Weight can be a sensitive topic. I’ve had my own battles with weight and feeling confident in my body throughout my life. So when I got pregnant, I was nervous to see how my body would change and how much weight I would gain. Based on my pre-pregnancy weight, my recommended weight gain during pregnancy was 25-35 pounds.
I had heard that the pregnancy weight would come off pretty quickly post-birth, especially if I was breastfeeding. I was optimistic that I would get back to my pre-pregnancy weight quickly; however, that wasn’t the case.
Pregnancy
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Eating Well
When I found out that I was pregnant, I wanted to change my eating and fitness habits. While I did prioritize eating healthier during pregnancy (I focused on “eating the rainbow” fruits and veggies), I also wasn’t afraid to treat myself—I had my fair share of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup sundaes from Baskin Robbins during pregnancy.
I found the Eating Well When You’re Expecting book to be a very useful read during pregnancy. While I wouldn’t have considered myself an unhealthy eater pre-pregnancy, I knew there was room for improvement. And I wanted to improve for our daughter, because I wasn’t just eating for myself, I was eating for 2. I paid more attention to what I was putting into my body (and obviously avoiding the “no-no” foods) during pregnancy.
Fitness
In addition to eating well during pregnancy, I wanted to keep up some sort of a fitness routine. Pre-pregnancy I was no fitness guru—the extent of my workouts were cardio, primarily walks but also runs occasionally. Therefore, I wanted to keep up with walking on a daily basis so that I could close my exercise ring on my Apple Watch. I also made sure to stretch a lot (kegels!), especially during the third trimester, to help prepare my body for giving birth.
Looking back, I think I could have pushed myself a little bit harder and focused on some additional exercises while pregnant to get my body in better shape for giving birth. I could have expanded beyond cardio. I know it’s important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard while pregnant, but I think I leaned into that as an excuse too much.
Weight Gain
During my 39 week (and 1 day) pregnancy I gained a total of ~45 pounds. Throughout my pregnancy I monitored how much weight I was gaining so I could see how on track I was with my total recommended weight gain. This probably wasn’t the best way to go about it, as I know that every woman is different and every pregnancy is different. But I counted the pounds anyways.
I know that more weight is gained towards the end of pregnancy, so I was worried when I was gaining “more than I should have” during the first two trimesters. However, whenever I went to the doctor for my pregnancy check ups, I was always on track and my doctor wasn’t concerned with my weight. But I kept counting the pounds anyways.
Postpartum
6 Week Checkup
I had my 6 week check up in early August and had lost 20 pounds. I was excited to see so much weight had come off, but also knowing this was a majority the baby’s weight. This meant I still had 25 pounds to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
During the first 6 weeks postpartum it is recommended to slowly get back into a fitness routine to allow your body to recover from birth. You will be cleared by the doctor at your 6 week appointment (although this varies on the type of birth you had, and of course based on if there were complications with the birth, etc.).
I didn’t have a robust fitness routine pre-pregnancy, and during pregnancy I prioritized walking and stretching. As such, in the first 6 weeks postpartum, I didn’t plan any extensive workouts. I focused on myself and my recovery and tried to get out of the house to walk with baby each day (which turned out to be harder than expected). Getting out of the house was not only good physically, but mentally as well, as it broke up the monotony of the newborn phase.
I gave birth to our baby girl during a very hot summer in Northern California (like record temps in July hot). Therefore, walks outside were only feasible in the very early in the morning (5:00am/6:00am early)—but thankfully we were usually up during that time since we were in the newborn phase. But the temperatures outside definitely made walks difficult. Eventually I found my groove (and time of day) where I could get in walks with baby girl.
2 - 3 Month Struggle
After I lost the first 20 pounds pretty quickly after giving birth I felt good; I felt like I could get back to my pre-pregnancy weight soon after, but it wasn’t that simple. Months 2 and 3 were the hardest for me to overcome.
My husband returned to work at the very end of July, so at this time I was caring for our daughter full time (although we were very blessed in that my husband works from home most of the time, so he was still nearby if I needed him in a pinch).
Thankfully our daughter allowed me to get in daily walks, and most days a 30-minute workout video. If I was lucky, she’d even let me shower afterwards too (if not, I’d wait until nap time to sneak in a shower). Our daughter enjoyed the bassinet attachment in the stroller so she would usually get a nap in during those morning walks. At 2-3 months old, she wasn’t mobile, so she was content in her Babybjorn Bouncer or Mamaroo Swing while I did the workout routines at home.
I was walking daily in the mornings and had even lengthened my walks to be over an hour and a half every day. I also added in 30-minute workout videos after each morning walk. My friend had recommended NourishMoveLove on Youtube and I loved her videos. She has workout videos specifically tailored toward postpartum recovery. I utilized her abs and arms workout videos the most and felt that they worked.
After a couple of weeks of my 1.5-2 hours morning walks plus 30-minute workouts I had lost a little over 10 pounds. This was great news, but eventually I plateaued with this fitness routine and it wasn’t helping me lose any more weight. But this was the most I had worked out (at least in the prior 5 years) so why wasn’t the remaining 10 pounds coming off?
As the days and weeks ticked by I was getting frustrated that the rest of the weight wasn’t coming off. Honestly, I was feeling pretty dejected by the end of August (which was unfortunate, as my “golden birthday” was at the end of August). Don’t get me wrong I was happy with the 35 pound weight loss over the first few months, but it was hard to not be bummed that the remaining 10 pounds weren’t coming off.
Month 4 Relief
Finally, in month 4 I was able to drop the rest of the weight and get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I don’t even recall when it happened exactly because at some point in October I stopped counting the pounds. I remember randomly stepping on the scale and seeing the number at my pre-pregnancy weight. I think I got my body confidence back first and when I started to feel more comfortable in my old clothes I thought “wait how much do I weigh?” And then I decided to step on the scale.
And thinking back, that was the way I should look at my weight—it’s just a number; I need to focus on my health and my body confidence, not what the scale says. It took me a while to get there, but I was happy to finally disregard the number on the scale and look inward at how I was actually feeling about my body and my health.
Looking Forward
Even after I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I still tried to keep up with my fitness routine. I didn’t want to slip just because I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight. It definitely got harder when I went back to work at the end of October, as I felt like I had even less time to get a workout in during the day.
Fitness is an important part of your health and I still battle with weight gain/loss and working out (even over 1 year postpartum). I’ve been good at getting in daily (or almost daily) walks, but it can be difficult to find the time to work out, especially with work and having a 1 year old.
Recently I’ve gained a couple pounds and I’ve been trying to figure out a new fitness routine that works for me. I haven’t found it yet, but I’m trying. It’s a continuous learning process and finding a balance between working out and being confident and comfortable in my body.
Lessons Learned
Postpartum is a wild journey and weight loss specifically has its own challenges. There were a few things I learned during this challenge.
- I shouldn’t have monitored my weight so closely during pregnancy. I knew I was doing it too, but couldn’t stop. It’s good to know what the ‘recommended’ weight gain is for yourself, but you don’t need to count every single pound. Every pregnancy is different and there are so many reasons the weight gain may be higher or lower. It wasn’t worth the stress to constantly think about my weight change, especially during a time that my body was already going through so much change.
- Give yourself grace. I shouldn’t have put so much pressure on myself to lose the weight postpartum. As I’ve said before, postpartum is a crazy time (and can also vary woman by woman). Your body has been through so much, and it will need time to recover and to adjust. While I think fitness is important, it shouldn’t be a stressor, as the weight will come off with time and work.
- It’s important to recognize a new normal. Your body changes during pregnancy and birth and in all honesty, it will never go back to exactly what it was before—there are permanent changes your body endures through pregnancy and birth. And it’s important to recognize this, as just because your body doesn’t go back to what it was, that doesn’t mean it isn’t “going back to normal,” it’s just a new normal for you.
- As the above happens, the confidence will also come. There’s the physical aspect of your postpartum fitness journey, but there is also a mental aspect. Your body, physically and mentally, went through so much during pregnancy and birth, and the confidence will return.
- Women’s bodies are insanely incredible. I grew life inside of me. I built a tiny human within my body. And I nourished my baby from my body after birth. I am proud of my body and what it can do, and no number on the scale can change that.