After having a baby

Romyarts2014

Hey guys. I just had my daughter a week ago. I have gained a serious amount of weight during my pregnancy. Before I got pregnant I was healthy and losing weight now I gained. I know I need to wait 6 weeks to exercise since I had a c section but I feel great. I did alot of bad snacking during my pregnancy and made my stomach that much bigger by shuving cakes and pizzas in. Now I get hungry alot...

How do you exercise with a baby? It's cold here and I don't want her in and out of the cold
Also how do you manage hunger pains
And snack ideas that are filling..
Thanks

12by311

I've had three kids.

I had quite a bit of muscle before having the kids, and I think that helps "bounce back". I asked my dr if I could start walking before my 6 weeks, and he said to go based on how I felt. So I did. I started running a bit around 7-8 weeks. I pretty much only lift now, with minimal cardio (my newest baby is 9 months old now).

Take your time right now with exercise...she's only a week old. Don't get in a rush. Enjoy the new time with her. When you are ready to exercise Fitness Blender (online) has free workouts you can do.

Log calories. Drink lots of water. I don't really have a list of filling snacks. I eat what sounds good and fits in my calories/macros.

teganbaiocchi

I agree with PP. Enjoy this time with your little one and focus on eating right and lots of water. If you are breastfeeding, also make sure you talk to your doctor about that + dieting. My daughter is 13 weeks old. I've never really had a routine for working out, and it's pretty cold here, too. I've actually been using the Sworkit app on my phone while I'm home with my daughter, just so I have something I can do.

Clovermoth

Hey there!
I just had my fourth baby six months ago. Just start off with light walking, if it is cold out go to the gym and walk the track with baby in the stroller. You should really go easy at first with a c-section for sure. Just ask your doc. to see what he okays. Be safe about it, even walk laps in your house. I know that sounds crazy, but in the beginning even the smallest of exercises help out tremendously.
For filling foods I find oatmeal in the morning helps and healthy snacks every two hours. Make sure to get some protein in at lunch time with veggies and that will help too. I use cheese as my afternoon snack with veggies as I find it filling and that is the hardest part of my day for resisting. Trial and error it. Learn your body. Conquer your mind. Fill your heart. Add me if you need support.
Much Love
and remember that you got this.

lesleyloo7879

I had a c section with my daughter (she was 10 lbs 1 oz and a week early) I did lots of walking it will help.... But remember your body was just had something traumatic happen to it. you have lost about 10 % of your blood from the birth. Pretty sure you are still bloated with water as well. Rest a little your body needs it and is going to need it. Start with walking when you can, @12by311 said log calories , lots of water and take your time. I do not know if you are breast feeding but there are a couple of threads about that as well.
snacks
Hummus with carrots and pita chips
tuna
nuts
fruit
protein bars

Congrats on your new baby enjoy her they only stay little for so long !!!!!!!

Heartisalonelyhunter

Walk. Bundle the baby up and either push her in the stroller or carry her in a carrier. Even if it's cold babies love to be outside if you dress them warmly plus the fresh air is good for your state of mind. Or if it's super cold walk around the mall, it's still exercise.

Init_to_winit

Girl I was there too! I gained 70lbs with my pregnancy. I was miserable! But I think you need to start slow, definitely try and enjoy your time with your baby girl now, it goes by so fast. Unless you are lucky, you're probably up a lot through the night with her and tired, try and get plenty of rest right now and focus on adjusting to your new life.

In the meantime, you can drink plenty of water, keep fresh fruits and vegetables on hand (and washed and easily accessible as a quick grab and eat snack) make them as easy to eat as grabbing a bag of chips would be. String cheese and Greek Yogurt are great too and the flavors available in yogurt are amazing, strawberry cheesecake, cherry chocolate mousse! I mean yum! And then almonds and walnuts are also great snacks.

I would wait until you speak with your dr. with the exercise aspect because you don't want to aggravate anything with your c-section, then you'll be even worse for wear. Once she gives you the all clear, hopefully the weather is warmer and you can take her out for walks. Also, I would suggest trying the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Micheal's or some other quick home exercise dvd you can squeeze in a half hour during naps.

Whatever you do, just be consistent and patient, results will come. You'll shrink as she grows (again, way to fast!) and you'll be a healthy happy mommy and a good role model to her

MamaFunky

I had two kids via c-section and my favorite things to do post-pregnancy was to walk. If you don't have one already get a jogging stroller. The fresh air will be great for both of you. Also, don't rush it. Enjoy this time with your baby.

Lleldiranne

I've had 5 kids. Seriously, especially with a c section, wait until you have doctor's clearance to do anything more strenuous than mild walking. Your body is healing, both from growing a baby and from major abdominal surgery.

Eat properly and you will still lose a fair amount in the 6 weeks. There is still a lot of weight from increased uterus size, blood volume, fluids (the iv always made me add a ton of water weight), etc. that will be coming off; it isn't all fat. I believe general recommendations are about 2000-2200 calories right now, especially if you are breastfeeding. Drink lots of water and focus on nutrient dense foods with enough protein and healthy fats.

I know that, in the first few weeks, even regular housework could leave me feeling exhausted. Pay attention to how you're feeling, and if bleeding increases it's a definite sign to slow down. Get plenty of sleep. And it'll probably be warmer when you're ready to start walking and such. Don't forget, layers of blankets for baby are a good way to bundle her up; you can add or remove layers as necessary.

asilmegan34

My daughter just turned 1 two weeks ago. I am 20 pounds lower than my pre pregnancy weight. My advice:

I know you might feel like you want to jump in the game and start with the weight loss, but please please please give your body time. What helped me lose weight was constantly eating. The key was what I was eating. I got a magic bullet and made/make smoothies all the time. 1 cup juice or (1/2 cup juice, 1/2 cup water), 1 cup of fruit, throw in a banana and some flax seed (healthy fat which is good for baby) and spinach and it was good to go. Sometimes I add oats, or yogurt. It is super easy to do and takes 2.5 minutes (yeah I timed it!). Otherwise I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I try to not be hungry because when I get hungry, I crave bad foods and would binge.

LuckyNumbers

You are getting really great advice from all of these smart women. I had a c-section, too, and my daughter will turn 2 years old in two months. After getting serious about losing weight in January, I am 7 pounds lighter than I was when I got pregnant, with about 15 more pounds to go.

The best thing for me after having her was walking. DH and I would go for a walk around the neighborhood when he got home from work, which was really nice (and you'll be able to do soon when it's warmer). It's so important to let your body heal properly. Even if you feel great, your insides have been cut open and stitched up, and anything too strenuous could cause serious problems. Enjoy these early days - they're a blur!

LKArgh

Romyarts2014 wrote: »

Hey guys. I just had my daughter a week ago. I have gained a serious amount of weight during my pregnancy. Before I got pregnant I was healthy and losing weight now I gained. I know I need to wait 6 weeks to exercise since I had a c section but I feel great. I did alot of bad snacking during my pregnancy and made my stomach that much bigger by shuving cakes and pizzas in. Now I get hungry alot...

How do you exercise with a baby? It's cold here and I don't want her in and out of the cold
Also how do you manage hunger pains
And snack ideas that are filling..
Thanks

You do not exercise until your dr clears you for exercise. You absolutely do not risk any sort of exercise after a c-section on your own. Been there, done that, and open internal stitches are not pleasant. Once your dr clears you for exercise, start slowly. Walk. Get a good carrier and go for walks. Babies love it and it is good for them.

ashleyjongepier

I started to walk from day 1 of my c section as it helps speed recovery. After I was cleared to do more activity, I started to do Leslie Sansone DVDs while baby napped or was in her chair, in addition to walking with her on me on the treadmill.

Walking really helped me to feel great and bounce right back. I was my pre preg weight at my 6 week check up. I agree with the above though, don't try to do more than walking. At 12 weeks pp after being cleared for 6 weeks to resume working out, I tore a section of my c section open.

As for hunger, due to lack of sleep I would want to snack just because I was tired, I worked on 6 small meals so I always felt like I was eating.

Megz2006

Hi. I didn't have a c-section, but I did have a bit of birth trauma. Regardless, I felt super good after I had my son, and I ended up overdoing it which, in turn, put me in pain more than 6 months PP. Take this time to recover properly and love on that beautiful baby because they just grow up way too quickly.

In the meantime, strive to get protein and veggies into your diet. I spent my first week PP eating coconut M&Ms, and I did myself no favors. I felt like crap. Healthy snacks can be hard boiled eggs with sriracha, tuna salad, apple with peanut butter, protein bar (like Kind bars--Quest bars are high in protein as well but the ingredients are questionable), nuts, etc.