Most pregnant women are curious about how much weight they will lose after giving birth. After all, it is a major life event and you’re probably anxious to get back to your pre-pregnancy body as soon as possible. Postpartum weight loss can vary from woman to woman due to several different factors, including your baby weight and how much you gain weight during pregnancy.
According to Baby Center, it is normal for women who gave birth vaginally to lose about a pound approx 10 in their first two weeks after giving birth. Women who have cesarean deliveries tend to lose more weight in the first few weeks. Generally, pre-pregnancy weight is reached within six months after delivery. For overweight and obese women, it is advisable to lose weight before conceiving. Also, breastfeeding can help you to lose weight faster due to the high amount of calories in breast milk.
To make the weight loss process easier, there are several things you may want to do to prepare for postnatal weight loss. It is recommended that you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly before pregnancy so that your body can be ready for childbirth. But it is is a common question that pregnant women ask themselves – how much weight will they lose after giving birth? In this blog, we will discuss the average amount of weight lost after childbirth and some tips on how to speed up your post-birth weight loss.
In This Article
How much weight loss you do after birth?
In the postpartum period after birth, women can lose as much as 20 pounds (9kg), although this varies widely among women. Many factors, including age and obesity before pregnancy, play a role in how much weight you lose after birth. Most women lose an average weight of around 13 pounds (6 kg) when they give birth. This is usually from the weight of the baby, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta. Postpartum weight retention is the return of the weight that was lost during pregnancy. Weight retention can be influenced by many factors, including genetics, metabolism, eating habits, physical activity level, and breastfeeding status.
Additionally, weight gain in pregnancy for obese women is significantly less than the weight gain in normal-weight women. Though losing weight after pregnancy may seem extremely difficult for most mothers, it is possible to do so through healthy eating and exercise. Pregnancy-related weight gain consists of fat, water, and weight from the baby. Once you give birth, your body goes through many changes to return to its original state before pregnancy. Women need to maintain a healthy weight following pregnancy when they are no longer breastfeeding their child or estranging themselves from their child’s significant other.
Furthermore, eating healthy foods or lean protein from various sources can help promote weight loss after giving birth to a child. Women should also partake in cardiovascular exercise regularly or perform an aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes three times per week. Aerobic activity is anything that increases your breathing and heart rate, such as walking, jogging, swimming, biking, or dancing. Moreover, in pregnancy, your fat cells stored more fat than usual, and after giving birth those cells take time to shrink back to their original size.
Therefore, postpartum weight loss can be a slow process. People who would like to lose weight more quickly can use a combination of diet and regular exercise together to achieve an effective result. Moms should remember that breastfeeding burns about 300 to 500 calories per day. Breast milk also contains the right amount of vitamins and nutrients for newborns, so breastfeeding should be encouraged over formula feeding to lose weight after pregnancy.
How much weight do you lose after C-section?
Cesarean delivery is major abdominal surgery with the associated risks of prolonged recovery, infection, and adhesions. For this reason, women are frequently advised not to attempt weight loss or vigorous exercise for 4-6 weeks after C-section delivery. The reported postoperative weight loss is generally between 10-15 lbs. Many women have attempted to weight loss more quickly after C-section by use of dietary supplements, herbal medications, strenuous exercise, or other means. Unfortunately, several such products and practices are potentially dangerous and may be ineffective.
Although the body mass index of fat women is lower after delivery. Weight loss efforts should be individualized for each woman and should focus on healthy methods such as modest caloric restriction and increased physical activity. Postpartum weight loss in overweight and obese women is very slow, averaging 0.5-0.8 kg/wk in the first 6 months after delivery without a structured weight loss program.
Therefore, to get the pre-pregnancy weight back after C-section, you need to strictly follow professional medical advice and avoid unnecessary practices. From eating healthy snacks to daily routine light exercise, you should make wise or healthy choices. While weight loss after C-section surgery is inevitable, the final number on the scale might be not less than what you expected. So just wait and exercise patience rather than taking risky measures for quick results.
Do you instantly lose weight after birth?
It depends. During the first few weeks after giving birth, some women lose weight quickly because of the shedding of excess water retention and blood. However, for most women, weight loss tapers off gradually during the following months until they reach their pre-pregnancy weight. Some women find that they don’t lose any weight postpartum, while others may even gain a little bit of weight. Postpartum weight gain is usually caused by a combination of factors such as an increase in body fat, an increase in lean body mass (due to muscle growth), and/or a slowing of metabolism.
If women have an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, they can expect to lose an average weight loss of about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) over six weeks or around 2 pounds (1 kilogram) per week. Severe complications such as high blood pressure will delay the return of menses and increase the amount of weight lost after delivery significantly. Though the extra pregnancy pounds can be difficult to part ways with. Also, remember that the weight will come off much faster if you incorporate healthy eating habits and regular physical activity into your daily routine.
Moreover, the weight you lose after birth is mostly water and blood since your body is losing fluids that were stored during pregnancy. You’ll also lose some muscle and bone tissue. But the good news is that most women start to gain back the weight they lost within six months to a year after childbirth. So, losing weight instantly after pregnancy just depends on how quickly your body can flush out the excess fluids.
Tips you should remember
For postpartum weight loss after childbirth, there are some guidelines you should follow and they are:
- Refrain from eating too much junk food. Junk food may contain lots of calories that will just put on the pounds again once you have lost them.
- Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, this is not only recommended during pregnancy months but also postpartum months as well.
- Crash diets, postpartum exercise, eating whole grains help you lose weight.
- Exercise should be done 3 times a day, every other year for 30 minutes. This should be enough to burn all the extra calories you eat.
- Breast feeding your baby will help your weight loss postpartum by burning up to 200-300 calories daily depending on whether or not you are pumping.
- Be careful in choosing foods to eat, they should be low in energy and sugar.
- Only water is permitted when fasting, only juice or fruits are okay on certain days when fasting for good postpartum weight loss after childbirth
- Be consistent with exercising until you reach your goal weight and remember that the caloric deficit will determine how fast you lose the weight.
- Do not use essential oils as a secret to losing weight as they may cause harm to your body and maybe toxic if consumed.
- As well as the initial weight loss, you should also follow a workout routine to tone your body. Avoid doing sit-ups as this will just tighten the muscles of your stomach.
- Make sure you do not skip meals as this is what some people usually do expecting for fast results, this will make them weak and hungry thus eating more than what they normally should.
- Low-fat dairy products should be consumed such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
- Be disciplined when it comes to eating and exercising that is the key to weight loss.
- Avoid expecting too much from yourself by setting realistic goals instead of having a lot of expectations thus not meeting your own standards because you set them too high for yourself to achieve.
- Breast Milk supply will depend on your diet. Eat foods rich in calcium and protein such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, etc.
- Do not eat too much sugar as it can lead to weight gain and avoid salty food as well.
- Enroll in a weight loss program after childbirth if you feel that you need help from professionals to aid you with your postpartum weight loss journey. They will be able to advise you on the proper thing to do and what to eat.
- Healthy lifestyle habits should be the aim after childbirth weight-loss period.
- Avoid foods with high sodium content such as processed foods, canned foods, and ready-made meals as they may contain a lot of salt which is very bad for your health.
- Postpartum weight loss exercise program should be done with the help of a professional or a registered dietitian to avoid any negative effect on your body.
Furthermore, if you follow these above tips and guidelines on postpartum weight loss after childbirth, you will be able to lose all the excess weight and attain your figure back in no time at all.
The Conclusion
Therefore, after giving birth, a woman’s body goes through many changes. While some of these changes are visible, such as the loss of hair and weight, others happen internally and may not be noticeable right away. For most women, however, the majority of the weight lost comes from the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid. Breastfeeding can also help with weight loss by burning an additional 200-300 calories per day. We hope that this post has given you a good starting point for your own journey to shedding the postpartum weight. A healthy diet and plenty of exercise will help you lose the rest of the weight in a safe and sustainable way. If you’re struggling to lose weight after giving birth, talk to your doctor or midwife about what might be best for you. Remember that it takes time to get back to your pre-pregnancy body, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you have any queries and suggestions feel free to share us through a comment below.
