I know, I know…not the brightest idea, right? Well, I felt good, so I started with some light body weight exercises and walking. I didn’t go full out until after 6 weeks, but even so, I wish I’d have given myself more time. More time to rest. More time to not think about getting back in shape and working out every day. My advice here is to be active, if you can, postpartum, but do it safely and do it with your babe. Strap the baby to you and go on a walk, to the park, or heck, for a stroll around Target. Savor those first weeks. The gym and your drive to get fit will still be there when you’re ready.
Be Kind to Yourself
I think this is a hard one for women in general. We’re all our own worst critics, and we can be extra hard on ourselves when we’re left with a postpartum body that we don’t quite recognize. A body that doesn’t feel like it’s ours. A body that, in all its glory was full of baby and it felt right, but now is empty, raw, and healing. I’m sure not everyone feels that way, but some of you can relate. It’s squishy, lumpy, bumpy, dimply, swollen, and stretched. Instead of beating ourselves up over this new body, we need to appreciate it for bringing a human being into this world, an for nourishing that tiny human (if you’re breastfeeding). Just as much as you need to nourish your body at this time, you also need to nourish your soul. The body will heal, and while it won’t ever quite be the same, be proud – it went through a lot to give you the sweet souls that will make every day of your life a better one to live.
Give it Time
Patience – ugh, what even is that? Right?! I’m not the most patient person in the world. I like to think that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So, if I eat healthy and workout for a few weeks, my body should definitely snap back to its old glory. Umm, wrong. A girl can dream.
Okay, seriously now. There are SO many things that come into play when you’ve just had a baby. I’ve never had a C-section, so I can’t speak to that, but something I can talk about are HORMONES, especially breastfeeding hormones. When you breastfeed, the weight is supposed to just “melt right off”, right? Nope. While that may be the case for some, breastfeeding effects other poor souls like me differently. Instead of losing weight quickly, my body holds onto it for dear life until baby starts solids. The second 6 months I tend to lose weight easier, but I’ll have to report back on whether baby #3 is the same. If you’re a breastfeeding mama and you’re looking for answers as to why the weight isn’t coming off, it’s likely your hormones. You could possibly have a thyroid issue, so if you think that’s a possibility, talk to your doc about it.
The hormone prolactin (pro-lactation) that’s in-part responsible for milk production also reduces the rate at which fat is metabolized. Progesterone and testosterone, two fat burning hormones, are also typically reduced while breastfeeding. So, the combination of higher prolactin levels and lowered progesterone and testosterone levels can make it difficult to lose weight while breastfeeding.
I’m sure you’re thinking, “Oh, great. What’s a girl to do?”
On top of giving it some time:
- Fuel your body with healthy, nutrient dense foods. Stay away from processed foods, simple carbs, sugar, and dairy. I’m not saying you need to cut all of these things out, but reducing your consumption of these will help you lose the weight faster, even with the hormones working against you.
- Be active, whatever that means to you. Don’t punish yourself with exercise, but find something fun that you enjoy doing. Right now, I’m going to classes at my local gym along with some other mamas. It’s an hour of me time, and I don’t have to plan out my workouts. HIIT and strength training are going to help you shed the weight and tone up faster than cardio, so you don’t need to spend all your time on a treadmill or elliptical!
- Get as much sleep as you can. If that means napping for you, do that. If it means going to bed earlier, do that. If it means sleeping in later, do that. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your cortisol levels may rise, and this, too, can inhibit weight loss.
- Drink LOADS of water. This is both for baby and for you. You have to stay hydrated to produce milk for your babe, but you also need sufficient hydration to lose weight. I suggest around 120 oz of water per day.
At the end of the day, you’re doing great, mama! This is a season. It’s a difficult, and amazing, time in your life. Treasure it – it won’t last forever. Those extra pounds will come off eventually, but you’ll never get this time back with your babe.
Here’s the progression of change in my postpartum body over the past five and a half months. I show you this not so you can compare your journey with mine, but to show you that change will happen, but it happens slowly over time. Your journey will look different, and that’s okay. Embrace it, and celebrate your body for bringing a babe (or babies!) into the world.
3 days PP, 6 days PP, 4 weeks PP, 6 weeks PP
2 – 3 months PP
4 – 5.5 months PP
XO
Lauren
Hill Family Farmstead 