WOMEN- How did you drop the baby weight after pregnancy? - S

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Breastfeeding! And stay active during pregnancy so that you don't have a bunch of extra to burn off!

Breastfeeding. I lost all of the baby weight within two weeks after each of my children were born. HOWEVER, each time I weaned one of my children, I gained back every. single. pound!!! Ugh! I have a few friends who have experienced this as well. I definitely recommend planning to adjust your diet when you wean if you BF your little one.

Does breastfeeding take a toll on your breasts?

No. Pregnancy is what takes a toll on your breasts. Breastfeeding doesn't change them.

I found nursing my baby to be an amazing way to take good care of the baby and me too! The nursing burns up so many calories that I lost a lot of weight and in fact if I was doing the same right now I would eat more than I did. I had my baby the first part of November and I was looking great in a bikini the third month of the new year. I gained 40 pounds during pregnancy, lost 25 pounds within 24 hours of the birth and the rest over the next few months. Eating well helped me feel good enough to nurse. I ate protein at every meal, vegetables at every meal but breakfast, drank milk and ate whole grain pasta and breads, nuts, fruits, you know the routine. I felt wonderful while pregnant. I was strong and energetic. I worked out until the 8th month. I loved being pregnant and enjoyed giving birth too!

Same as you have already heard. Breastfeeding, be fit before you are pregnant, and stay active while pregnant. I did lots of Pilates before pregnancy and as much as I could during and that helped a lot. I didn't feel extra hungry while pregnant, just added some extra yogurt and fruit, but breastfeeding made me super-hungry.

I know everyone is recommending breast feeding but for some folk (like myself) breastfeeding was not on option. My son had a latching problem and began to lose weight to fast (he was only 5 lb at birth). Because of his weight loss he couldn't hold a good body temperature. Even my lactation consultant pushed for formula (sadface!). We tried losely to breastfeed and then at 6 weeks I just switched all together to formula.

When I was preggo I was unable to workout with him due to my schedule and health complications so I would recommend continuing your workouts if you are able. He was also a c-section child so it took me a bit longer to recover after birth. I'm writing all this because pregnancy can be a breeze for most..but for some there are many factors that may make it a bit harder to chew. Since I gained with him it was 9 months on and 9 months off. All my baby weight is gone, but my shape is very different.

Being pregnant was a very stressful time for me so overall the quickest way to drop the baby weight is to make sure you have a stress free environment before you get pregnant and focus on what you are able to do. Hopefully you are one of those healthy fit mamas with no complications! I have a friend who is a crossfit fiend and is still doing it while 5 months preggo!! Plan ahead, be mentally healthy, and keep moving.

All the posters are right about breastfeeding -- it does burn more calories.

But Iheartsushi is RIGHT-- not everyone can do it. It's not automatic, for mother OR baby. It all depends on circumstances and nature. If you have a good lactation consultant (like mine), they can guide you without making you feel guilty if you (or the baby) does not respond to straight breastfeeding.

I started out breastfeeding w/both my kids, but they lost weight, too (like Iheartsushi). I eventually had to pump milk for both of them. Pumping makes your body react like you're actually breastfeeding (you keep making milk, burning a little more calories), and you can then give it to your baby in a bottle mixed w/formula if you need to. Pumping does take time, and that's time away from your baby. I did it long enough to give them the benefits of the extra immunities in the milk, but I stopped doing it when my kids were 3 months old. You will find what's right for you -- don't let anyone make you feel like there's just one way to handle it.

As for weight, I gained 60-70 lbs. with both babies, even though I ate healthier with #2. I've always worked out, so I had some muscle mass going in, but was probably carrying an extra 10-15 lbs. with my 2nd. An experienced OB/GYN nurse told me that some women will gain a certain amount of weight each time, no matter what. She was thin, and gained 75 lbs. with each pregnancy no matter what she did. I also had two 9-lb. boys, and inherited a thyroid issue after my 2nd, so there can be a lot of factors that influence how much you gain. Be reasonable, but don't beat yourself up, either. Pregnancy does a lot to your body, and demands a lot.

The only way I finally lost ALL my pregnancy weight was getting on MFP and tracking calories -- and my youngest is now 4. (You can see some of my "before" photos in my profile). It's amazing how 200-300 extra calories a day keeps those last pounds on. I'm now at a weight I haven't been since BEFORE I was married, just from tracking a little better, and increasing my workouts.

Good luck with everything!! It's an amazing journey.