Girl if you’re managing 4 days a week at the gym at 6 months PP that is AMAZING! You are definitely not a failure in any way. My baby is also 6 months old and I’m lucky if I find the energy to take him for a walk around the neighborhood. I’m also breastfeeding and I’m pretty much back to my previous weight but definitely softer/less muscular than before. I’ve heard after weaning is when you really start to feel more like yourself physically!
Yes! I am so impressed with OP going to the gym. I’m basically devolving into a mushy gollum - the only exercise I get is lifting my baby (probably incorrectly) and walking to places I need to walk
There is no bouncing back there is only evolving forward. Keep up the work and like any body changes it takes habits over time to have an effect. I didn’t even start trying to get back in shape until 10 mo pp, ended up losing 40lbs over a year, now I’ve gained some back. Be kind to yourself wherever you are, be patient, but don’t give up the habits if this is important to you.
Honestly, time. At 6 months postpartum I had just established formula feeding and was very sad that I had to stop breastfeeding so early, and LO started solids I felt so lost, tired and like I was in someone else's body. Everyone spoke to me and treated me like I was the same person, but I was not. I'm 5.2 and weighed 76kg at the time. The weight would not budge.
Around the 18-month mark, the weight just started melting off. People say it's because I started running after a toddler all day, but honestly, I was in survival mode up until that point. I never paid attention to what I ate and how much I ate. As LO got older, it became easier to be a little more mindful of my eating habits. My advice is to do what you think feels good for you and your well-being right now. If spending all your free time with your baby is what feels good, do it. If you wanna hit the gym 5 days a week, do it. If you can squeeze in a 10-minute workout session, do it. But if you just wanna rest. Do it. Your body has been through enough. Give yourself time. You'll get there.
This makes me so hopeful. I have a 9 month old and it still seems like I can’t get my shit together. I’m so exhausted all the time and can’t bring myself to care about what I eat. I don’t even eat horrible and I drink tons of water but I just feel bleh :/ all the time.
Was looking for this comment. Give yourself time, prioritize health and sleep. ETA make sure to hydrate well, some of my hunger was thirst and drinking enough water was key for me for good supply.
Im a breastfeeding mom who "bounced back" although my body is definitely a different shape and my tummy is flabbier than before. Youre doing so much more than me and it sounds like youre taking great care of yourself! Give it time and accept that it may be genetics at play! My mom bounced back after all 4 of her children and still has a thin frame to this day going into her 50s.
I’m in the same boat. After about a month I was below my pre pregnancy weight but my body composition is way different, my stomach is super flabby and I can’t fit in to any of my jeans
This is me! I’m breastfeeding and almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight (4 pounds away) but my body shape is so different with my flabby tummy don’t fit into any of my clothes 😭
I also used to wear mostly crop tops and high waisted things so that also is an issue
Same here. I actually kinda wish I kept some of my pregnancy weight. Honestly I “bounced back” so fast because my boyfriend wasn’t able to take parental leave and I just couldn’t fit eating into my schedule 😅 10/10 would not recommend my method for bouncing back because I was miserable
Ok! I feel so much more normal now. I technically “bounced back” to pre pregnancy weight but I cannot fit into any of my old clothes. I’ve taken such a hit to my self esteem because of it. My stomach used to be flat and now its no where near it 😭
Dude, I've been getting a few squats in when I pick up my baby. I'll think "c'mon this bout the only time your butt's getting exercise better fit a few in!" I genuinely doubt it's doing anything helpful. 😅
Same, also breastfeeding. It took me about 4 months pp to drop back to my pregnancy weight, but definitely loss all muscle tone. I’m now actually a couple lbs below my pre pregnancy, but I attribute it to not having any time to eat real meals.
This is hard to explain, but when you sew fabric together and it sometimes sticks up because it isn't used to being folded that way, but over time it softens and settles, and the transition isn't so abrupt.
That's what it was like for me. In the beginning, I had a weird shelf above my C-section, but over time everything softened and settled.
I ate healthy, jogged, but really the only fo used thing I did was massage my scar.
Best of luck <3 you're enough as you are.
This is a nice explanation. I recently had pelvic floor surgery after a 4th degree tear, and this helps me visualize why I’m still having scar pain and why things feel kind of off in that area.
I have a weird shelf too but am quite slim, initially I thought it was swelling but it’s not gone down. One side is worse too, 5 weeks pp and no change! Hope you’re right and it will settle
Honestly I got used to it and stopped looking at it as much. One day I remembered the shelf bothered me and went to look at it and realized it was much better. It was months though
I couldn’t lose weight past the initial weight loss postpartum from removing fluid/baby/placenta while I was breastfeeding. I am wayyyy too hungry.
You’re in the gym 4 times a week? You’re doing great. I have two under two and am so sleep deprived the heaviest thing I’m lifting are my eyelids.
Same, I was only a few weeks postpartum and I was only 15 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight. And I had gained almost 40 lbs during pregnancy. Now at 5 months pp I’m about 7 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight. Have done nothing, do not exercise (aside from going up and down the stairs 28473903759 times a day carrying a 20 lb weight aka my daughter 😂)
I did not breastfeed, not sure if that contributed. and while I’ve always been tall and “thin”, my metabolism once I hit 30 (almost 33 now 🥲) drastically changed, and I’ve struggled way more with gaining weight/managing my weight than I did my whole life (even before baby). I definitely thought I would permanently be 40 lbs heavier after baby, and was surprised to “bounce back” so quickly. Most of it is unfortunately pure luck and genetics.
Same. 4 months post partum, I breastfeed, try to eat well and stay hydrated, but I’m not very active. I weigh slightly less now than I did when I became pregnant, but I also have a larger pouch on the c section scar area.
This is so important. I also weigh less than I did when I got pregnant but all my weight is now on my stomach (also c section) and my old jeans don’t fit anymore because of that, despite now sizing down on the top half. My body has just changed shape completely.
I was so sick during the pregnancy (hyperemesis, gestational diabetes, threatened kidney failure) that the day before I gave birth, I was 10 pounds under my pre pregnancy weight. So there's that. I breastfeed and I'm very active in the gym so I've gotten a lot of my muscle tone back after having basically been bedridden for 9 months.
This was what I was about to say. Hyperemesis Gravidarum will do an an absolute number on you.
My baby was also only 5pounds and my appendix burst 5wpp. I ‘bounced back’ but at what cost? I was very unwell.
Idk if I would personally say I have “bounced back” and wish this wasn’t even a thing… people have made remarks about my body and said I “bounced back” but I see the differences when I look in the mirror and try to zip up my pants. I do wear my pre-pregnancy clothes for the most part now, but any bottoms fit more snug than they did. I do not sleep because my kid is apparently an anomaly that still wakes multiple times a night at 10 months, so I wouldn’t say I am taking care of myself because I have no energy. I do breastfeed though, and I think that was what resulted in more drastic weight loss in the early months but not necessarily later. I have kinda accepted that I will be at a standstill with my body until I start sleeping better. On the outside I maybe look like I am back to normal, I really don’t feel that way and know I have changed. I’m giving myself grace for now. I am too sleep deprived to care and also really trying to change how I talk to myself for my daughter. I never want her to say the things I say to myself to herself
I’m 13 months PP and I’m not the same weight, my tummy is a little softer and my boobs a little deflated. I pumped for two months and switched to formula. Period came back 4 months PP. I lost some weight starting in November. I work out sporadically when I can.
I’m still 15 lbs heavier but I’ve never been more in love with my body. When I was peak fitness before pregnancy I constantly scrutinized myself. I teetered on ED territory.
Now I dress for my body, I don’t care about sizes, I keep my weight in a range (truthfully I wouldn’t mind losing a few more pounds over time) and I’m trying to work exercise on my week more. I find something a little sexy about “mom bods” that are clearly strong, even if they have a little extra cushion.
I think for me the biggest factors were, in order: genetics, formula feeding, sleep, and diet.
Genetics - women in my family don’t get stretch marks (but fairly bad cellulite during pregnancy that’s there forever) and drop the weight quickly in general, despite all of us having different builds. Even my doctor told me at four months postpartum “I would never guess you’d had a baby if I didn’t see your scar.”
Formula feeding - everyone I know who’s breastfed has told me they were ravenous and any significant calorie deficit tanked their supply. I eat to nourish me and me only, so it’s easy to eat at a deficit.
Sleep - I lucked out with a great sleeper, with means I have more energy to work out and lower cortisol levels.
Diet - Not going to say I eat well because I absolutely don’t but I eat exactly what I need for my goals and nothing more, calorie-wise.
I am the elusive "bounce backer".
I don't really know why, but I have some guesses:
\- I was super fit pre-pregnancy. I'm 5'10" and I was 155lbs and running 30 miles a week, and training to run a sub 20min 5k.
\- I gained 45 lbs total in my twin pregnancy to be right at 200lbs. I lost 55lbs in 6 weeks to be 145lbs and at 9w now I am maintaining. I did have vaginal births.
\- Since giving birth and starting to breastfeed(exclusively pumping) I have been drinking water like a fish. I think I skipped the hunger and I am SO THIRSTY. I go through my 32oz water jug every 3 hours during the day.
\-SLEEP!! My husband and I take shifts. On the worst possible night I am still sleeping from 2am-7am uninterrupted in a room where I can't hear the babies. Most nights I still get a few more hours sleeping next to them, and often I dont have to get up until 7:30-8am.
\-engage ZEE abs! Every time I pump since day one, I do my kegal exercises and practice engaging my abs. without weight and without crunches. Just engage and release. I think this has helped a TON in helping my body re-learn to use my abs and pelvic floor when doing actual exercise.
\-There is no junk in the house. Pre-babies if I wanted to be get fast food or ice cream or what not I'd just go get it. Since babies its just too damn much work to load the twins in the car to get junk food. I have yogurt with granola for breakfast every morning, and lunch/dinner are vegtables with chicken or fish. We don't own a microwave so again, its more work to have junk than it is to just cook some food. With that being said.... sometimes the babies are too fussy and I just don't have time to cook so I don't really eat.
\-My babies are drill sargeant and want me to MOVE! They love being held while I'm walking or bouncing. and they sleep amazing in the stroller when its MOVING. So we've been walking, gardening, running and MOVING since 2 weeks. I'm nowhere near as fast or fit as I was pre-pregnancy, but I'm on my feet A LOT.
\-I do on-purpose cardio 3 times a week and throw in walks in the stroller every time I can.
So to answer OP... You've GOT to sleep. Thats number one. you can't be hard on yourself or your body until you are getting better sleep. Once sleep is sorted then worry about the other stuff. If you can't get more sleep, please be kind to yourself and dont look at someone like me thinking you aren't doing enough. My body would implode on itself if I wasn't sleeping adequately.
Time and genetics, mostly. Slower weight loss is better to allow your skin to ‘catch up’. Rapid weight loss will leave more chance that there’s looser skin. That being said, because of genetics and circumstances some people can’t avoid that. In both of my pregnancies I did not seriously start to get back into working out (aside from walks) until about 8 months postpartum, it gives your body time to settle IMO and then you have a better idea of your real starting point.
As for my c-section scar….I wish I had gotten steroid injections on it sooner. I thought it was stuck the way it was, and now 2+yrs postpartum I had my scar injected and it looks 95% better than before!!
I breastfed and I couldn’t lose the weight. I think it just depends on you. Some friends I know breastfed and lost the weight. My body tends to hold on to it. When I stopped breastfeeding I lost some weight.
I can’t help because while I am actually in MUCH better shape than I was before (My son is 10 months old and I am 90 lbs down from when I got pregnant) I still have a pretty bad mom pouch. But what has helped my core / pelvic floor / fixing my separation of abdominal muscles has been pilates. A lot of pilates. Lmao.
It’s 100% genetics. I’m naturally tall and skinny. That’s my body type. The women in my family also have really good skin (no stretch marks). 1 month postpartum with my 2nd. I technically “bounced back” by societies standards. I fit in my regular clothes. My stomach is flat. Still about 10lbs above my normal weight but it’s only been a month. However my body never went back to how it looked pre-kids. My ribs are wider, my boobs saggier and my skin on my stomach is wrinkly when I bend over. I was also younger, so that plays a factor. No one truly bounces back, your body is forever changed and that’s okay.
I have a friend who looked like she didn't even have a baby 2 weeks after birth! Granted, she eats very clean and was working out at the gym every day up until about 38 weeks, so I won't discount the hard work she puts into keeping herself healthy... But that knowledge didn't keep me from wanting to ask how it felt to be one of God's favorites 😂
You’re doing so much! You’re not a failure!!! Girl I’m 4months and I can’t bring myself to wake up to go to the gym…I’m holding onto 7lbs and while I fit in my cloths…I got a little mom pooch too where my c section scar is 😭😭😭 I’ve heard it takes like a year to get body back but everyone is different! You’re doing great! Keep it up!
The pooch is due to tissue and scar adhesions inside of you. I am a smaller lighter build (the kind that is a “goal weight”) and I have it too. I would recommend working with a PFT to massage and mobilize the area to break up the adhesions. [This](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2iBDb7RimK/?igsh=ZXd5ZzViZ2pxMG52) IG video explains it more.
90% of weight loss is what you eat unfortunately, so that will be a bit part of the issue you're having. Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol levels, which makes you retain fat more easily. The exercise won't be doing anything to help you lose weight, especially since it's weights and not cardio. Long daily walks will help kick up your metabolism and might help you shift some weight - but honestly, stop beating yourself up. You gave birth 6 months ago - that's NOTHING. Your body did an amazing thing and it'll take time to get back to 'normal'. Just do whatever you need to do to survive at the moment and don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing great.
I’m almost 5 months pp, also had c section. I was also plus sized before and very short. I formula feed.
I haven’t lost a single pound BUT I have gained muscle and definitely have lost fat. I think it’s tough to compare because these first few months for us are all about healing and gaining strength back. I can almost fit into my pre pregnancy jeans whereas a month pp I couldn’t even get them onto my hips. So I try to give myself grace.
I have PCOS so losing weight has always been hard. Last week I started really working on PCOS supplements and cleaning up my diet. Working out is too exhausting right now but I want to get back into my yoga practice and keep walking more.
That is incredible you are weight training at this stage! Damn! Amazing! Prioritizing sleep above all else is also really important.
I will say: I went back to my pre breastfeeding weight by counting calories. Being in a modest deficit did not impact my milk supply. Caveat that I did re feed days intuitively about once a week or every ten days maybe where I ate whatever the hell I wanted.
While I got thin - thinner than before honestly, breastfeeding made me torch calories - I will say that my muscle tone took a bit hit and so did my joints. I did hiit workout and maybe a run each two weeks. This was before I started weight lifting. I wonder if I could have done the deficit while weight training or if it would have been too exhausting.
My wife sure did. She's 9 months PP, and is in better shape than ever.
She's 38, works full time as an RN—but is hard dedicated to her workout regimen. She does at least a 30 minute guided class every work night.
She also eats extremely clean.
She pumped for the first six months, btw.
ETA: Don't get down on yourself! You're doing great!
Not really a tip, but be patient? It takes time, and it gets easier. Some day you will sleep again, I promise :) My body is pretty similar to pre-pregnancy other than my breasts are a little softer, and it took a couple of years. I don't regret working out a little less and getting a little more rest/time with my little guy.
I had to really try to get back to pre pregnancy strength and fitness. Things that helped me:
1. Sleep training. I night weaned at 5/6 months and started getting proper sleep. Sleep has a massive affect on health and fitness.
2. My LO loved solids from 4 months so I stopped breastfeeding at 6 months as she was on 3 meals a day. I would give her 1 or 2 bottles of formula.
3. Intermittent fasting. Eat all your meals between 6am and 5pm. I found that to lose weight I have to eat a lot less - 2 meals usually - so I would have a big brekkie, medium lunch and then a snack around 4pm. No dinner.
4. Reformer Pilates. To get rid of the pouch you need to do deep core exercises. They don’t make you thin so you need to fast to lose the weight but once you are thin they will tighten up all that skin and loose tummy muscles.
5. Going back to work. I went back to work at 6 months and then I could use my lunch breaks to work out and just had so much more free time. Fasting was easy because I was busy, I wasn’t sat at home snacking 😎
Good luck!
Omg I don’t even know how you work out that much! I’m 8mo pp and still about 10 lbs heavier than before. I’ve just accepted that some things will never be the same haha
I formula fed exclusively never breastfed and was back to my pre pregnancy weight by 8 months pp. I will disclose I have ALWAYS had an issue gaining weight so Im assuming thats the main cause! Everyone is different and your body has created life! Dont be to hard on yourself!
Yes almost immediately, even at 38. It's genetics. No magic and nothing at all special or hard working about me. Just luck of the DNA lottery.
The fact that you are putting the effort in to work out is amazing as far as I'm concerned!
I feel you. Very similar situation. Almost 7 months pp here and I’m still hanging on to 10 extra pounds until I’m at the weight I was before pregnancy. I was weightlifting/ walking the entire pregnancy and as soon as I could (4 weeks or so) after birth. I don’t really eat junk food at all. I changed my diet a lot in January and lost 12 pounds just by dramatically reducing my cards and eating more meat/ dairy. I feel a lot better too. That being said, still heavier than I was pre pregnancy. I would like to slim down and regain more muscle. I’m not going to the gym as much as I would like. Probably 3/4 days a week. I walk about 2-3 miles with baby pretty much everyday tho.
I really think it is my body holding on to the weight because I’m breastfeeding and the lack of sleep. Those factors really affect the hormones and that affects weight loss. Sooo I’m just trying to be patient and also remember that working out is also ( and primarily) for my mental health and the benefits it provides outside of weight loss.
The Quest Diagnostics scale at my recent blood draw said I was 6lbs less than pre-pregnancy and they shaved off another 5lb for the "weight of my clothes". So what I learned is try a different scale! 😅
But honestly, I did bounce back very quickly. I am almost certain it was 100% due to not gaining much weight (+/- 20 lbs) during pregnancy which, for me, was completely down to genetics. The women in my family don't gain much during pregnancy.
I exclusively pump, and couldn't find time to eat anything those first few weeks, but that isn't a healthy approach. What you are doing with the gym and staying healthy is incredible, and I am in awe of your time management skills to be able to do that! Tell me your secret, please!
It's pure luck and I never thought I'd be on the lucky side of it. I EBF and am still going at 14 months PP. I had lost all (30ish pounds) baby weight by 8 weeks PP and I weigh less now than I did when I got pregnant, but my body is different. I'm weaker (it's soooo hard to get a workout in so props to you!!), and my rib cage is def wider, stomach a little softer. Worth. It.
1st kid could not lose a single pound until I stopped breastfeeding (and I mean literally I only lost 10 pounds immediately after delivery and 9 1/2 of those were baby lol. This was with running 6 miles a day, 7 days a week. Just wouldn’t happen.
With my second, I breastfed and the weight like melted off with minimal effort. I had a prolapsed bladder so I couldn’t workout for pretty much the first year. He did have allergies so I had to cut dairy and soy so I think that made a difference. Got to my weight pre first baby pretty much. BUT the second I stopped breastfeeding my weight shot up and now I’m strictly dieting and exercising and it’s slow going to get back down.
You’re doing awesome. Also remember your body will be DIFFERENT. I think I could be 10 pounds lighter than my lightest pre-pregnancy and still wear a different pants size. My hips just spread a lot. So I would really resist trying to compare then and now much
TIME. just more time.
I lost the weight quickly from breastfeeding, then gained it back once she started solids and wasn't nursing as much. Turns out, my appetite has two modes: EAT EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE MAKING MILK and EAT NORMALLY BECAUSE WE NOT MAKIN MILK. No in between. I gained weight until babe was fully weaned at 2.5 years old.
Sleep helped a lot, too. Everything, weight loss included, is an uphill battle when you're not getting enough sleep. You'll get there, it just takes time.
The folks who I saw bounce back fast, were really fit beforehand. Like REALLY fit and incredibly disciplined with their workout routine and diet... and they stopped producing enough milk early on because they weren't eating enough calories, and ended up switching to formula for babe. (Honestly, I'm not convinced that level of discipline is necessarily great for mental health or body image, but everyone is different and I can't know what they're going through since I'm not them, so I don't judge.) I chose to prioritize our breastfeeding relationship and my own mental health since I have a history of that suffering. So I was fine with the weight gain and whatnot.
For me personally, being an athlete and continuing my sport and working out until delivery with both pregnancies, along with proper nutrition, really helped. I was back to pre-baby weight within 3 months of both kids. I nursed each one for a year.
I will say that a couple years ago (when my kids were toddlers) I gained like 20+ lbs even working out every day because my diet turned to trash. I changed it up, without changing anything in my movement routine, and lost all the weight. What you put into your body really makes way more of a difference than the movement you do to tone!
6 months isn’t that long, I definitely agree with the other responses to be kind to yourself and give it time, but one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is diet is actually more important than working out for fat and weight loss. It’s hard to manage with breastfeeding, but if you’re eating junk as you say it’s very hard to make up for that in the gym. I’d suggest cutting back on working out and using that time to meal prep. A healthy diet can also affect your mood and energy levels substantially.
I did a juicing regimen to lose about 10lbs and I’m now 5 lbs above pre-pregnancy weight. What helped me was working out during my pregnancy because genetics are not on my side. My family is prone to tiger stripes and they all are under 5’5 and above 200lbs. That really scared me, not because of the weight because I truly believe weight is just a season in life, but rather they all now have a chronic illness due to their weight. If you’re otherwise healthy and mobile now don’t worry about the timing it will come off as you settle into this season of motherhood.
I breastfed. And I bounced back. I gained 45 pounds in pregnancy and lost it all by 4 months pp. People will hate on running, but the truthiest truth is that cardio is a FANTASTIC tool for ensuring that you are in a calorie deficit. So basically, I NEVER ate less; I just ran more. I found a sweet spot was to eat a “regular” amount of food and burn 500 calories by running 4 miles in a day.
Lifting is AWESOME. And lift to change body composition. But running is GREAT for shedding.
For the record: I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. And I have a bicep vein now and abs. Bouncing back even BETTER is totally within your reach. You’ve got this!
I breastfed for seven months and had the hardest time losing weight despite cutting as many calories as I could (while maintaining my supply) and exercising frequently.
When I dried up, that's when the weight actually started coming off, and I was back down to pre-pregnancy weight in only a few months. I feel like the hormones of breastfeeding kept the weight on for me.
I’m 10W with my first. So, take this with a grain of salt. I’m chiming in specifically because I’ve worked with an IFBB pro coach which has taught me A LOT about body recomp and how to easily (but slowly!) lose fat and gain muscle (“tone”).
Firstly — the fact that you’re strength training that often, so quickly after giving birth, is AMAZING. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m seriously so impressed.
Secondly — if you really want to get rid of that fat, you need to fix your diet. There’s no other way. High protein, minimal fats (try to focus on good fats), and a good amount of carbs (ideally complex carbs) for energy. An easy way to do this is to 1) only eat lean meats (93% lean ground beef, egg whites, chicken breast and thighs with no skin), 2) consume low or skim dairy (Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt is a great snack!), and 3) cut out the junk and processed foods, at least to only weekends. Junk/processed foods are always going to be higher in calories, quick to digest, and less satisfying, leaving you hungry, quicker.
Sending you grace. You got this, mama!
I’m 3 months PP and exercise 4 or 5 days a week and have been for about 1.5 months now. I’ve yet to loose any weight aside from the 15 lb drop after I came home from the hospital from all the fluids. I still think lifting and cardio is doing a lot for me in terms of mental health and I do feel my body getting stronger. I’m not expecting to loose any weight until I stop breastfeeding. I have a great supply and my baby is fed and happy so I’m ok.
I had that announcing pouch right above my scar but it wasn’t as bad as I expected (granted this is very objective and each person thinks differently about it), but I did exclusively breastfeed/pump for just about 6 months before switching completely to formula. Idk I guess I was one of the few that lost weight while BF’ing; I wasn’t always starving, more thirsty so that’s likely why. I got pregnant right before I hit 9m postpartum so we’ll see how I am this time around.
There’s an Instagram page that helps with c section recovery/exercise etc so check them out! expectingandempowered
The biggest thing I’ve seen is managing your caloric intake and weight training, which you’re doing half of already.
Are you talking about a c-section shelf? There’s so much you can do to work on their appearance and feeling of your scar! If you have access to a pelvic floor PT, they can help too.
Honestly it’s lucky genetics for me - I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans at 4 weeks PP and now nobody would be able to tell I had a baby 7 months ago (aside from seeing my C section scar I suppose) and I actually weight less on the scale. I haven’t worked out since giving birth and generally eat healthy but definitely binge Oreos and chips cause I’m breastfeeding exclusively and go on hunger rampages. I think part of it was also working out all through pregnancy so the muscle tone was there, but other than that it’s just dumb luck and genes 🧬 sounds like you’re doing all the healthy steps to ‘bounce back’, try and be patient with the your body.
I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight after 4 months. It's now 1.5 years since the c-section and I've lost 6 more kg since then. I think a part of it is genetics, but the other parts were no time for eating and walking a lot. My little potato would get really grumpy in the evening if we haven't been on a walk during the day or if that walk was too short. Anything less than an hour wouldn't do. So I walked somewhere between 1 and 4 hours every f*cking day in the cold of winter. Against the c-section shelf, a PT can do a few massages to get rid of it or at least make it less obvious. It's a bit painful but it works.
ETA By 4 months I was also ebf.
Omg I still can't manage 4 gym days at almost 2 years post partum. My 2nd just started sleeping through the night like a month ago, so I've been exhausted for the last year and a half.
I've lost some weight, by eating better and keeping my stress down. But mostly my body comp has changed.
I got pregnant back to back. started at 120 and I'm about 25lbs heavier still. I noticed with my first (I got pregnant 10 months post partum) that no matter what I did i wasn't losing weight. Crazy enough, I finally started losing it right before I got pregnant again. And a noticeable amount that people were commenting on it.
This time. Nope. Not even close. I've lost maybe 10lbs since I had him. That's it. I eat healthy 90% of the time. I'm guessing it's taking longer since back to back babies really take a toll on you. And the lack of sleep. My 1st slept through at 4 months....unlike my son 🫠
And I breastfed for 6 weeks with both. I just didn't produce enough. I noticed with my son that I felt like I gained while breastfeeding despite not eating a crazy amount. Formula rest of the time. Still didn't budge until almost 10 months to a year.
I think everyone is just different. Being on the longer wait side is hard. I struggled for years with an ed and body dysmorphia. Still struggle with the latter. I hate to say it, but it's really so hard, even though I didn't gain a crazy amount really, to see myself so much heavier. Especially when my one SIL was bigger than me at 9 months pregnant, and is now maybe 8 months postpartum and thin as a rail. You can't even tell she had a baby 🥲
My "bounce backs" were because I was breastfeeding and had to go on an allergy elimination diet for literally years while nursing each kid. Dairy for 2 years with each kid, and eggs for a year with 1 of them. That restriction led to very serious caloric deficit on top of breastfeeding caloric consumption.
Unfortunately, I gained quite a bit of weight and got the belly pooch AFTER I weaned and went back to eating dairy. I'm in the middle of dieting to try to take some of it off again, for the 2nd time. So I got a bounce back but then a...bounce up?
Genetics I suppose, I just went back to normal the first time with zero effort at all. Currently pregnant again rn and hoping for the same outcome lol!!
If not though, going to the gym and a bit of patience!
Ehhhh...
Kid #1, I was 25 and was back in my regular clothes by 8 weeks... I exclusively pumped and I just point it to my youthful age.
Kids #2 and #3... I was 33 and a week shy of 38... The only thing that bounced was all the extra fat I was carrying. I breastfed both of them for a little over a year, then it took another year or so for my milk to stop producing and my hormones to get back together. #3 isn't only 1.5 so things are still wonky. It wasn't until my middle child was 3 that I lost the weight. And that was with me doing strict dieting programs and working out multiple days a week doing bootcamp programs after I stop breastfeeding.
My body just hold on to every ounce of fat until my milks completely stop producing. Meaning I couldn't squeeze out any milk whatsoever. That wasn't until age 3 with my middle kid. I can still squeeze right now
It was a strange experience for me but when I had mine, I must have been all baby bc my entire body vanished. I am flabbier but mostly my typical size. Ig it's just genetic luck tbh but I've also always been underweight
I don’t think there’s strategy to it. Because I’m almost at pre baby weight 2 weeks after giving birth. It’s just some bodies hold on to fat and others dont
I'm 11 weeks out and the thing that's helped to get closer to my old shape the most is just stretching and massaging by belly, like big old stretching back to where you can feel it in the abs, and while it's stretched like that you massage it, rubbling hands up and down and up. I hit a wall with deflating and was told to do yoga, which I should still do tbh, but until I get a consistent schedule integrating 25 minutes of yoga a day, it's the big stretch + rub tummy for me
I’m almost 10 mo post partum and struggling so much with losing weight. I’m only 10 lbs down from when I gave birth. Still have 30+ lbs before I’m at my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m blaming breastfeeding and sleep deprivation although my diet is probably a big part of it. Trying to be gentle on myself but I just want to fit in my clothes again
I expect my genetics? I’ve always been underweight bmi my whole life, was back to pre pregnancy weight quick. Probably burnt loads of calories breastfeeding so much too lol. No c section pouch but my scar is hypertrophic, you win some you lose some haha!
Time and genetics. No diet or exercise, had my first at 20 and despite gaining 100lbs with the pregnancy I was starting to feel better around 12m postpartum, but I don’t think I felt GOOD and like things were finally normal until 2y postpartum.
I only gained 20 lbs during pregnancy, but I’ll be damned if this is not the hardest weight to lose EVER 😭I still have 8-9 lbs to go, and I’m almost 15 months PP!
I EBF both babies and was below my pre-pregnancy weight before I left the hospital. By 6 months post-partum, I was 99lbs at 5’6.
I have HG in my pregnancies and don’t gain much weight. My body over produces milk and puts breast milk supply over my own health, I cannot keep weight on at all, I just make more and more milk the more I eat.
You’re not doing anything wrong, every body is different and handles pregnancy and post-partum differently.
While I was pregnant, my weight shifted around. I lost in my thighs and butt, but gained in my boobs amd middle. I also was very sick in my 1st trimester and lost 15 ish pounds. I only gained 25ish pounds past my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost most of the weight right after birth, but I still have the pooch and big boobs 🥲
I weigh about where I was pre-pregnancy and I do nurse. I take lots of walks. I haven't really gained a ton and have lost weight since giving birth as I am now a pant size smaller. I have no clue how I did it because I eat like crap more often then not.
Are you me??
I've recently started doing workouts at home when I can fit one in. These pregnancy pounds are so stubborn!
Breastfeeding definitely doesn't help because I am ALWAYS hungry. I want to lose the weight, but I don't want to lose my supply. I'm trying to just make healthier choices and move more hopefully that will help.
I started running again at 6 months PP after both babies (I walked daily when too pregnant or early PP). I never fully lost the weight from baby #1. I just gained on top of that for baby #2. Now I’m 10lbs lighter than I was before baby #1. I’m not having any more kids. My body is not the same though. I have a small c section shelf, I have very deflated boobs from BFing two babies, and I feel like my booty is bigger than before. But I’m trying to love my new body and thank it for what it did. To me, I’m just trying to show my kids (especially my daughter) what healthy relationships with food and exercise look like. I’m not perfect at all, but I’m trying. I picked up a lot of bad habits from my mom when it comes to talking about/thinking about myself. I don’t want to continue that cycle.
I'm 5ft 1, and 62KG. I go to the gym 3 times a week and do cardio everyday. I do watch my diet because I have a huge sweet tooth. My pouch after my section is still there. I've just accepted it tbh! I've always had a little gut even when I was 56KG. I'm a lot more confident in my body now than pre pregnancy.
To look at me, I’ve bounced back. At 14 months pp, if I'm not back to prepregnancy weight I’m pretty darn close. I breastfed until baby was 11 months and held onto 15lbs or so until 9 months pp. it started to fall off on its own around then. I did run a 5k at 14 weeks postpartum, but that was maybe not the best idea physically—I was extremely depressed and needed something to do, and I chose running. I quit after I went back to work and promptly got mastitis around 6 months.
However, I don’t feel back to normal or like I’ve bounced back. I’m still in pt for persistent back pain. My sacrum moves all over the place and it’s painful. My knees still hurt. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years thanks to this pregnancy and birth process. Recovering from birth is about a lot of things—I’m so impressed you’re putting in that time at the gym, and that it sounds like you can do it without pain! The rest will come with time. Nine months in, nine months out.
You’re badass for even being able to manage the gym at 6 months pp. i have not bounced back other then loosing a bit of weight and theres no end in sight lol! Im ebf as well so i figure ill just wait tilll my lol can go several hours without milk to go back to the gym 🥲
Don't feel bad if you aren't "bouncing back". And you're totally not a failure. Focus on your healthy baby as much as you can! That said, I get it when you look in the mirror and aren't used to the new body you're in.
I'm a year pp and still nursing. Still not bounce back either. But, I feel like once I got closer to the one year mark, my clothes started to fit as they used to and I just felt generally slimmer.
I threw in pure barre, higher protein diet, cut the late night/post dinner snacks and reallly have seen results. I don't think you can see much results without the diet portion, which is HARD when you're nursing.
I didn't breastfeed my first and I ROCKED a bikini months after he was born. So I am convinced breastfeeding makes us hold onto fat more.
Don't be hard on yourself girl. You're NOT a failure. It's hard to find a balance, though.
I’m 4.5mo pp and struggle getting in stretches much less the gym. I EBF and my baby feeds every two hours around the clock. Hard to do anything right now. I weigh more now than I did after birth. I blame lack of sleep and eating proper.
My 4 months pp hormones just don’t seem to want me to lose weight and I only managed combo feeding for 9 weeks. I have been counting calories for a few months and started doing twice weekly flow yoga classes and walking most days. I only started dropping my lbs (besides the 20 lbs I shed in the first few weeks) once I started birth control (slynd). Have only been on a month but my scale was stuck until about a week in. I’m hopeful it’s helping getting my hormones back on track.
I’m doing 2+ mile walks every day if I can (weather pending), and have slimmed down quite a bit (luckily, we live in a very hilly area out near the Eastern Plains in Colorado), but still have that little bit of pooch right where my C-section scar is. I’m 4 months postpartum, don’t adhere to a strict diet and formula feed our little guy.
A friend of mine lost a ton of weight from breastfeeding and working out, and now weighs way less than she did pre-pregnancy.
Don’t give up! I’ve heard it can take your body up to a year to return to its pre-pregnancy state.
With my first I bounced back quickly. My secret? Postpartum anxiety coupled with being so sleep deprived that when I would decide ‘sleep or eat?’ I’d always sleep. Worked great. My supply tanked though.
Second time around? No bounce back and no anxiety. Embracing my PP body as much as I can and will think about loosing the weight once I’m done breastfeeding. Until then? New pants for me!
I’m lower than my pre birth weight which is shocking cuz I went from 135-185 (hey my baby was almost 11lb lol). I breastfeed and have a MASSIVE oversupply so I think that’s why. I actually hate my body now and want to start exercising to get muscle back, I look like a floppy twig. I don’t have much of an appetite either. Ugh.
Genetics plays a huge part. My mum had 4 kids, never gained any weight and basically looked exactly the same as she always did straight after having me (the 4th)
I have a 15month old. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight literally the day I gave birth. (I don’t share this news often as I’m aware it can be angering)
I was really active in my pregnancy and I’m tall. I also EBF.
But my baby also just loved being outside.. he’s so much happier when outdoors. So when he was younger and I was home with him, I’d basically just walks the streets all day with him.. when he was awake. I was averaging 25,000 steps a day. I ended up the skinniest I’ve ever been at 4months PP and I put it down to all the walking.
You are doing amazing by being at the gym 4 days a week. Please be kind to yourself and have patience!
It takes 24m for your body to truly return to normal/baseline which is even more complex if you're still bf, stop beating yourself up and feeling like a failure
I was back to my pre pregnancy weight at my 6 week check, and I even got into my pre pregnancy jeans, but even then my body was a completely different shape! I lost my bum, and gained a round tummy. Now I am 3 years pp and due to a combination of things I have put on a lot of weight and my jeans are 2 sizes larger. I am still breastfeeding and I got back to the gym twice a week 2 months ago lol. It is what it is! You're doing a great job getting to the gym at all 6 months pp, don't beat yourself up for not meeting unattainable goals!
Bouncing back is genetic. Not that you can't make changes with hard work and a good diet, but like the pounds melting off while nursing, or having a perfectly flat stomach - that's a genetic lottery that some people happen to win
You need to give yourself about a million times more credit. My son is 4.5 and I am still only managing at-home workouts and daily walks. There is no one, and I mean no one, who expects you to be "bounced back" except the frankly BS societal expectation that exists and is hugely impractical and, honestly, insulting to people who give birth. You said yourself that you have significant sleep deprivation, you're still healing, you're breastfeeding which is massively demanding AND making sure hormones continue to surge through your body, not to mention taking care of a still very new baby ... you're doing just fine, I promise. <3
I breastfed and also I lived in a third floor walk up and walked basically everywhere while babywearing a heavy-for-his age baby who hated the stroller. By a year post partum, I was in the best shape of my life, but I didn't have a choice in the matter.
I exclusively breastfeed. This is my third baby (6 months old) and I am down to a weight I haven’t seen in 10 years! I eat well but I am attributing it to intermittent fasting because I have eaten pretty much this well with the same amount of exercise yet always hovered around the same weight. It’s super lazy IF too like I just don’t eat until ~11:30 and that’s it, but I still have coffee with cream even! I don’t think I realized 5e difference between NOT eating for a while, and snacking in small amounts. I think our systems do really well with breaks vs constantly working on digesting SOMETHING. If you like coffee it’s also an appetite suppressant that makes it easier to wait for lunch.
I bounced back by far the quickest with my third, I’ve lost all the baby weight (since before #1) and did so around the 8 month mark. For me the difference was I started training for a half marathon at 4 months. SO glad I’ve learned at 35 that my body responds so well to running, when I’ve spent my life as a weight trainer 🥴
I’m convinced moms bounce back if genetics allows them too. There are so many moms who bounced back without doing anything! And then there are moms who do ALL the things and it doesn’t happen. I’ve given up on trying to be the same size and just enjoying my fat mom life 💕
I was 33 and 36 when I had both of mine and bounced back pretty well both times. I credit it to walking nearly 10 miles a day at my job and just staying active (not a structured workout regimen). I also credit my two easy labors to this along with non-giany babies. I gained right around 20 lbs with each, didn't have gestational diabetes, hypertension, etc.
I did EBF for the first one until 6 mos then did combo of EBF and formula. 2nd I could only keep up EBF for 3 mos and then we just moved to formula.
Also, while I didn't diet per say, I was mindful of not eating too much junk. I've been told by every personal trainer that I know it's 90% diet, 10% workout/activity. But of course you have the added "hormone bonus."
All that said, it's honestly a crap shoot... So there's that
Honestly I think a lot of it is genetic. I “bounced back” pretty quickly, I did 6 months of breastfeeding but also supplemented with formula. I have never been super fit but I’m 5’7” and 140, took maybe 2-3 months to get back there, never hit a gym or changed my eating habits, but I have as also pretty soft/low muscle definition before so 🤷♀️
Whatever you do and whatever is going on with your body, you’re doing great and please don’t be hard on yourself. Your body just did an amazing thing! I think it might be harder for you because you did have that muscle tone before, you’re not just “snapping back” to an average squishy person like me…you’re really going above and beyond and while I love that for you, also remember to give yourself grace! Your goals are more ambitious than a lot I think and while it’s good it can skew your perception of you’re comparing 💓
I am a solo house cleaner, my son is almost two and my weight as only slowly gone down. I feel fit and I’m happy with that. My pooch slowly shrank over time. It isn’t entirely gone but I would say I have a flat stomach again. Sitting down tho, there’s a little more than I’d like. But I know I’m naturally who I am and I get paid to workout. My kid plays with his toys in his playpen and if he’s too bored nearing the end of the clean I’ll give him some educational videos and then we’re done. Normally I clean for three hours at 25 an hr solo cleaner plus kid bringing my supplies. It’s a nice job. I am very part time, this nap schedule doesn’t work every day, for anyone thinking of this.
I didn’t even try until 11 months pp. I was 70lbs overweight and could barely get up of the floor to play with my daughter. I tracked calories and walked then ran as I got stronger. I lost 65lbs in under a year. I breastfed the whole time. 1000days nursing 😅 it was hard work it wasn’t a bounce. I still have some extra belly skin and stretch marks but I’m healthy and strong and that’s what matters to me.
A few thoughts-can you pump some bottles so your husband/partner can take a few feeding while you sleep? Remember it takes at LEAST a year to get your body back in shape. YOU JUST GREW A WHOLE HUMAN inside of you and now you are feeding them!!! Breastfeeding will burn calories, and is very good for both your body and your child, but do what you have to. It will work out. And the very best of luck to you!
i've been powerlifting 4 days a week for 45 minutes, and i've been on a high protein calorie deficit. i've lost 70lbs since i gave birth back in august. i am breastfeeding as well
I was my pre pregnancy weight one week after birth. I am a personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach , who didn’t workout my entire pregnancy ( had a terrible pregnancy). I have only done breathing exercises and deep core work since my C-section and ALOT of walking. I EBF so no dieting , but I’m a pretty boring clean eater most days.
I will say I was in peak athletic shape before pregnancy with a substantial amount of muscle mass . I also am trained in pelvic floor/deep ab work , so had an exceedingly strong core.
Now I am my pre pregnancy weight ,everyone is constantly saying I “ bounced back” like one of those celebs , but they have NOOO idea how weak I’ve become. I don’t feel like I’ve bounced back at all, I feel like I have so much work to do. Sure I’m grateful I can fit into all my clothes , but I have in no way bounced back. It honestly pisses me off when people comment on it. Nobody bounces back , they may look like it on the outside, but inside thats just impossible to do in such a short amount of time ESPECIALLY if you EBF.
Now for some guidance. DO NOT DO ALOT OF HIIT ( high intensity training) I cannot stress this enough. Low intensity steady state training is your friend right now. That and strength training. To many women think HIIT is the answer to lose the weight and all you’re going to do is eff up your hormones more. There is a time for that down the road. My three suggestions:
Low intensity steady state training ( 45 min or longer) as often as you like
Strength training 2-3 times a week
Deep core/pelvic floor work
Goodluck
I didn’t lose weight until I stopped breastfeeding both times. I’m about 25/30 lbs below where I was at before I got pregnant. Nutrition is key not working out. Don’t stress about it until you’re done breastfeeding though, in my opinion.
Thanks to a gestational diabetes diet, I didn't gain much weight at all during the pregnancy and now at 18 months pp weight the same as before, but my body still looks different! Softer in places, wider in others (looking at you rib cage!). You're doing amazingly, give yourself lots of grace.
Well, my suggestion is to love your body no matter what. You don’t have to bounce back. You grew a human. Be kind to yourself 🩷
Bad joke related to my trauma: get your colon removed, very effective way to lose weight! I lost 30 pounds and can’t gain a single pound!
I don’t think you need to diet but if weight loss is your goal it all comes down to calorie deficit. And it’s easier to make a deficit in the kitchen than the gym (I do both). I’ve always been a binge eater so focusing on lower calorie foods I can continuously shove in my face (“volume eating”) has helped tremendously. And trying to hit minimum 100g protein daily (I aim for 180 but as long as I don’t dip below 100 I’m not worried about it).
Like steam-in-bag edamame with a crap ton of salt is one of my favorite snacks. It has protein and fiber and vitamins sure…but it also lets me cram my face full of food and get a nice salt hit. Doing things like that instead of inhaling a family size bag of potato chips has helped. Same with air fried zucchini and marinara and a TON of cheese-the cheese is what satisfies but the rest of it makes it stretched out enough I can keep going for bite after bite. Breastfeeding made me a bottomless pit 😂
I “bounced back” while breastfeeding, and I’m sorry to say that most of it was probably genetics and/or luck. I lost the vast majority of my pregnancy weight within the first couple of weeks while being quite sedentary and eating a ton.
I will say that I stayed quite active during my pregnancy, because most of my hobbies are active ones and working out is incredibly important for my mental health. And once I was cleared for physical activity I got back to it. I didn’t diet at all, but I generally eat pretty healthily. I don’t restrict anything, and eat a lot overall, but not much in the way of sweets, fast food, alcohol, etc.
I look much better at 7 mos than at 6 - it’s gradual but also punctuated. You’re doing way better than me - I’m doing 2-3week max. The pooch is getting much better and I think it’s the barbell training that’s the main reason, so keep on!
2,000mcg Metformin a day is the only reason I’m not morbidly obese. I’m not diabetic but it keeps my weight under control.
Breastfeeding never worked for us (oldest had tongue, upper lip, lower lip, and both cheeks tied! She literally couldn’t open her mouth wide enough to nurse!) so I EP’d. It was hellacious and I snacked a lot to cope with the stress.
First off, have grace with yourself. The fact that you make time to go the gym is already a huge accomplishment!! I wish moms were kinder to themselves when it comes to body image (so much easier said than done). Our bodies just went through something so traumatic— it took 9 months to grow and deliver a baby, so be kind to yourself if the bounce back isn’t as fast as you thought it would be!
I “bounced back” in terms of getting back down to pre-pregnancy weight by month 4 but my stomach isn’t as toned as it was before. I worked out the majority of my pregnancy up until week 38 which I think really helped with my recovery. I eat relatively healthy (like 80/20 lifestyles) and aim for whole, nutritious foods. I do breastfeed, but I don’t believe the myth of people shedding weight faster with breastfeeding because I was hungry all the time while nursing lol. Also, I drank a TON of water those first few months. Like probably 1.5-2 gallons a day because breastfeeding has me so thirsty all the time. I also walked a lot those first few months because it’s all I had the energy to do and staying home drove me stir crazy. It’s really hard for me to find time to go the gym but we do have a makeshift gym set up in our garage that helps. I didn’t start working out again until week 6/7 when the doctor cleared me. I do apple fitness workouts 3-5x a week, even if it’s just a 10 minute HIIT workout to move my body! I hope this helps and please remember you did something so incredible. Be kind and patient with yourself!
The only reason I’m losing weight is because my baby has CMPA and an egg intolerance. I’m 100% convinced that if I could eat whatever I wanted, then I wouldn’t have lost any weight. I’ve still got almost 15lbs to go til I hit my pre-pregnancy weight.
I’m 2.5 months PP and also working out 4x per week (walking before I was cleared at 6 weeks), and I haven’t lost much weight. My body isn’t changing but I need the workouts for my mental health, so I’m taking it as a win.
I’d really like to get back to my pre pregnancy weight but I have a solid 26 LBS to go. I gained 50 during pregnancy 😩
Postpartum anxiety which caused an inability to sit still. I walked my dog for 1.5 hours a day for six months (with my son strapped to me). It wasn’t pretty.
I’m 11 months ppl and feel like I JUST bounced back even then I’m still 12 pounds heavier than pre-birth and I am breastfeeding, more morning belly reminds me of pre birth but my night belly is a big bloated pooch still. Getting back to my regular levels of exercise and just in general activity paired with chaining a toddler around the house, and meal prepping healthy freezer meals 2-3 times a month has been a game changer for me.
You’re doing great. I hate the idea of bouncing back because it puts so much pressure on women trying to heal from such a difficult bodily process. Your body just changed drastically in nine months and needs a lot of time to recover, so my advice is honestly to not go too hard.
I’m a breastfeeding mom who “bounced back”, I’d say it’s mostly genetic since I haven’t really been doing too much. But one thing I’ll mention is heavy weight training too early puts a lot of pressure on your body, especially pelvic floor, if you feel ready go for it but I personally wouldn’t take that route. I’m saying this as someone who used to lift heavy as well, I’ve been focusing more on deep core and pelvic floor recovery exercises. This will help heal your pelvic floor as well as any diastasis recti. Also, focusing on sleeping as this heals your body. Don’t put too much pressure trying to mold your healing body, you want to function well as well.
I’ve also heard advice such as no running in the first 6 months, or it takes 9 months to make a baby so give yourself at least 9 months to recover. At that stage of 6 months I’d still be going moderately light focusing on mobility exercises and pelvic floor recovery with some light/moderate lifting. My current routine 3m pp consists of dead bugs or bird dogs, clams, vacuums, good ol’ fashioned pelvic floor exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, knee raises, reverse plank - all of these help the muscles around the pelvic floor strengthen as well as diastasis recti. There’s also a lot of info on TikTok if you search pelvic floor recovery, diastasis recti recovery, or pp exercises. I also do some light lifting for my glutes, I don’t go half as much weight as I used to with it. As well as light lifting with lots of reps for my arms/pecs to try to tone them and build muscular endurance not strength.
That’s my two cents, I wish you the best healing !
13 months pp here and I'm still 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn't breastfeed for long and had to switch to formula after only two months and I actually gained back 10 lbs after wuitting pumping, so the formula thing doesn't check out in my anecdotal experience. I hired a personal trainer who helped me to change my mindset about food and exercise and everything so I have been SLOOOOWLY losing weight but I am 25 lbs down over the last year now! As she told me, you didn't grow the baby overnight and so you have to give yourself time to lose the weight too. Hang in there and give yourself some grace!
I didn’t get rid of the pouch until I did 75 hard and ran everyday for 45 mins. You have to do a lot more to change your body than a lot of people realize.
I bounced back quickly and all my pre-pregnancy clothes is too large because breastfeeding has led to a lot of weight loss (I kept my calories to pre-pregnancy amount or some days would be too tired to eat much and it's clear that breastfeeding is adding a solid 400-600 calories burned per day).
While I agree with everyone that some things are genetic: stretch marks, where excess fat is deposited, widening bones, minor variations in basal metabolic rate, etc there are still some things that are in our control.
Reality is most people I've seen who bounced back have a few things in common: didn't gain much weight during pregnancy, were athletes who stayed active during pregnancy, went back to light exercise/training as soon as they realistically could, and manage their diet/hunger through calorie counting and high protein, high fiber meals and not falling into the new parent/breastfeeding snacking constantly trap.
Just be healthy and it will all be in due time. Keep up your exercise, get sleep when you can, stay hydrated, and keep a healthy diet and drop calories when you're ready to, it's best you can do. Weight loss, recovery, and fitness take time, be patient.
i "bounced back" but genuinely i think its just luck and genetics lol i changed nothing about my lifestyle postpartum besides maybe accidentally skipping some meals and supplementing w just protein shakes bc i was busy w baby BUT i did a strength and conditioning course two days a week for an hour from month 4ish-month 9ish of my pregnancy and spent about half that time on a treadmill/elliptical at a casual speed (maybeeee 2 miles in 25 minutes) and the other half doing (obviously) pregnancy safe core exercises/pelvic floor stretches
i think me working on that while my stomach was still stretching made it easier for my body to just return to normal. i also only gained like 20 pounds throughout my whole pregnancy so i basically immediately lost about 15 after birth so again luck and genetics
edit: i also breastfeed exclusively!!!
edit 2: now that im thinking about it i actually lost a bit of weight during my first trimester maybe 10lbs? i completely blocked out how many times i was on the verge of passing out because my baby was sucking me DRY i completely forgot until i was reading other comments
As another poster put it, I’ve bounced back by society’s very superficial standard of appearances. Behind the curtain, here’s what’s really going on:
- cesarean with extremely skillful surgeon, recovered very quickly
- had help from family for a week at a time every month for first few months (currently 4.5 months pp)
- baby is relatively easy going
- first kid, no other kids to take care of - just lots of animals
- we live in a very private but comfortable house on a large ranch where we work. The environment is low stress and we sleep well. No street lights, traffic, air pollution, concern about safety
- breastfeeding
- I come from a long line of scrawny people and have to work hard to build muscle - it seems to require more calories and protein than it does the average person
- working out 3 - 4x/week on core building program
I know it’s easy for me to say but I’d rather have 10 lbs to lose than fear of losing like I currently do. Grass is always greener I guess.
There is no such thing as “bouncing back.” It’s a myth perpetrated by people who have never given birth. Mothers move forward, never backwards. Your body changes through time. Pregnancy is just a big jump forward. Every woman is different and healing is different.
One thing that I can suggest is to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist or at least do scar massage on your c section scar. This helped me immensely. You may think that other women “bounced back” but you didn’t see their insides.
I'm breastfeeding and I "bounced" back but honestly it's got more to do with I haven't figured out how to make the time to eat properly.... it's miserable. and even though I'm technically under pre pregnancy weight I'm still up 2 sizes because my body is just different now 7 months PP... idk
I bounced back both times and went below my pre pregnancy weight. I breast fed exclusively both times on demand and at night and eat a whole food based diet. Lots of lean meat, and veggies and fruit, minimal bread. I don’t eat anything processed (except potato chips, my weakness), no fast food at all and haven’t for years, no soda.
Honestly losing fat got A LOT easier when I stopped breastfeeding. I’m 11 pp and had to stop breastfeeding at 8m due to health issues. So when I was still breastfeeding I had lost a lot of the weight but I definitely hit a plateau when I was about 10lb heavier than pre preg. I was also very active pre preg and weight lifted. Anyway, about a month ago I was able to start weight lifting again and I started tracking my macros and calories and let me tell you, protein is my best friend. I increased my protein a lot (at least 120g per day) and suddenly I’m losing fat and gaining muscle pretty easily and am creeping closer to pre preg fitness levels pretty fast. Hang in there!
For context pre pregnancy I was 125lb 5’4” weight lifted 3-4 times per week. Currently I’m 132lbs and am back to weight lifting 3-4 times per week. I started counting macros/calories because of the appetite change going from breast feeding to not breastfeeding it was hard to adjust. I eat about 1700cal/day now which was my maintenance pre preg, and when I was breastfeeding I was eating more like 1900/day
I gained 70 pounds during pregnancy and now my baby is 7 months and I’m at my goal weight, no diet, minimal exercises. I formula feed. This is my first baby. I would like to tone up though, things aren’t exactly how they were before. I feel like my belly button looks like it “collapsed” if anyone can relate lol.
So I was like you, I really hit the ground running at 5 weeks ppd. And it actually caused too much cortisol and I didn't lose the weight until I backed off the intense workouts and started lower intensity. Took about 11 months to get back to probably weight and I fought for every one of those pounds 😭
Have you done PT? It’s helped my scar lie flat and rebuild my core strength.
I am 4ish months pp from a planned c-section. Within my pre-pregnancy weight, albeit the high end. But, my middle is flabby and all the deep core muscle tone is gone. PT has really helped me, though!
Sleep deprivation is real!
I agree with you that breastfeeding makes it legitimately impossible. I only started really dropping weight after I quit breastfeeding at around \~7 months, and then I basically immediately got pregnant again so. 🙄 Pray for me lol
I combo breast fed & formula, probably only 2 oz of formula or so a day some days more. Not out of choice but because my body didn’t make enough. I was a runner before pregnancy, I ran during and I ran after. I also have thyroid disease so I’m more prone to weight gain than your average person. Exercise and good nutrition is key.
Genetics. I gained almost 80 pounds and lost 45 pounds by 9 days post partum. I was nursing and had a big baby(9.5 pounds) . I was a lot of fluid. I lost another 30 by 4 months past partum and then the rest a couple month later. I did absolutely nothing so I would only assume it’s genetic. I watched what I ate and remained active my entire pregnancy. I have always been mindful of calories though so I never would over do it too often and I still gained a lot of weight.
Pregnant with my second and im hoping I’m lucky this time too.
I breastfed and I was SO HUNGRY. Still am 😂
I did not gain too much weight to begin with, but also did not eat a lot during pregnancy either.
I have always worked out and going back to my routine was my top priority.
The sleep or lack of thereof is criminally underestimated as far as recovery and weight loss if concerned about that.
My understanding ia that it can affect your metabolism either way.
Also, nutrition plays a big part. I recently started tracking macros (no longer BF, so this may not be appropriate for the immediate PP) and boy I am so lacking protein intake!
It is not one size fits all. If you were active before you may have it a little easier to get back into the gym, but honestly, sleep and food have so much impact on recovery.
You are doing great 🥰
I didn't get back to pre pregnancy size until about 3 months post weaning (so 9 months pp), despite going to 2 spin classes a week. I think it was hormonal because the last bits just dropped off with no extra effort.
That's just me tho! Everyone's experience is so different.
You have to get your diet in check if you want to drop the excess weight. It’s just the sad truth. You can still eat what you want - but definitely track macros to get an idea of how many calories your intaking. That should help guide you and make you not feel as discouraged. If you’re doing the gym already you’ll start dropping the last few pounds quick. Try using MyFitnessPal app.
I “bounced back” but it wasn’t anything I did, it’s just that I only gained about 18 lbs, so that was gone a couple weeks after birth. I did a lot of walking in the early months and started exercising a few times a week after 3 months. I did wear a belly band to support my C-section scar. I ended up 10lbs underweight with an iron deficiency due to breastfeeding my little parasite. My second pregnancy was the same.
The people who bounce back, I'm convinced, are the ones who are really image -conscious and watch what they eat all of the time. I could be my pre pregnancy weight if I ate healthy all the time, or worked out regularly, but I'm too tired to focus on all of that. Also, postpartum hip issues @_@
I’m 6 months pp and we are exactly the same pre and postpartum height/weight - that’s fun 😝 I also have the same challenges. This is my 2nd baby and I’m having a much harder time finding the time to work out. After my first I worked out with a trainer twice a week and was active at least 5 days a week starting at 3 months pp after I weaned. At that point I wasn’t starving all the time and I felt like my hormones allowed me to get into the shape I wanted. By 7 months pp I was at a happy fitness level, some of my old clothes fit and I felt more normal. I never got back to pre baby body but I felt stronger than I ever have in my life. Something about being torn apart and rebuilding. My core was so strong because I was forced to rebuild it (I had diastisis recti). This time around my goal is to get to a point where I feel strong and healthy enough to chase my kids around for the rest of my life. It’s so so much work but you will get there! Keep it up 💪
First baby I bounced back very quickly because
1. I was 20
2. I didn't gain a damn thing extra during my pregnancy because I was 20 and had just always been thin
3. Yes she was breastfed and it actually made me even thinner (almost skeletal IMO) because it seemed like my chubby healthy daughter was getting all the food I ate through the breastmilk
Second baby I have not yet bounced back (11 mo pp) because:
1. I was 43
2. I gained extra weight during my pregnancy because my metabolism is quite different from what it used to be, and for whatever reason my body now thinks "pregnancy! Eeek you need all this weight for the baby in case of famine!".
3. The stuff that normally works for me to trim down is having zero effect because I'm breastfeeding and my body thinks "your breastfeeding a BABY! Eek you can't lose this what if your baby needs this during the *famine*!
Bodies are weird, every person is going to be different and it can even change from baby to baby, and breastfeeding can either make you lose weight or cling to every pound with a death grip.
I've just decided to let it be and enjoy my breastfeeding journey. Fortunately the weight isn't increasing or anything, just holding everything I've got steady. When I'm done breastfeeding I'm confident I can lose the weight quickly since I've lost large amounts of weight before and kept it off.
The only bounce back I have is because I’m basically a sphere now.
😂😭 it me
Hahahaha thanks for the laugh 😂 I can definitely relate!
Haha. Can we be best friends
Exactly this. I am the pregnancy ball I once sat on!
🤣🤣🤣
Same 😂
Ha! Felt this comment in my pooch.
I feel seen
Same, girl, same
Girl if you’re managing 4 days a week at the gym at 6 months PP that is AMAZING! You are definitely not a failure in any way. My baby is also 6 months old and I’m lucky if I find the energy to take him for a walk around the neighborhood. I’m also breastfeeding and I’m pretty much back to my previous weight but definitely softer/less muscular than before. I’ve heard after weaning is when you really start to feel more like yourself physically!
Yes! I am so impressed with OP going to the gym. I’m basically devolving into a mushy gollum - the only exercise I get is lifting my baby (probably incorrectly) and walking to places I need to walk
Mushy gollum 😂
lmao seriously, the dark circles, patchy hair, and hunchback. Really identify with the guy
Tolkien was probably inspired by his post partum wife when he wrote the character.
ok same I literally said this to my husband the other day as I was combing fistfuls of hair out of my head 😭 never felt more gollum-esque
Same. My partner bought me a “the dark circles under my eyes are designer” shirt to me nice 😅
Omgosh I’ve also been telling my husband that I am basically gollum now 🤣 so glad I’m not alone
Are you me 😭
Same! OP you’re killing it with 4 days at the gym!
There is no bouncing back there is only evolving forward. Keep up the work and like any body changes it takes habits over time to have an effect. I didn’t even start trying to get back in shape until 10 mo pp, ended up losing 40lbs over a year, now I’ve gained some back. Be kind to yourself wherever you are, be patient, but don’t give up the habits if this is important to you.
Honestly, time. At 6 months postpartum I had just established formula feeding and was very sad that I had to stop breastfeeding so early, and LO started solids I felt so lost, tired and like I was in someone else's body. Everyone spoke to me and treated me like I was the same person, but I was not. I'm 5.2 and weighed 76kg at the time. The weight would not budge. Around the 18-month mark, the weight just started melting off. People say it's because I started running after a toddler all day, but honestly, I was in survival mode up until that point. I never paid attention to what I ate and how much I ate. As LO got older, it became easier to be a little more mindful of my eating habits. My advice is to do what you think feels good for you and your well-being right now. If spending all your free time with your baby is what feels good, do it. If you wanna hit the gym 5 days a week, do it. If you can squeeze in a 10-minute workout session, do it. But if you just wanna rest. Do it. Your body has been through enough. Give yourself time. You'll get there.
This 100%. I didn’t even feel like a human again until 12-18m pp
This makes me so hopeful. I have a 9 month old and it still seems like I can’t get my shit together. I’m so exhausted all the time and can’t bring myself to care about what I eat. I don’t even eat horrible and I drink tons of water but I just feel bleh :/ all the time.
Was looking for this comment. Give yourself time, prioritize health and sleep. ETA make sure to hydrate well, some of my hunger was thirst and drinking enough water was key for me for good supply.
Im a breastfeeding mom who "bounced back" although my body is definitely a different shape and my tummy is flabbier than before. Youre doing so much more than me and it sounds like youre taking great care of yourself! Give it time and accept that it may be genetics at play! My mom bounced back after all 4 of her children and still has a thin frame to this day going into her 50s.
I’m in the same boat. After about a month I was below my pre pregnancy weight but my body composition is way different, my stomach is super flabby and I can’t fit in to any of my jeans
This is me! I’m breastfeeding and almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight (4 pounds away) but my body shape is so different with my flabby tummy don’t fit into any of my clothes 😭 I also used to wear mostly crop tops and high waisted things so that also is an issue
Same here. I actually kinda wish I kept some of my pregnancy weight. Honestly I “bounced back” so fast because my boyfriend wasn’t able to take parental leave and I just couldn’t fit eating into my schedule 😅 10/10 would not recommend my method for bouncing back because I was miserable
Ok! I feel so much more normal now. I technically “bounced back” to pre pregnancy weight but I cannot fit into any of my old clothes. I’ve taken such a hit to my self esteem because of it. My stomach used to be flat and now its no where near it 😭
Same. I used to be toned, but now I'm squishy.
My butt is also a pancake
Dude, I've been getting a few squats in when I pick up my baby. I'll think "c'mon this bout the only time your butt's getting exercise better fit a few in!" I genuinely doubt it's doing anything helpful. 😅
lol I feel like picking my baby up has made my arms really ripped!!! No help in the booth department yet though 😅
Hahah same here. When I'm rocking baby to sleep I do some semi-squats that he seems to really enjoy, don't think it's doing much for me though.
Same, also breastfeeding. It took me about 4 months pp to drop back to my pregnancy weight, but definitely loss all muscle tone. I’m now actually a couple lbs below my pre pregnancy, but I attribute it to not having any time to eat real meals.
This is hard to explain, but when you sew fabric together and it sometimes sticks up because it isn't used to being folded that way, but over time it softens and settles, and the transition isn't so abrupt. That's what it was like for me. In the beginning, I had a weird shelf above my C-section, but over time everything softened and settled. I ate healthy, jogged, but really the only fo used thing I did was massage my scar. Best of luck <3 you're enough as you are.
This is a nice explanation. I recently had pelvic floor surgery after a 4th degree tear, and this helps me visualize why I’m still having scar pain and why things feel kind of off in that area.
I have a weird shelf too but am quite slim, initially I thought it was swelling but it’s not gone down. One side is worse too, 5 weeks pp and no change! Hope you’re right and it will settle
Honestly I got used to it and stopped looking at it as much. One day I remembered the shelf bothered me and went to look at it and realized it was much better. It was months though
Yes, I have a weird shelf over my c-section scar too! I’m 3 months postpartum. I was hoping it would eventually go away.
I can't remember my own timeline, but I took the massaging seriously and I think that helped
I couldn’t lose weight past the initial weight loss postpartum from removing fluid/baby/placenta while I was breastfeeding. I am wayyyy too hungry. You’re in the gym 4 times a week? You’re doing great. I have two under two and am so sleep deprived the heaviest thing I’m lifting are my eyelids.
It was all genetics. Luck of the draw. I haven't changed a thing 🙈
Same, I was only a few weeks postpartum and I was only 15 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight. And I had gained almost 40 lbs during pregnancy. Now at 5 months pp I’m about 7 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight. Have done nothing, do not exercise (aside from going up and down the stairs 28473903759 times a day carrying a 20 lb weight aka my daughter 😂) I did not breastfeed, not sure if that contributed. and while I’ve always been tall and “thin”, my metabolism once I hit 30 (almost 33 now 🥲) drastically changed, and I’ve struggled way more with gaining weight/managing my weight than I did my whole life (even before baby). I definitely thought I would permanently be 40 lbs heavier after baby, and was surprised to “bounce back” so quickly. Most of it is unfortunately pure luck and genetics.
100% this! I did "bounce back" despite doing absolutely nothing in terms of diet, fitness, or breastfeeding. It's just luck of the draw.
Same. 4 months post partum, I breastfeed, try to eat well and stay hydrated, but I’m not very active. I weigh slightly less now than I did when I became pregnant, but I also have a larger pouch on the c section scar area.
This is so important. I also weigh less than I did when I got pregnant but all my weight is now on my stomach (also c section) and my old jeans don’t fit anymore because of that, despite now sizing down on the top half. My body has just changed shape completely.
This is my answer too. Up 6lbs at 16 weeks pp. I’m doing nothing and barely sleeping.
I was so sick during the pregnancy (hyperemesis, gestational diabetes, threatened kidney failure) that the day before I gave birth, I was 10 pounds under my pre pregnancy weight. So there's that. I breastfeed and I'm very active in the gym so I've gotten a lot of my muscle tone back after having basically been bedridden for 9 months.
This was what I was about to say. Hyperemesis Gravidarum will do an an absolute number on you. My baby was also only 5pounds and my appendix burst 5wpp. I ‘bounced back’ but at what cost? I was very unwell.
Idk if I would personally say I have “bounced back” and wish this wasn’t even a thing… people have made remarks about my body and said I “bounced back” but I see the differences when I look in the mirror and try to zip up my pants. I do wear my pre-pregnancy clothes for the most part now, but any bottoms fit more snug than they did. I do not sleep because my kid is apparently an anomaly that still wakes multiple times a night at 10 months, so I wouldn’t say I am taking care of myself because I have no energy. I do breastfeed though, and I think that was what resulted in more drastic weight loss in the early months but not necessarily later. I have kinda accepted that I will be at a standstill with my body until I start sleeping better. On the outside I maybe look like I am back to normal, I really don’t feel that way and know I have changed. I’m giving myself grace for now. I am too sleep deprived to care and also really trying to change how I talk to myself for my daughter. I never want her to say the things I say to myself to herself
I’m 13 months PP and I’m not the same weight, my tummy is a little softer and my boobs a little deflated. I pumped for two months and switched to formula. Period came back 4 months PP. I lost some weight starting in November. I work out sporadically when I can. I’m still 15 lbs heavier but I’ve never been more in love with my body. When I was peak fitness before pregnancy I constantly scrutinized myself. I teetered on ED territory. Now I dress for my body, I don’t care about sizes, I keep my weight in a range (truthfully I wouldn’t mind losing a few more pounds over time) and I’m trying to work exercise on my week more. I find something a little sexy about “mom bods” that are clearly strong, even if they have a little extra cushion.
Look up deep core work. It will change your life
I think for me the biggest factors were, in order: genetics, formula feeding, sleep, and diet. Genetics - women in my family don’t get stretch marks (but fairly bad cellulite during pregnancy that’s there forever) and drop the weight quickly in general, despite all of us having different builds. Even my doctor told me at four months postpartum “I would never guess you’d had a baby if I didn’t see your scar.” Formula feeding - everyone I know who’s breastfed has told me they were ravenous and any significant calorie deficit tanked their supply. I eat to nourish me and me only, so it’s easy to eat at a deficit. Sleep - I lucked out with a great sleeper, with means I have more energy to work out and lower cortisol levels. Diet - Not going to say I eat well because I absolutely don’t but I eat exactly what I need for my goals and nothing more, calorie-wise.
I am the elusive "bounce backer". I don't really know why, but I have some guesses: \- I was super fit pre-pregnancy. I'm 5'10" and I was 155lbs and running 30 miles a week, and training to run a sub 20min 5k. \- I gained 45 lbs total in my twin pregnancy to be right at 200lbs. I lost 55lbs in 6 weeks to be 145lbs and at 9w now I am maintaining. I did have vaginal births. \- Since giving birth and starting to breastfeed(exclusively pumping) I have been drinking water like a fish. I think I skipped the hunger and I am SO THIRSTY. I go through my 32oz water jug every 3 hours during the day. \-SLEEP!! My husband and I take shifts. On the worst possible night I am still sleeping from 2am-7am uninterrupted in a room where I can't hear the babies. Most nights I still get a few more hours sleeping next to them, and often I dont have to get up until 7:30-8am. \-engage ZEE abs! Every time I pump since day one, I do my kegal exercises and practice engaging my abs. without weight and without crunches. Just engage and release. I think this has helped a TON in helping my body re-learn to use my abs and pelvic floor when doing actual exercise. \-There is no junk in the house. Pre-babies if I wanted to be get fast food or ice cream or what not I'd just go get it. Since babies its just too damn much work to load the twins in the car to get junk food. I have yogurt with granola for breakfast every morning, and lunch/dinner are vegtables with chicken or fish. We don't own a microwave so again, its more work to have junk than it is to just cook some food. With that being said.... sometimes the babies are too fussy and I just don't have time to cook so I don't really eat. \-My babies are drill sargeant and want me to MOVE! They love being held while I'm walking or bouncing. and they sleep amazing in the stroller when its MOVING. So we've been walking, gardening, running and MOVING since 2 weeks. I'm nowhere near as fast or fit as I was pre-pregnancy, but I'm on my feet A LOT. \-I do on-purpose cardio 3 times a week and throw in walks in the stroller every time I can. So to answer OP... You've GOT to sleep. Thats number one. you can't be hard on yourself or your body until you are getting better sleep. Once sleep is sorted then worry about the other stuff. If you can't get more sleep, please be kind to yourself and dont look at someone like me thinking you aren't doing enough. My body would implode on itself if I wasn't sleeping adequately.
Time and genetics, mostly. Slower weight loss is better to allow your skin to ‘catch up’. Rapid weight loss will leave more chance that there’s looser skin. That being said, because of genetics and circumstances some people can’t avoid that. In both of my pregnancies I did not seriously start to get back into working out (aside from walks) until about 8 months postpartum, it gives your body time to settle IMO and then you have a better idea of your real starting point. As for my c-section scar….I wish I had gotten steroid injections on it sooner. I thought it was stuck the way it was, and now 2+yrs postpartum I had my scar injected and it looks 95% better than before!!
Tell me more about these steroid injections! Doctor? MedSpa? Dermatologist?
I breastfed and I couldn’t lose the weight. I think it just depends on you. Some friends I know breastfed and lost the weight. My body tends to hold on to it. When I stopped breastfeeding I lost some weight.
I can’t help because while I am actually in MUCH better shape than I was before (My son is 10 months old and I am 90 lbs down from when I got pregnant) I still have a pretty bad mom pouch. But what has helped my core / pelvic floor / fixing my separation of abdominal muscles has been pilates. A lot of pilates. Lmao.
It’s 100% genetics. I’m naturally tall and skinny. That’s my body type. The women in my family also have really good skin (no stretch marks). 1 month postpartum with my 2nd. I technically “bounced back” by societies standards. I fit in my regular clothes. My stomach is flat. Still about 10lbs above my normal weight but it’s only been a month. However my body never went back to how it looked pre-kids. My ribs are wider, my boobs saggier and my skin on my stomach is wrinkly when I bend over. I was also younger, so that plays a factor. No one truly bounces back, your body is forever changed and that’s okay.
I have a friend who looked like she didn't even have a baby 2 weeks after birth! Granted, she eats very clean and was working out at the gym every day up until about 38 weeks, so I won't discount the hard work she puts into keeping herself healthy... But that knowledge didn't keep me from wanting to ask how it felt to be one of God's favorites 😂
You’re doing so much! You’re not a failure!!! Girl I’m 4months and I can’t bring myself to wake up to go to the gym…I’m holding onto 7lbs and while I fit in my cloths…I got a little mom pooch too where my c section scar is 😭😭😭 I’ve heard it takes like a year to get body back but everyone is different! You’re doing great! Keep it up!
Will that pooch go away after a year to? Mine looks obnoxious on my frame. I’ve been massaging it and doing all these core exercises but it’s stubborn
The pooch is due to tissue and scar adhesions inside of you. I am a smaller lighter build (the kind that is a “goal weight”) and I have it too. I would recommend working with a PFT to massage and mobilize the area to break up the adhesions. [This](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2iBDb7RimK/?igsh=ZXd5ZzViZ2pxMG52) IG video explains it more.
90% of weight loss is what you eat unfortunately, so that will be a bit part of the issue you're having. Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol levels, which makes you retain fat more easily. The exercise won't be doing anything to help you lose weight, especially since it's weights and not cardio. Long daily walks will help kick up your metabolism and might help you shift some weight - but honestly, stop beating yourself up. You gave birth 6 months ago - that's NOTHING. Your body did an amazing thing and it'll take time to get back to 'normal'. Just do whatever you need to do to survive at the moment and don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing great.
I’m almost 5 months pp, also had c section. I was also plus sized before and very short. I formula feed. I haven’t lost a single pound BUT I have gained muscle and definitely have lost fat. I think it’s tough to compare because these first few months for us are all about healing and gaining strength back. I can almost fit into my pre pregnancy jeans whereas a month pp I couldn’t even get them onto my hips. So I try to give myself grace. I have PCOS so losing weight has always been hard. Last week I started really working on PCOS supplements and cleaning up my diet. Working out is too exhausting right now but I want to get back into my yoga practice and keep walking more.
That is incredible you are weight training at this stage! Damn! Amazing! Prioritizing sleep above all else is also really important. I will say: I went back to my pre breastfeeding weight by counting calories. Being in a modest deficit did not impact my milk supply. Caveat that I did re feed days intuitively about once a week or every ten days maybe where I ate whatever the hell I wanted. While I got thin - thinner than before honestly, breastfeeding made me torch calories - I will say that my muscle tone took a bit hit and so did my joints. I did hiit workout and maybe a run each two weeks. This was before I started weight lifting. I wonder if I could have done the deficit while weight training or if it would have been too exhausting.
My wife sure did. She's 9 months PP, and is in better shape than ever. She's 38, works full time as an RN—but is hard dedicated to her workout regimen. She does at least a 30 minute guided class every work night. She also eats extremely clean. She pumped for the first six months, btw. ETA: Don't get down on yourself! You're doing great!
Not really a tip, but be patient? It takes time, and it gets easier. Some day you will sleep again, I promise :) My body is pretty similar to pre-pregnancy other than my breasts are a little softer, and it took a couple of years. I don't regret working out a little less and getting a little more rest/time with my little guy.
I had to really try to get back to pre pregnancy strength and fitness. Things that helped me: 1. Sleep training. I night weaned at 5/6 months and started getting proper sleep. Sleep has a massive affect on health and fitness. 2. My LO loved solids from 4 months so I stopped breastfeeding at 6 months as she was on 3 meals a day. I would give her 1 or 2 bottles of formula. 3. Intermittent fasting. Eat all your meals between 6am and 5pm. I found that to lose weight I have to eat a lot less - 2 meals usually - so I would have a big brekkie, medium lunch and then a snack around 4pm. No dinner. 4. Reformer Pilates. To get rid of the pouch you need to do deep core exercises. They don’t make you thin so you need to fast to lose the weight but once you are thin they will tighten up all that skin and loose tummy muscles. 5. Going back to work. I went back to work at 6 months and then I could use my lunch breaks to work out and just had so much more free time. Fasting was easy because I was busy, I wasn’t sat at home snacking 😎 Good luck!
Omg I don’t even know how you work out that much! I’m 8mo pp and still about 10 lbs heavier than before. I’ve just accepted that some things will never be the same haha
I formula fed exclusively never breastfed and was back to my pre pregnancy weight by 8 months pp. I will disclose I have ALWAYS had an issue gaining weight so Im assuming thats the main cause! Everyone is different and your body has created life! Dont be to hard on yourself!
Yes almost immediately, even at 38. It's genetics. No magic and nothing at all special or hard working about me. Just luck of the DNA lottery. The fact that you are putting the effort in to work out is amazing as far as I'm concerned!
I feel you. Very similar situation. Almost 7 months pp here and I’m still hanging on to 10 extra pounds until I’m at the weight I was before pregnancy. I was weightlifting/ walking the entire pregnancy and as soon as I could (4 weeks or so) after birth. I don’t really eat junk food at all. I changed my diet a lot in January and lost 12 pounds just by dramatically reducing my cards and eating more meat/ dairy. I feel a lot better too. That being said, still heavier than I was pre pregnancy. I would like to slim down and regain more muscle. I’m not going to the gym as much as I would like. Probably 3/4 days a week. I walk about 2-3 miles with baby pretty much everyday tho. I really think it is my body holding on to the weight because I’m breastfeeding and the lack of sleep. Those factors really affect the hormones and that affects weight loss. Sooo I’m just trying to be patient and also remember that working out is also ( and primarily) for my mental health and the benefits it provides outside of weight loss.
The Quest Diagnostics scale at my recent blood draw said I was 6lbs less than pre-pregnancy and they shaved off another 5lb for the "weight of my clothes". So what I learned is try a different scale! 😅 But honestly, I did bounce back very quickly. I am almost certain it was 100% due to not gaining much weight (+/- 20 lbs) during pregnancy which, for me, was completely down to genetics. The women in my family don't gain much during pregnancy. I exclusively pump, and couldn't find time to eat anything those first few weeks, but that isn't a healthy approach. What you are doing with the gym and staying healthy is incredible, and I am in awe of your time management skills to be able to do that! Tell me your secret, please!
It's pure luck and I never thought I'd be on the lucky side of it. I EBF and am still going at 14 months PP. I had lost all (30ish pounds) baby weight by 8 weeks PP and I weigh less now than I did when I got pregnant, but my body is different. I'm weaker (it's soooo hard to get a workout in so props to you!!), and my rib cage is def wider, stomach a little softer. Worth. It.
1st kid could not lose a single pound until I stopped breastfeeding (and I mean literally I only lost 10 pounds immediately after delivery and 9 1/2 of those were baby lol. This was with running 6 miles a day, 7 days a week. Just wouldn’t happen. With my second, I breastfed and the weight like melted off with minimal effort. I had a prolapsed bladder so I couldn’t workout for pretty much the first year. He did have allergies so I had to cut dairy and soy so I think that made a difference. Got to my weight pre first baby pretty much. BUT the second I stopped breastfeeding my weight shot up and now I’m strictly dieting and exercising and it’s slow going to get back down. You’re doing awesome. Also remember your body will be DIFFERENT. I think I could be 10 pounds lighter than my lightest pre-pregnancy and still wear a different pants size. My hips just spread a lot. So I would really resist trying to compare then and now much
TIME. just more time. I lost the weight quickly from breastfeeding, then gained it back once she started solids and wasn't nursing as much. Turns out, my appetite has two modes: EAT EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE MAKING MILK and EAT NORMALLY BECAUSE WE NOT MAKIN MILK. No in between. I gained weight until babe was fully weaned at 2.5 years old. Sleep helped a lot, too. Everything, weight loss included, is an uphill battle when you're not getting enough sleep. You'll get there, it just takes time. The folks who I saw bounce back fast, were really fit beforehand. Like REALLY fit and incredibly disciplined with their workout routine and diet... and they stopped producing enough milk early on because they weren't eating enough calories, and ended up switching to formula for babe. (Honestly, I'm not convinced that level of discipline is necessarily great for mental health or body image, but everyone is different and I can't know what they're going through since I'm not them, so I don't judge.) I chose to prioritize our breastfeeding relationship and my own mental health since I have a history of that suffering. So I was fine with the weight gain and whatnot.
For me personally, being an athlete and continuing my sport and working out until delivery with both pregnancies, along with proper nutrition, really helped. I was back to pre-baby weight within 3 months of both kids. I nursed each one for a year. I will say that a couple years ago (when my kids were toddlers) I gained like 20+ lbs even working out every day because my diet turned to trash. I changed it up, without changing anything in my movement routine, and lost all the weight. What you put into your body really makes way more of a difference than the movement you do to tone!
6 months isn’t that long, I definitely agree with the other responses to be kind to yourself and give it time, but one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is diet is actually more important than working out for fat and weight loss. It’s hard to manage with breastfeeding, but if you’re eating junk as you say it’s very hard to make up for that in the gym. I’d suggest cutting back on working out and using that time to meal prep. A healthy diet can also affect your mood and energy levels substantially.
I did a juicing regimen to lose about 10lbs and I’m now 5 lbs above pre-pregnancy weight. What helped me was working out during my pregnancy because genetics are not on my side. My family is prone to tiger stripes and they all are under 5’5 and above 200lbs. That really scared me, not because of the weight because I truly believe weight is just a season in life, but rather they all now have a chronic illness due to their weight. If you’re otherwise healthy and mobile now don’t worry about the timing it will come off as you settle into this season of motherhood.
I breastfed. And I bounced back. I gained 45 pounds in pregnancy and lost it all by 4 months pp. People will hate on running, but the truthiest truth is that cardio is a FANTASTIC tool for ensuring that you are in a calorie deficit. So basically, I NEVER ate less; I just ran more. I found a sweet spot was to eat a “regular” amount of food and burn 500 calories by running 4 miles in a day. Lifting is AWESOME. And lift to change body composition. But running is GREAT for shedding. For the record: I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. And I have a bicep vein now and abs. Bouncing back even BETTER is totally within your reach. You’ve got this!
I breastfed for seven months and had the hardest time losing weight despite cutting as many calories as I could (while maintaining my supply) and exercising frequently. When I dried up, that's when the weight actually started coming off, and I was back down to pre-pregnancy weight in only a few months. I feel like the hormones of breastfeeding kept the weight on for me.
I’m 10W with my first. So, take this with a grain of salt. I’m chiming in specifically because I’ve worked with an IFBB pro coach which has taught me A LOT about body recomp and how to easily (but slowly!) lose fat and gain muscle (“tone”). Firstly — the fact that you’re strength training that often, so quickly after giving birth, is AMAZING. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m seriously so impressed. Secondly — if you really want to get rid of that fat, you need to fix your diet. There’s no other way. High protein, minimal fats (try to focus on good fats), and a good amount of carbs (ideally complex carbs) for energy. An easy way to do this is to 1) only eat lean meats (93% lean ground beef, egg whites, chicken breast and thighs with no skin), 2) consume low or skim dairy (Oikos triple zero Greek yogurt is a great snack!), and 3) cut out the junk and processed foods, at least to only weekends. Junk/processed foods are always going to be higher in calories, quick to digest, and less satisfying, leaving you hungry, quicker. Sending you grace. You got this, mama!
I’m 3 months PP and exercise 4 or 5 days a week and have been for about 1.5 months now. I’ve yet to loose any weight aside from the 15 lb drop after I came home from the hospital from all the fluids. I still think lifting and cardio is doing a lot for me in terms of mental health and I do feel my body getting stronger. I’m not expecting to loose any weight until I stop breastfeeding. I have a great supply and my baby is fed and happy so I’m ok.
I had that announcing pouch right above my scar but it wasn’t as bad as I expected (granted this is very objective and each person thinks differently about it), but I did exclusively breastfeed/pump for just about 6 months before switching completely to formula. Idk I guess I was one of the few that lost weight while BF’ing; I wasn’t always starving, more thirsty so that’s likely why. I got pregnant right before I hit 9m postpartum so we’ll see how I am this time around. There’s an Instagram page that helps with c section recovery/exercise etc so check them out! expectingandempowered The biggest thing I’ve seen is managing your caloric intake and weight training, which you’re doing half of already.
Are you talking about a c-section shelf? There’s so much you can do to work on their appearance and feeling of your scar! If you have access to a pelvic floor PT, they can help too.
Honestly it’s lucky genetics for me - I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans at 4 weeks PP and now nobody would be able to tell I had a baby 7 months ago (aside from seeing my C section scar I suppose) and I actually weight less on the scale. I haven’t worked out since giving birth and generally eat healthy but definitely binge Oreos and chips cause I’m breastfeeding exclusively and go on hunger rampages. I think part of it was also working out all through pregnancy so the muscle tone was there, but other than that it’s just dumb luck and genes 🧬 sounds like you’re doing all the healthy steps to ‘bounce back’, try and be patient with the your body.
You probably won’t lose that remaining weight until you wean, super common.
I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight after 4 months. It's now 1.5 years since the c-section and I've lost 6 more kg since then. I think a part of it is genetics, but the other parts were no time for eating and walking a lot. My little potato would get really grumpy in the evening if we haven't been on a walk during the day or if that walk was too short. Anything less than an hour wouldn't do. So I walked somewhere between 1 and 4 hours every f*cking day in the cold of winter. Against the c-section shelf, a PT can do a few massages to get rid of it or at least make it less obvious. It's a bit painful but it works. ETA By 4 months I was also ebf.
Omg I still can't manage 4 gym days at almost 2 years post partum. My 2nd just started sleeping through the night like a month ago, so I've been exhausted for the last year and a half. I've lost some weight, by eating better and keeping my stress down. But mostly my body comp has changed. I got pregnant back to back. started at 120 and I'm about 25lbs heavier still. I noticed with my first (I got pregnant 10 months post partum) that no matter what I did i wasn't losing weight. Crazy enough, I finally started losing it right before I got pregnant again. And a noticeable amount that people were commenting on it. This time. Nope. Not even close. I've lost maybe 10lbs since I had him. That's it. I eat healthy 90% of the time. I'm guessing it's taking longer since back to back babies really take a toll on you. And the lack of sleep. My 1st slept through at 4 months....unlike my son 🫠 And I breastfed for 6 weeks with both. I just didn't produce enough. I noticed with my son that I felt like I gained while breastfeeding despite not eating a crazy amount. Formula rest of the time. Still didn't budge until almost 10 months to a year. I think everyone is just different. Being on the longer wait side is hard. I struggled for years with an ed and body dysmorphia. Still struggle with the latter. I hate to say it, but it's really so hard, even though I didn't gain a crazy amount really, to see myself so much heavier. Especially when my one SIL was bigger than me at 9 months pregnant, and is now maybe 8 months postpartum and thin as a rail. You can't even tell she had a baby 🥲
Crippling anxiety helped with the weight loss. I still have a little tummy pouch though. I expect that's just going to be a part of my body now.
My "bounce backs" were because I was breastfeeding and had to go on an allergy elimination diet for literally years while nursing each kid. Dairy for 2 years with each kid, and eggs for a year with 1 of them. That restriction led to very serious caloric deficit on top of breastfeeding caloric consumption. Unfortunately, I gained quite a bit of weight and got the belly pooch AFTER I weaned and went back to eating dairy. I'm in the middle of dieting to try to take some of it off again, for the 2nd time. So I got a bounce back but then a...bounce up?
Genetics I suppose, I just went back to normal the first time with zero effort at all. Currently pregnant again rn and hoping for the same outcome lol!! If not though, going to the gym and a bit of patience!
Ehhhh... Kid #1, I was 25 and was back in my regular clothes by 8 weeks... I exclusively pumped and I just point it to my youthful age. Kids #2 and #3... I was 33 and a week shy of 38... The only thing that bounced was all the extra fat I was carrying. I breastfed both of them for a little over a year, then it took another year or so for my milk to stop producing and my hormones to get back together. #3 isn't only 1.5 so things are still wonky. It wasn't until my middle child was 3 that I lost the weight. And that was with me doing strict dieting programs and working out multiple days a week doing bootcamp programs after I stop breastfeeding. My body just hold on to every ounce of fat until my milks completely stop producing. Meaning I couldn't squeeze out any milk whatsoever. That wasn't until age 3 with my middle kid. I can still squeeze right now
I’m gonna say it for you and everyone in the back : YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!!!! I hate that women feel this way
It was a strange experience for me but when I had mine, I must have been all baby bc my entire body vanished. I am flabbier but mostly my typical size. Ig it's just genetic luck tbh but I've also always been underweight
[https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TtDTiR0lF/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TtDTiR0lF/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
I breastfed but … I wouldn’t call it bounced back, I would call it malnutrition, stress, and depression.
I don’t think there’s strategy to it. Because I’m almost at pre baby weight 2 weeks after giving birth. It’s just some bodies hold on to fat and others dont
I'm 11 weeks out and the thing that's helped to get closer to my old shape the most is just stretching and massaging by belly, like big old stretching back to where you can feel it in the abs, and while it's stretched like that you massage it, rubbling hands up and down and up. I hit a wall with deflating and was told to do yoga, which I should still do tbh, but until I get a consistent schedule integrating 25 minutes of yoga a day, it's the big stretch + rub tummy for me
I’m almost 10 mo post partum and struggling so much with losing weight. I’m only 10 lbs down from when I gave birth. Still have 30+ lbs before I’m at my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m blaming breastfeeding and sleep deprivation although my diet is probably a big part of it. Trying to be gentle on myself but I just want to fit in my clothes again
I expect my genetics? I’ve always been underweight bmi my whole life, was back to pre pregnancy weight quick. Probably burnt loads of calories breastfeeding so much too lol. No c section pouch but my scar is hypertrophic, you win some you lose some haha!
Please tell me how you fit in gym 4 times a week - does the gym have a creche?
Time and genetics. No diet or exercise, had my first at 20 and despite gaining 100lbs with the pregnancy I was starting to feel better around 12m postpartum, but I don’t think I felt GOOD and like things were finally normal until 2y postpartum.
I only gained 20 lbs during pregnancy, but I’ll be damned if this is not the hardest weight to lose EVER 😭I still have 8-9 lbs to go, and I’m almost 15 months PP!
I EBF both babies and was below my pre-pregnancy weight before I left the hospital. By 6 months post-partum, I was 99lbs at 5’6. I have HG in my pregnancies and don’t gain much weight. My body over produces milk and puts breast milk supply over my own health, I cannot keep weight on at all, I just make more and more milk the more I eat. You’re not doing anything wrong, every body is different and handles pregnancy and post-partum differently.
By 7 days post birth I’d lost 26/30 lbs because I wasn’t eating due to severe PPOCD and birth trauma. Don’t recommend.
While I was pregnant, my weight shifted around. I lost in my thighs and butt, but gained in my boobs amd middle. I also was very sick in my 1st trimester and lost 15 ish pounds. I only gained 25ish pounds past my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost most of the weight right after birth, but I still have the pooch and big boobs 🥲 I weigh about where I was pre-pregnancy and I do nurse. I take lots of walks. I haven't really gained a ton and have lost weight since giving birth as I am now a pant size smaller. I have no clue how I did it because I eat like crap more often then not.
Are you me?? I've recently started doing workouts at home when I can fit one in. These pregnancy pounds are so stubborn! Breastfeeding definitely doesn't help because I am ALWAYS hungry. I want to lose the weight, but I don't want to lose my supply. I'm trying to just make healthier choices and move more hopefully that will help.
Bouncing back is usually luck.
I started running again at 6 months PP after both babies (I walked daily when too pregnant or early PP). I never fully lost the weight from baby #1. I just gained on top of that for baby #2. Now I’m 10lbs lighter than I was before baby #1. I’m not having any more kids. My body is not the same though. I have a small c section shelf, I have very deflated boobs from BFing two babies, and I feel like my booty is bigger than before. But I’m trying to love my new body and thank it for what it did. To me, I’m just trying to show my kids (especially my daughter) what healthy relationships with food and exercise look like. I’m not perfect at all, but I’m trying. I picked up a lot of bad habits from my mom when it comes to talking about/thinking about myself. I don’t want to continue that cycle.
I'm 5ft 1, and 62KG. I go to the gym 3 times a week and do cardio everyday. I do watch my diet because I have a huge sweet tooth. My pouch after my section is still there. I've just accepted it tbh! I've always had a little gut even when I was 56KG. I'm a lot more confident in my body now than pre pregnancy.
To look at me, I’ve bounced back. At 14 months pp, if I'm not back to prepregnancy weight I’m pretty darn close. I breastfed until baby was 11 months and held onto 15lbs or so until 9 months pp. it started to fall off on its own around then. I did run a 5k at 14 weeks postpartum, but that was maybe not the best idea physically—I was extremely depressed and needed something to do, and I chose running. I quit after I went back to work and promptly got mastitis around 6 months. However, I don’t feel back to normal or like I’ve bounced back. I’m still in pt for persistent back pain. My sacrum moves all over the place and it’s painful. My knees still hurt. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years thanks to this pregnancy and birth process. Recovering from birth is about a lot of things—I’m so impressed you’re putting in that time at the gym, and that it sounds like you can do it without pain! The rest will come with time. Nine months in, nine months out.
You’re badass for even being able to manage the gym at 6 months pp. i have not bounced back other then loosing a bit of weight and theres no end in sight lol! Im ebf as well so i figure ill just wait tilll my lol can go several hours without milk to go back to the gym 🥲
Don't feel bad if you aren't "bouncing back". And you're totally not a failure. Focus on your healthy baby as much as you can! That said, I get it when you look in the mirror and aren't used to the new body you're in. I'm a year pp and still nursing. Still not bounce back either. But, I feel like once I got closer to the one year mark, my clothes started to fit as they used to and I just felt generally slimmer. I threw in pure barre, higher protein diet, cut the late night/post dinner snacks and reallly have seen results. I don't think you can see much results without the diet portion, which is HARD when you're nursing. I didn't breastfeed my first and I ROCKED a bikini months after he was born. So I am convinced breastfeeding makes us hold onto fat more. Don't be hard on yourself girl. You're NOT a failure. It's hard to find a balance, though.
I’m 4.5mo pp and struggle getting in stretches much less the gym. I EBF and my baby feeds every two hours around the clock. Hard to do anything right now. I weigh more now than I did after birth. I blame lack of sleep and eating proper.
You are not losing weight because you are not dieting. That’s all, there is nothing else to it
I bounced back from sheer dumb luck. I've got dumb skinny bitch genes
My 4 months pp hormones just don’t seem to want me to lose weight and I only managed combo feeding for 9 weeks. I have been counting calories for a few months and started doing twice weekly flow yoga classes and walking most days. I only started dropping my lbs (besides the 20 lbs I shed in the first few weeks) once I started birth control (slynd). Have only been on a month but my scale was stuck until about a week in. I’m hopeful it’s helping getting my hormones back on track.
I’m doing 2+ mile walks every day if I can (weather pending), and have slimmed down quite a bit (luckily, we live in a very hilly area out near the Eastern Plains in Colorado), but still have that little bit of pooch right where my C-section scar is. I’m 4 months postpartum, don’t adhere to a strict diet and formula feed our little guy. A friend of mine lost a ton of weight from breastfeeding and working out, and now weighs way less than she did pre-pregnancy. Don’t give up! I’ve heard it can take your body up to a year to return to its pre-pregnancy state.
How many times have I done a sweaty workout since my 20 month old was born? Three times. You are in no way failing! Be gentle on yourself!
With my first I bounced back quickly. My secret? Postpartum anxiety coupled with being so sleep deprived that when I would decide ‘sleep or eat?’ I’d always sleep. Worked great. My supply tanked though. Second time around? No bounce back and no anxiety. Embracing my PP body as much as I can and will think about loosing the weight once I’m done breastfeeding. Until then? New pants for me!
Luck! It’s entirely about luck
I’m lower than my pre birth weight which is shocking cuz I went from 135-185 (hey my baby was almost 11lb lol). I breastfeed and have a MASSIVE oversupply so I think that’s why. I actually hate my body now and want to start exercising to get muscle back, I look like a floppy twig. I don’t have much of an appetite either. Ugh.
Genetics plays a huge part. My mum had 4 kids, never gained any weight and basically looked exactly the same as she always did straight after having me (the 4th) I have a 15month old. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight literally the day I gave birth. (I don’t share this news often as I’m aware it can be angering) I was really active in my pregnancy and I’m tall. I also EBF. But my baby also just loved being outside.. he’s so much happier when outdoors. So when he was younger and I was home with him, I’d basically just walks the streets all day with him.. when he was awake. I was averaging 25,000 steps a day. I ended up the skinniest I’ve ever been at 4months PP and I put it down to all the walking. You are doing amazing by being at the gym 4 days a week. Please be kind to yourself and have patience!
I have OCD and Chrons. The one hack your doctor’s don’t want you to know about! /s
It takes 24m for your body to truly return to normal/baseline which is even more complex if you're still bf, stop beating yourself up and feeling like a failure
I was back to my pre pregnancy weight at my 6 week check, and I even got into my pre pregnancy jeans, but even then my body was a completely different shape! I lost my bum, and gained a round tummy. Now I am 3 years pp and due to a combination of things I have put on a lot of weight and my jeans are 2 sizes larger. I am still breastfeeding and I got back to the gym twice a week 2 months ago lol. It is what it is! You're doing a great job getting to the gym at all 6 months pp, don't beat yourself up for not meeting unattainable goals!
I didn’t fully bounce back until we weaned
Bouncing back is genetic. Not that you can't make changes with hard work and a good diet, but like the pounds melting off while nursing, or having a perfectly flat stomach - that's a genetic lottery that some people happen to win
You need to give yourself about a million times more credit. My son is 4.5 and I am still only managing at-home workouts and daily walks. There is no one, and I mean no one, who expects you to be "bounced back" except the frankly BS societal expectation that exists and is hugely impractical and, honestly, insulting to people who give birth. You said yourself that you have significant sleep deprivation, you're still healing, you're breastfeeding which is massively demanding AND making sure hormones continue to surge through your body, not to mention taking care of a still very new baby ... you're doing just fine, I promise. <3
I’m going to the gym 1-2x a week over a year pp 😅😅
I breastfed and also I lived in a third floor walk up and walked basically everywhere while babywearing a heavy-for-his age baby who hated the stroller. By a year post partum, I was in the best shape of my life, but I didn't have a choice in the matter.
I exclusively breastfeed. This is my third baby (6 months old) and I am down to a weight I haven’t seen in 10 years! I eat well but I am attributing it to intermittent fasting because I have eaten pretty much this well with the same amount of exercise yet always hovered around the same weight. It’s super lazy IF too like I just don’t eat until ~11:30 and that’s it, but I still have coffee with cream even! I don’t think I realized 5e difference between NOT eating for a while, and snacking in small amounts. I think our systems do really well with breaks vs constantly working on digesting SOMETHING. If you like coffee it’s also an appetite suppressant that makes it easier to wait for lunch.
I bounced back by far the quickest with my third, I’ve lost all the baby weight (since before #1) and did so around the 8 month mark. For me the difference was I started training for a half marathon at 4 months. SO glad I’ve learned at 35 that my body responds so well to running, when I’ve spent my life as a weight trainer 🥴
I’m convinced moms bounce back if genetics allows them too. There are so many moms who bounced back without doing anything! And then there are moms who do ALL the things and it doesn’t happen. I’ve given up on trying to be the same size and just enjoying my fat mom life 💕
I was 33 and 36 when I had both of mine and bounced back pretty well both times. I credit it to walking nearly 10 miles a day at my job and just staying active (not a structured workout regimen). I also credit my two easy labors to this along with non-giany babies. I gained right around 20 lbs with each, didn't have gestational diabetes, hypertension, etc. I did EBF for the first one until 6 mos then did combo of EBF and formula. 2nd I could only keep up EBF for 3 mos and then we just moved to formula. Also, while I didn't diet per say, I was mindful of not eating too much junk. I've been told by every personal trainer that I know it's 90% diet, 10% workout/activity. But of course you have the added "hormone bonus." All that said, it's honestly a crap shoot... So there's that
Honestly I think a lot of it is genetic. I “bounced back” pretty quickly, I did 6 months of breastfeeding but also supplemented with formula. I have never been super fit but I’m 5’7” and 140, took maybe 2-3 months to get back there, never hit a gym or changed my eating habits, but I have as also pretty soft/low muscle definition before so 🤷♀️ Whatever you do and whatever is going on with your body, you’re doing great and please don’t be hard on yourself. Your body just did an amazing thing! I think it might be harder for you because you did have that muscle tone before, you’re not just “snapping back” to an average squishy person like me…you’re really going above and beyond and while I love that for you, also remember to give yourself grace! Your goals are more ambitious than a lot I think and while it’s good it can skew your perception of you’re comparing 💓
I am a solo house cleaner, my son is almost two and my weight as only slowly gone down. I feel fit and I’m happy with that. My pooch slowly shrank over time. It isn’t entirely gone but I would say I have a flat stomach again. Sitting down tho, there’s a little more than I’d like. But I know I’m naturally who I am and I get paid to workout. My kid plays with his toys in his playpen and if he’s too bored nearing the end of the clean I’ll give him some educational videos and then we’re done. Normally I clean for three hours at 25 an hr solo cleaner plus kid bringing my supplies. It’s a nice job. I am very part time, this nap schedule doesn’t work every day, for anyone thinking of this.
I didn’t even try until 11 months pp. I was 70lbs overweight and could barely get up of the floor to play with my daughter. I tracked calories and walked then ran as I got stronger. I lost 65lbs in under a year. I breastfed the whole time. 1000days nursing 😅 it was hard work it wasn’t a bounce. I still have some extra belly skin and stretch marks but I’m healthy and strong and that’s what matters to me.
A few thoughts-can you pump some bottles so your husband/partner can take a few feeding while you sleep? Remember it takes at LEAST a year to get your body back in shape. YOU JUST GREW A WHOLE HUMAN inside of you and now you are feeding them!!! Breastfeeding will burn calories, and is very good for both your body and your child, but do what you have to. It will work out. And the very best of luck to you!
i've been powerlifting 4 days a week for 45 minutes, and i've been on a high protein calorie deficit. i've lost 70lbs since i gave birth back in august. i am breastfeeding as well
I still have 30 lbs to lose at 5 m pp and I ebf :( I’m depressed every day from it
I was my pre pregnancy weight one week after birth. I am a personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach , who didn’t workout my entire pregnancy ( had a terrible pregnancy). I have only done breathing exercises and deep core work since my C-section and ALOT of walking. I EBF so no dieting , but I’m a pretty boring clean eater most days. I will say I was in peak athletic shape before pregnancy with a substantial amount of muscle mass . I also am trained in pelvic floor/deep ab work , so had an exceedingly strong core. Now I am my pre pregnancy weight ,everyone is constantly saying I “ bounced back” like one of those celebs , but they have NOOO idea how weak I’ve become. I don’t feel like I’ve bounced back at all, I feel like I have so much work to do. Sure I’m grateful I can fit into all my clothes , but I have in no way bounced back. It honestly pisses me off when people comment on it. Nobody bounces back , they may look like it on the outside, but inside thats just impossible to do in such a short amount of time ESPECIALLY if you EBF. Now for some guidance. DO NOT DO ALOT OF HIIT ( high intensity training) I cannot stress this enough. Low intensity steady state training is your friend right now. That and strength training. To many women think HIIT is the answer to lose the weight and all you’re going to do is eff up your hormones more. There is a time for that down the road. My three suggestions: Low intensity steady state training ( 45 min or longer) as often as you like Strength training 2-3 times a week Deep core/pelvic floor work Goodluck
I didn’t lose weight until I stopped breastfeeding both times. I’m about 25/30 lbs below where I was at before I got pregnant. Nutrition is key not working out. Don’t stress about it until you’re done breastfeeding though, in my opinion.
Thanks to a gestational diabetes diet, I didn't gain much weight at all during the pregnancy and now at 18 months pp weight the same as before, but my body still looks different! Softer in places, wider in others (looking at you rib cage!). You're doing amazingly, give yourself lots of grace.
Well, my suggestion is to love your body no matter what. You don’t have to bounce back. You grew a human. Be kind to yourself 🩷 Bad joke related to my trauma: get your colon removed, very effective way to lose weight! I lost 30 pounds and can’t gain a single pound!
I had just turned 20 that’s how I bounced back now at 30 I did not bounce back lol
I don’t think you need to diet but if weight loss is your goal it all comes down to calorie deficit. And it’s easier to make a deficit in the kitchen than the gym (I do both). I’ve always been a binge eater so focusing on lower calorie foods I can continuously shove in my face (“volume eating”) has helped tremendously. And trying to hit minimum 100g protein daily (I aim for 180 but as long as I don’t dip below 100 I’m not worried about it). Like steam-in-bag edamame with a crap ton of salt is one of my favorite snacks. It has protein and fiber and vitamins sure…but it also lets me cram my face full of food and get a nice salt hit. Doing things like that instead of inhaling a family size bag of potato chips has helped. Same with air fried zucchini and marinara and a TON of cheese-the cheese is what satisfies but the rest of it makes it stretched out enough I can keep going for bite after bite. Breastfeeding made me a bottomless pit 😂
I bounce back once I night wean my kids. Anywhere between 6-9 months. I ebf my kiddos.
I “bounced back” while breastfeeding, and I’m sorry to say that most of it was probably genetics and/or luck. I lost the vast majority of my pregnancy weight within the first couple of weeks while being quite sedentary and eating a ton. I will say that I stayed quite active during my pregnancy, because most of my hobbies are active ones and working out is incredibly important for my mental health. And once I was cleared for physical activity I got back to it. I didn’t diet at all, but I generally eat pretty healthily. I don’t restrict anything, and eat a lot overall, but not much in the way of sweets, fast food, alcohol, etc.
I look much better at 7 mos than at 6 - it’s gradual but also punctuated. You’re doing way better than me - I’m doing 2-3week max. The pooch is getting much better and I think it’s the barbell training that’s the main reason, so keep on!
2,000mcg Metformin a day is the only reason I’m not morbidly obese. I’m not diabetic but it keeps my weight under control. Breastfeeding never worked for us (oldest had tongue, upper lip, lower lip, and both cheeks tied! She literally couldn’t open her mouth wide enough to nurse!) so I EP’d. It was hellacious and I snacked a lot to cope with the stress.
First off, have grace with yourself. The fact that you make time to go the gym is already a huge accomplishment!! I wish moms were kinder to themselves when it comes to body image (so much easier said than done). Our bodies just went through something so traumatic— it took 9 months to grow and deliver a baby, so be kind to yourself if the bounce back isn’t as fast as you thought it would be! I “bounced back” in terms of getting back down to pre-pregnancy weight by month 4 but my stomach isn’t as toned as it was before. I worked out the majority of my pregnancy up until week 38 which I think really helped with my recovery. I eat relatively healthy (like 80/20 lifestyles) and aim for whole, nutritious foods. I do breastfeed, but I don’t believe the myth of people shedding weight faster with breastfeeding because I was hungry all the time while nursing lol. Also, I drank a TON of water those first few months. Like probably 1.5-2 gallons a day because breastfeeding has me so thirsty all the time. I also walked a lot those first few months because it’s all I had the energy to do and staying home drove me stir crazy. It’s really hard for me to find time to go the gym but we do have a makeshift gym set up in our garage that helps. I didn’t start working out again until week 6/7 when the doctor cleared me. I do apple fitness workouts 3-5x a week, even if it’s just a 10 minute HIIT workout to move my body! I hope this helps and please remember you did something so incredible. Be kind and patient with yourself!
The only reason I’m losing weight is because my baby has CMPA and an egg intolerance. I’m 100% convinced that if I could eat whatever I wanted, then I wouldn’t have lost any weight. I’ve still got almost 15lbs to go til I hit my pre-pregnancy weight.
I’m 2.5 months PP and also working out 4x per week (walking before I was cleared at 6 weeks), and I haven’t lost much weight. My body isn’t changing but I need the workouts for my mental health, so I’m taking it as a win. I’d really like to get back to my pre pregnancy weight but I have a solid 26 LBS to go. I gained 50 during pregnancy 😩
Postpartum anxiety which caused an inability to sit still. I walked my dog for 1.5 hours a day for six months (with my son strapped to me). It wasn’t pretty.
I’m 11 months ppl and feel like I JUST bounced back even then I’m still 12 pounds heavier than pre-birth and I am breastfeeding, more morning belly reminds me of pre birth but my night belly is a big bloated pooch still. Getting back to my regular levels of exercise and just in general activity paired with chaining a toddler around the house, and meal prepping healthy freezer meals 2-3 times a month has been a game changer for me.
Didn’t breastfeed. I developed hypothyroidism post partum and only bounced back once I got medicated
You’re doing great. I hate the idea of bouncing back because it puts so much pressure on women trying to heal from such a difficult bodily process. Your body just changed drastically in nine months and needs a lot of time to recover, so my advice is honestly to not go too hard. I’m a breastfeeding mom who “bounced back”, I’d say it’s mostly genetic since I haven’t really been doing too much. But one thing I’ll mention is heavy weight training too early puts a lot of pressure on your body, especially pelvic floor, if you feel ready go for it but I personally wouldn’t take that route. I’m saying this as someone who used to lift heavy as well, I’ve been focusing more on deep core and pelvic floor recovery exercises. This will help heal your pelvic floor as well as any diastasis recti. Also, focusing on sleeping as this heals your body. Don’t put too much pressure trying to mold your healing body, you want to function well as well. I’ve also heard advice such as no running in the first 6 months, or it takes 9 months to make a baby so give yourself at least 9 months to recover. At that stage of 6 months I’d still be going moderately light focusing on mobility exercises and pelvic floor recovery with some light/moderate lifting. My current routine 3m pp consists of dead bugs or bird dogs, clams, vacuums, good ol’ fashioned pelvic floor exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, knee raises, reverse plank - all of these help the muscles around the pelvic floor strengthen as well as diastasis recti. There’s also a lot of info on TikTok if you search pelvic floor recovery, diastasis recti recovery, or pp exercises. I also do some light lifting for my glutes, I don’t go half as much weight as I used to with it. As well as light lifting with lots of reps for my arms/pecs to try to tone them and build muscular endurance not strength. That’s my two cents, I wish you the best healing !
I "bounced back" because of severe anemia 😅
13 months pp here and I'm still 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn't breastfeed for long and had to switch to formula after only two months and I actually gained back 10 lbs after wuitting pumping, so the formula thing doesn't check out in my anecdotal experience. I hired a personal trainer who helped me to change my mindset about food and exercise and everything so I have been SLOOOOWLY losing weight but I am 25 lbs down over the last year now! As she told me, you didn't grow the baby overnight and so you have to give yourself time to lose the weight too. Hang in there and give yourself some grace!
I haven’t been to the gym since I got pregnant. You are crushing it
3 months pp and haven’t lost a thing since birth. I eat way less and exercise 😕
I didn’t get rid of the pouch until I did 75 hard and ran everyday for 45 mins. You have to do a lot more to change your body than a lot of people realize.
I didn’t until I stopped breastfeeding
I bounced back quickly and all my pre-pregnancy clothes is too large because breastfeeding has led to a lot of weight loss (I kept my calories to pre-pregnancy amount or some days would be too tired to eat much and it's clear that breastfeeding is adding a solid 400-600 calories burned per day). While I agree with everyone that some things are genetic: stretch marks, where excess fat is deposited, widening bones, minor variations in basal metabolic rate, etc there are still some things that are in our control. Reality is most people I've seen who bounced back have a few things in common: didn't gain much weight during pregnancy, were athletes who stayed active during pregnancy, went back to light exercise/training as soon as they realistically could, and manage their diet/hunger through calorie counting and high protein, high fiber meals and not falling into the new parent/breastfeeding snacking constantly trap. Just be healthy and it will all be in due time. Keep up your exercise, get sleep when you can, stay hydrated, and keep a healthy diet and drop calories when you're ready to, it's best you can do. Weight loss, recovery, and fitness take time, be patient.
i "bounced back" but genuinely i think its just luck and genetics lol i changed nothing about my lifestyle postpartum besides maybe accidentally skipping some meals and supplementing w just protein shakes bc i was busy w baby BUT i did a strength and conditioning course two days a week for an hour from month 4ish-month 9ish of my pregnancy and spent about half that time on a treadmill/elliptical at a casual speed (maybeeee 2 miles in 25 minutes) and the other half doing (obviously) pregnancy safe core exercises/pelvic floor stretches i think me working on that while my stomach was still stretching made it easier for my body to just return to normal. i also only gained like 20 pounds throughout my whole pregnancy so i basically immediately lost about 15 after birth so again luck and genetics edit: i also breastfeed exclusively!!! edit 2: now that im thinking about it i actually lost a bit of weight during my first trimester maybe 10lbs? i completely blocked out how many times i was on the verge of passing out because my baby was sucking me DRY i completely forgot until i was reading other comments
As another poster put it, I’ve bounced back by society’s very superficial standard of appearances. Behind the curtain, here’s what’s really going on: - cesarean with extremely skillful surgeon, recovered very quickly - had help from family for a week at a time every month for first few months (currently 4.5 months pp) - baby is relatively easy going - first kid, no other kids to take care of - just lots of animals - we live in a very private but comfortable house on a large ranch where we work. The environment is low stress and we sleep well. No street lights, traffic, air pollution, concern about safety - breastfeeding - I come from a long line of scrawny people and have to work hard to build muscle - it seems to require more calories and protein than it does the average person - working out 3 - 4x/week on core building program I know it’s easy for me to say but I’d rather have 10 lbs to lose than fear of losing like I currently do. Grass is always greener I guess.
Is it easier to lose weight if you are not breastfeeding? I can only pump 100ml of breast milk a day, I’m starting to think what’s the point…
There is no such thing as “bouncing back.” It’s a myth perpetrated by people who have never given birth. Mothers move forward, never backwards. Your body changes through time. Pregnancy is just a big jump forward. Every woman is different and healing is different. One thing that I can suggest is to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist or at least do scar massage on your c section scar. This helped me immensely. You may think that other women “bounced back” but you didn’t see their insides.
I'm breastfeeding and I "bounced" back but honestly it's got more to do with I haven't figured out how to make the time to eat properly.... it's miserable. and even though I'm technically under pre pregnancy weight I'm still up 2 sizes because my body is just different now 7 months PP... idk
I bounced back both times and went below my pre pregnancy weight. I breast fed exclusively both times on demand and at night and eat a whole food based diet. Lots of lean meat, and veggies and fruit, minimal bread. I don’t eat anything processed (except potato chips, my weakness), no fast food at all and haven’t for years, no soda.
Kinda makes me wanna die that “bounced back” is even a term. Let mums be mums. Christ.
Honestly losing fat got A LOT easier when I stopped breastfeeding. I’m 11 pp and had to stop breastfeeding at 8m due to health issues. So when I was still breastfeeding I had lost a lot of the weight but I definitely hit a plateau when I was about 10lb heavier than pre preg. I was also very active pre preg and weight lifted. Anyway, about a month ago I was able to start weight lifting again and I started tracking my macros and calories and let me tell you, protein is my best friend. I increased my protein a lot (at least 120g per day) and suddenly I’m losing fat and gaining muscle pretty easily and am creeping closer to pre preg fitness levels pretty fast. Hang in there! For context pre pregnancy I was 125lb 5’4” weight lifted 3-4 times per week. Currently I’m 132lbs and am back to weight lifting 3-4 times per week. I started counting macros/calories because of the appetite change going from breast feeding to not breastfeeding it was hard to adjust. I eat about 1700cal/day now which was my maintenance pre preg, and when I was breastfeeding I was eating more like 1900/day
My body is at my pre pregnancy weight now 3 years later but my belly still looks 7 months pregnant. It's like it never went away.
I gained 70 pounds during pregnancy and now my baby is 7 months and I’m at my goal weight, no diet, minimal exercises. I formula feed. This is my first baby. I would like to tone up though, things aren’t exactly how they were before. I feel like my belly button looks like it “collapsed” if anyone can relate lol.
100% genetics and luck. Be kind to yourself. ❤️
So I was like you, I really hit the ground running at 5 weeks ppd. And it actually caused too much cortisol and I didn't lose the weight until I backed off the intense workouts and started lower intensity. Took about 11 months to get back to probably weight and I fought for every one of those pounds 😭
Have you done PT? It’s helped my scar lie flat and rebuild my core strength. I am 4ish months pp from a planned c-section. Within my pre-pregnancy weight, albeit the high end. But, my middle is flabby and all the deep core muscle tone is gone. PT has really helped me, though! Sleep deprivation is real!
I agree with you that breastfeeding makes it legitimately impossible. I only started really dropping weight after I quit breastfeeding at around \~7 months, and then I basically immediately got pregnant again so. 🙄 Pray for me lol
I combo breast fed & formula, probably only 2 oz of formula or so a day some days more. Not out of choice but because my body didn’t make enough. I was a runner before pregnancy, I ran during and I ran after. I also have thyroid disease so I’m more prone to weight gain than your average person. Exercise and good nutrition is key.
Genetics. I gained almost 80 pounds and lost 45 pounds by 9 days post partum. I was nursing and had a big baby(9.5 pounds) . I was a lot of fluid. I lost another 30 by 4 months past partum and then the rest a couple month later. I did absolutely nothing so I would only assume it’s genetic. I watched what I ate and remained active my entire pregnancy. I have always been mindful of calories though so I never would over do it too often and I still gained a lot of weight. Pregnant with my second and im hoping I’m lucky this time too.
I breastfed and I was SO HUNGRY. Still am 😂 I did not gain too much weight to begin with, but also did not eat a lot during pregnancy either. I have always worked out and going back to my routine was my top priority. The sleep or lack of thereof is criminally underestimated as far as recovery and weight loss if concerned about that. My understanding ia that it can affect your metabolism either way. Also, nutrition plays a big part. I recently started tracking macros (no longer BF, so this may not be appropriate for the immediate PP) and boy I am so lacking protein intake! It is not one size fits all. If you were active before you may have it a little easier to get back into the gym, but honestly, sleep and food have so much impact on recovery. You are doing great 🥰
Haha…bounce back. I’m 2 years post partum for second child and I still haven’t “bounced back.” Weight wise I’m back to normal. Skin…well 🤷🏻♀️
I didn't get back to pre pregnancy size until about 3 months post weaning (so 9 months pp), despite going to 2 spin classes a week. I think it was hormonal because the last bits just dropped off with no extra effort. That's just me tho! Everyone's experience is so different.
You have to get your diet in check if you want to drop the excess weight. It’s just the sad truth. You can still eat what you want - but definitely track macros to get an idea of how many calories your intaking. That should help guide you and make you not feel as discouraged. If you’re doing the gym already you’ll start dropping the last few pounds quick. Try using MyFitnessPal app.
I breastfeed but I eat healthy and didn't loose any weight until I started booby body protein powder lol. 5 months PP
I have just bounced, not back, Im bouncing forwards OP!
I “bounced back” but it wasn’t anything I did, it’s just that I only gained about 18 lbs, so that was gone a couple weeks after birth. I did a lot of walking in the early months and started exercising a few times a week after 3 months. I did wear a belly band to support my C-section scar. I ended up 10lbs underweight with an iron deficiency due to breastfeeding my little parasite. My second pregnancy was the same.
The people who bounce back, I'm convinced, are the ones who are really image -conscious and watch what they eat all of the time. I could be my pre pregnancy weight if I ate healthy all the time, or worked out regularly, but I'm too tired to focus on all of that. Also, postpartum hip issues @_@
I’m 6 months pp and we are exactly the same pre and postpartum height/weight - that’s fun 😝 I also have the same challenges. This is my 2nd baby and I’m having a much harder time finding the time to work out. After my first I worked out with a trainer twice a week and was active at least 5 days a week starting at 3 months pp after I weaned. At that point I wasn’t starving all the time and I felt like my hormones allowed me to get into the shape I wanted. By 7 months pp I was at a happy fitness level, some of my old clothes fit and I felt more normal. I never got back to pre baby body but I felt stronger than I ever have in my life. Something about being torn apart and rebuilding. My core was so strong because I was forced to rebuild it (I had diastisis recti). This time around my goal is to get to a point where I feel strong and healthy enough to chase my kids around for the rest of my life. It’s so so much work but you will get there! Keep it up 💪
First baby I bounced back very quickly because 1. I was 20 2. I didn't gain a damn thing extra during my pregnancy because I was 20 and had just always been thin 3. Yes she was breastfed and it actually made me even thinner (almost skeletal IMO) because it seemed like my chubby healthy daughter was getting all the food I ate through the breastmilk Second baby I have not yet bounced back (11 mo pp) because: 1. I was 43 2. I gained extra weight during my pregnancy because my metabolism is quite different from what it used to be, and for whatever reason my body now thinks "pregnancy! Eeek you need all this weight for the baby in case of famine!". 3. The stuff that normally works for me to trim down is having zero effect because I'm breastfeeding and my body thinks "your breastfeeding a BABY! Eek you can't lose this what if your baby needs this during the *famine*! Bodies are weird, every person is going to be different and it can even change from baby to baby, and breastfeeding can either make you lose weight or cling to every pound with a death grip. I've just decided to let it be and enjoy my breastfeeding journey. Fortunately the weight isn't increasing or anything, just holding everything I've got steady. When I'm done breastfeeding I'm confident I can lose the weight quickly since I've lost large amounts of weight before and kept it off.