Hello! I'm a new mom (YAY), and it REALLY shows (BOOO)...

wyattsmomvanessa
wyattsmomvanessa Posts: 8
in Introduce Yourself
I had my son by emergency c-section less than three weeks ago.

Before pregnancy, I was always in good shape. I usually weighed about 145 pounds at 5'9", worked a very active job and enjoyed kickboxing and weight lifting. (The blonde in my second picture is me before my pregnancy).

Then I got pregnant, and the morning sickness brought my fitness routine to a screeching halt. I also ate whatever I could keep down, which turned out to be french fries, hamburgers, and root beer.

As a result, I weighed 206 pounds at last weigh in before I delivered my beautiful baby boy. It was a very, very traumatic birth, and although he's okay, I still have lots of recovering to do. I will not be allowed to work out for at least another month. I cannot even lift more than 20 pounds.

Depressingly, at my one week post-partum checkup, I weighed an astonishing 196 pounds, meaning that I had only lost 10 pounds, and seven and a half of those pounds were my baby!!!

Everyone kept reassuring me that it was all water weight, and it would magically come off. But it didn't. I am obese for the first time in my life. I am breastfeeding, which I think is why I've lost another ten pounds over the past two weeks. But it seems like I should have lost so much more. My baby gained a pound last week, just from my milk!

I try to avoid mirrors, and I am SO embarrassed by my body. :( I can't wait to heal up so I can exercise again.

Anyway, here I am! Getting ready to get my body back.

Replies

  • daytolive
    daytolive Posts: 106 Member
    Take it easy on yourself,seriously. You JUST had a baby! I know,i know,im sure people tell you that already,people told me the same thing (7months PP here). Keep breastfeeding and the weight will come off and give your body time to heal. A C-section is a SERIOUS surgery,as you may already know. It's very important to follow doctors order and not lift anything heavy. Besides,you're giving your son the greatest gift: natural mamas milk full of everything he needs to be super healthy.Enjoy that little bundle and...congrats!
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    You absolutely need to give yourself more time before starting an exercise routine, most doctors recommend 8 weeks after a C-section. Give yourself time to heal and to adjust to having a baby in the house. Make sure that you are eating healthy and enough to keep your supply up (given that you are breastfeeding). Don't get so focused on losing the weight that you miss out on all those awesome newborn days. Trust me, they go by so fast that you feel as though you can't blink or you'll miss it. Congratulations on your little bundle of joy!
  • chelseasunrise
    chelseasunrise Posts: 28
    Congratulations on the safe arrival of your baby.

    I had pre-eclampsia.. My pre pregnancy weight was 58kg (128lbs) and I am 5'3. I ended up with sever oedema, elevated liver enzymes and everything else that comes with Pre-E. I ended up getting induced and had a Mag Sulphate drip along with pitocin and syntocin, oxygen, stat doses of labetalol among many more medications and treatments. I had over 35 needles in my 9 day stay at the hospital. My blood pressure went over 170/120 and they wouldn't tell me what it was after that. My son was born with vaginal ventouse extraction after being prepped for an emergency ceaser as the ventouse was at that point going to be faster. I ended up spending the next 24 hours in the ICU while my son was in the NICU and he needed to be monitored in there every day for the next 5 days. He also had jaundice which needed phototherapy and occasional low temperatures.

    I had so much trouble coming to terms with my traumatic birth. It did take a lot of time where I could get to the point where I was able to talk about it with other people and not feel anxious about it. Maybe, like me, some of your problem is coming to terms with what you went through and knowing that it wasn't your fault? I was 218lbs the day I gave birth and I was 218lbs for a few days afterwards. Breast feeding definitely helped me with losing weight (although I couldn't BF exactly I had to express milk because my son couldn't suckle as he was induced, born early and had jaundice). My son is 9 months old tomorrow and I am now down to 145.5lbs.

    Definitely give yourself time. Not only for your body to heal but also to come to terms with what you went through. Keep breast feeding if you can, it will really help with losing weight (not to mention all of the good it does for your baby!).


    Good luck with everything if I am able to slowly get back down to my pre pregnancy weight (still having complications from my son's birth) I am 100% sure that someone with your love for being active will be able to do the same.
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
    I have had 5 kids and give yourself 9 months to get off the 40 pounds. It took 9 months to get it on. You will get there, I don't understand the weightloss issue either, I never lost more than my babies weight plus one or two pounds and after the initial 20 it took me 1 pound or less a week for over a year to get the weight off. I gained well over 100 pounds with my pregnancies though for unexplained reasons. This time around (my baby is 14 months old) I went from 218 to 278 so 60 pounds and that was eating 2300 calories a day. Anyway, congratulations, I have had 2 csections and know where you are coming from, give yourself 8 weeks from birthing and you will be able to jump in with two feet. You got this, start with diet, then work up to exercise.
  • sarnoldm
    sarnoldm Posts: 42 Member
    Hi,
    I am 13 weeks post partum, and only started exercising a week ago. I totally get the low feelings you have. I am 5'9, was 148 when I fell pregnant and 217 a week after the birth! Healthy eating has helped me lose 20 lbs in 8 weeks and I hope it will happen even faster now I'm exercising. Breastfeeding is great, I love it, but I'm not sure it alone helps me lose weight. I left it 6 weeks before trying. To lose weight at all. You've had such a tough time, and you won't be getting much sleep, so give it time! Maybe set your calorie goal at 2000 for a bit and see...bf is meant to use 500 a day. Be positive, remember, your body has done a wonderful job, don't hate it. X
  • wyattsmomvanessa
    wyattsmomvanessa Posts: 8
    Congratulations on the safe arrival of your baby.

    I had pre-eclampsia.. My pre pregnancy weight was 58kg (128lbs) and I am 5'3. I ended up with sever oedema, elevated liver enzymes and everything else that comes with Pre-E. I ended up getting induced and had a Mag Sulphate drip along with pitocin and syntocin, oxygen, stat doses of labetalol among many more medications and treatments. I had over 35 needles in my 9 day stay at the hospital. My blood pressure went over 170/120 and they wouldn't tell me what it was after that. My son was born with vaginal ventouse extraction after being prepped for an emergency ceaser as the ventouse was at that point going to be faster. I ended up spending the next 24 hours in the ICU while my son was in the NICU and he needed to be monitored in there every day for the next 5 days. He also had jaundice which needed phototherapy and occasional low temperatures.

    I had so much trouble coming to terms with my traumatic birth. It did take a lot of time where I could get to the point where I was able to talk about it with other people and not feel anxious about it. Maybe, like me, some of your problem is coming to terms with what you went through and knowing that it wasn't your fault? I was 218lbs the day I gave birth and I was 218lbs for a few days afterwards. Breast feeding definitely helped me with losing weight (although I couldn't BF exactly I had to express milk because my son couldn't suckle as he was induced, born early and had jaundice). My son is 9 months old tomorrow and I am now down to 145.5lbs.

    Definitely give yourself time. Not only for your body to heal but also to come to terms with what you went through. Keep breast feeding if you can, it will really help with losing weight (not to mention all of the good it does for your baby!).


    Good luck with everything if I am able to slowly get back down to my pre pregnancy weight (still having complications from my son's birth) I am 100% sure that someone with your love for being active will be able to do the same.

    Your birth story is very similar to mine! It was so scary and painful. I'm so sorry you went through all that. I'm sorry we both did. Thank you for sharing, I am very encouraged by you story!
  • wyattsmomvanessa
    wyattsmomvanessa Posts: 8
    Thank you, all you wonderful mamas, for the words of wisdom and encouragement!
  • sarahgip
    sarahgip Posts: 30
    Congrats on your Baby!!!!!
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    Are you kidding? Embarrased? Your body just did an amazing job, as it carried your baby to term. You have a wonderful gift of a newborn baby Congratulations!!!! What you need to do right now is concentrate on the little one and giving your body the rest it needs to make repairs. I TOTALLY understand your desire to go back to your "normal" size. I have four children of my own. You sound determined to regain your previous self image, so I'm sure that you will make that happen. For now, relax and enjoy motherhood. :flowerforyou: :love: :flowerforyou:
  • ButterflyKristen
    ButterflyKristen Posts: 109 Member
    Are you kidding? Embarrased? Your body just did an amazing job, as it carried your baby to term. You have a wonderful gift of a newborn baby Congratulations!!!! What you need to do right now is concentrate on the little one and giving your body the rest it needs to make repairs. I TOTALLY understand your desire to go back to your "normal" size. I have four children of my own. You sound determined to regain your previous self image, so I'm sure that you will make that happen. For now, relax and enjoy motherhood. :flowerforyou: :love: :flowerforyou:

    Everyone had wonderful things to say. Might I just add: please be sure to eat enough calories and fat. Yes FAT!!! It is critical to your babe's brain development and your body will start letting go of the fat when you have enough in your diet. Oh, drink lots of water too. Congratulations on your miracle. I have two boys: one is 4.5, the other is 14 months. They both make me swoon daily. Enjoy!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    You are breastfeeding after a C-Section, which is not easy to do. Your body is both healing from major surgery and producing your baby's only sustenance. Cut yourself some slack for at least 6-12 weeks, when your milk supply will be established.

    Your body is an amazing tool that has grown an entire new person. It looks like it needs to look and is doing what it needs to do right now. Be awed and grateful. The time will come for you to treat it right by exercise and portion control. But right now is the time to invest in some pajama jeans and get some sleep, if you can.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    I may not have had a c-section but hun I have been there!

    I weighed 207 after the birth of my daughter and found myself 1 month later at 214 with eating healthier and breast feeding so I find you quite lucky in consideration. But it will come off, it will take time and it most certainly isn't all water weight. But you will find a lot of support from the people here and there are probably a good number that have experienced the same kind of thing.

    Just keep taking care of yourself and don't stress too much about it, just aim to be healthy and then when you are all healed up it would be a good time to change up the plan.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,570 Member
    CALM DOWN! Your poor body has been through a lot. Let it recover! You are not obese, you just had a baby. Enjoy the effects of breastfeeding, and give yourself 9 months to get back to pre-preggers weight. Then, you might start working at losing. I hate how the tabloids are always talking about how horrible it is that a star gained when pregnant. Of course she did.

    Your new baby will help you lose and get fit (and learn how to exist without sleep, lol)!

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