Take Care of Yourself, Mom
The first six weeks after your delivery are for recovery and bonding with your child. It is not a time to try crash diets or start an intense fitness program.
How much weight loss is normal?
It took you 9 months to gain the weight, give yourself some time to lose it. Losing more than 2-4 pounds a month may mean you are not eating enough calories to make the amount of breast milk your baby needs.
Think about what you’re eating
Drink plenty of water
Just like when you were pregnant, find smart snacks or nutritious additions to your meals to get the extra calories you need to make breast milk — without eating so much you gain weight.
Listen to your body before you eat. Are you actually hungry, or are you just thirsty, bored or having a craving?
Exercise is a good idea
After you have spent enough time recovering from delivery, slowly start being physically active again. Slowly build your muscles back and spend more time walking or jogging. Increase your activity at a gentle pace to avoid injury.
Instead of focusing on numbers on a scale, focus on how you feel. Take notice when you can walk farther or lift more without getting tired or sore. Don’t stress yourself out about losing weight; that can make it harder.
Be realistic
Adopt healthy habits that can lead to weight loss instead of complicated rules that make you feel deprived. If you adopt healthy habits to help you lose weight, you can share them with the rest of your family to keep them healthy and fit too.
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