post baby bodies?

[KateMontero]

I recommend going back to work! Seriously.

My weight loss stalled when my baby was 4 months old, and he's now 9 months. Since then I've been a stone heavier than I used to be and I don't believe a word about breast feeding helping you lose weight.

2 weeks back to work and I've already lost 4 pounds.

Still stuck with stretch marks, bad tummy and ever fluctuating breast size though!

[Maki]

My baby is 9 months in a few days and I'm still a stone heavier than I was when I got pregnant. I've always been quite skinny (apart from now!). Pregnancy just seems to have caused my metabolism to dissappear!

I have to say it doesn't bother me too much but only beacsuse I am SO much more hung up on the consistency of my skin on my belly. It has been so badly scarred with tiny little white stretch marks that my skin is like crepe paper and the only thing to fix it is a tummy tuck :(

Boobs will be Spaniels ears soon too! Bugger!

Think I'll pop another 1 or 2 out then get myself on the surgeons table and sort this belly out! At least there is something I can do to get it fixed and I have found that exfoliating randomly but aggressively has really improved the depth of the stretch marks.

This forum is such therapy!!

Oh and yes back fat - what is that all about??

[KatsuQueen]

KateM, "going back to work makes you lose weight"... that's really cheered me up. I'm back at work in a week and that's another plus, hahaha.

So reassuring to hear that everyone else feels the same about their bodies. I was never svelte and always had a bit of a belly, but now post-baby it's all gone weird and saggy. I had a caesarian and the scar acts a bit like a drawstring...all floppy and horrible over the top. Aaarrrggghhh! (Hope it's not just me, by the way)

[Citrovie]

Based on my own experience I'd say give it a year, well, give it until you feel genuinely motivated and ready to diet a bit and then give it two more months to see some difference. Until then, be forgiving of yourself, accept the flab (buy some flattering but cheap new clothes in a size bigger than you used to wear) and just make sure you don't put on any additional weight while you wait for the motivation to 'appear'. I got properly fed up with my baby weight at about 9 months post partum and did WW online for a month. It helped me get rid of half of that stone that I wanted to loose. Am at 14 months post partum now and still have that other half stone to lose (won't be thin then, but acceptable and at pre-preg weight). I'm too lazy to exercise but if you diet a bit and walk lots with the pram you'll get there... slowly but surely... Good luck!

[Smiler]

This thread is indeed like therapy. Was inspired to to an exercise DVD for first time in ages!

My bloke "commented in passing" yesterday that so-and-so(svelte mum round the corner) goes running every morning really early before her two are up.

I managed to resist strangling him, and in fact said nothing and kept a blithe look of lack of concern on my face. But GRRRRR!

[Helen GV]

gosh, sometimes that would be 4am for me!

I'm lighter by a few kilos (also had to watch my diet closely due to gestational diabetes) but not as firm (and as i wasn't really firm before thats not saying much) and since breastfeeding one boob is a couple of cup sizes larger than the other. Also I have more thread veins on my legs and my tummy is a bit crepe paper-like...

HOWEVER my arms are much better now due to lifting and carrying my son and pramming (hurrah!) not quite linda hamilton in terminator but i'm sure i saw a bicep the other day :)-D

[curlykaren]

having previously reported that I fitted into my pre-pregnancy jeans the other day I now find that my maternity jeans fit even better, my body has issues????

[The Nappy Lady]

Karen don't - my maternity trousers are now too big and wont stay up (good), whilst my pre-pregnancy jeans fit but create dreadful muffin top (bad)......so I have virtually nothing to wear, and can't afford to buy a new wardrobe, so just keep wearing the same old few items day after day whilst hoping to magically shed a few more lbs off my belly.

Thank god for smock tops is all I can say!

If only airbrushing worked in real life.

M

x

[Belle]

who in their right mind goes running before their children are up??! if i by some odd chance wake before my baby my first thought is 'make the most of it - back to sleep!'.

think post baby photos are a particularly disturbing thing on this whole issue - recently have seen a few of myself when I thought was looking vaguely ok but looking at the pics I look pregnant again, urgh, waistline seems to have disappeared somewhat. it is VERY odd to be able to fit into clothes on one hand but on other hand realise fitting in them and suiting them are two different things, agree with you both molly and karen! I fit a lot of mine but look v odd in most of them...have spent too much of my (small) maternity pay on new, more flattering, longer line tops!

[Chrysanthe]

And I'd go even further and say two years.

Here's a little exercise you can do which is fun and when you get used to doing it, you'll start doing it throughout the day (in the privacy of your own home, of course!) Slightly bend your knees about a hip-width apart. Stick your bottom out and then quickly in again, imagining there's a string pulling your tummy button in from behind and inside towards your back. I hope this makes sense. You could even do this seated but make sure you're breathing normally so that you could be doing this AND talking at the same time. It's no use if you're holding your breath.

All the best,

Chrissie

[standswithfist]

i'm with Maki - what is the back fat all about?? I'm still more than a stone over my pre pregnancy weight. my daughter is just 9 months old and i've just started back at work. don't seem to be losing any but putting it on. when i get home its her dinner time, bath, bed but as she has been playing up she has been up till 9pm! So i'm starving and eat the quickest and easiest - normally toast with some cheese. i know its fattening and doesn't help me. i'm even going to work in my maternity clothes. its beginning to get me down now as i just don't have time to excercise. i'm exhausted. hopefully i'll get into the swing of things over the next few weeks.

blaaaahhhhhhhhh.

hmm. thanks for listening. feel bit better. now back to work!

[ClareC]

This is all so depressing....... is it really that bad? I am 6mths pregnant, havent put a huge amount of weight on so far so thought it would be OK :-(

[sanity girl]

Just be careful when you stop breastfeeding to also stop stuffing yourself with cakes and such like and you'll be fine! (I didn't, and now have a bigger muffin top than I did just after giving birth!!)

[The Nappy Lady]

It must all sound awful when you are pregnant first time around, but don't despair, I think there is more than a tad of humour running through this thread, and the bubs are more then worth the sacrifice.

Some people spring back into shape better than others, and I think older mums like me probably don't have quite the same 'elasticity' as younger ones, but sooner or later I think most of us manage to get back into the majority of our old clothes, with a few new items mixed in to flatter the permanent changes to our shape!

Molly

[The Nappy Lady]

It must all sound awful when you are pregnant first time around, but don't despair, I think there is more than a tad of humour running through this thread, and the bubs are more then worth the sacrifice.

Some people spring back into shape better than others, and I think older mums like me probably don't have quite the same 'elasticity' as younger ones, but sooner or later I think most of us manage to get back into the majority of our old clothes, with a few new items mixed in to flatter the more permanent changes to our shape!

Molly

[helena handbasket]

I think it depends on your pregnancy as well. I just remember being so hungry all the time that I had this gnawing ache constantly, sooooo

I ate......and ate......and ate ........

I woke up so hungry in the morning that I had to have my "first" breakfast (something fast!) to hold myself until I could get my "second" breakfast. I know, it sounds absolutely bizarre. But the minute my son was born the gnawing hunger just disappeared. I think his size and rapid growth required extra energy? He had a growth spurt around the 28 week mark, which pushed his size off the charts. It didn't take long for my joints to ache and sciatic to kick in, which meant I lost a lot of mobility.

It's easy math really, if you suddenly double your caloric intake and then cease all physical activity, you will gain wait, lots of it, fast. If you eat well and keep physical, you won't. Sounds so easy but then I'm never one to do things the easy way if there is a much harder way to do it! I really wouldn't worry too much, things happen how they happen and we just learn to muddle through with our lot. So now I have a big fat squishy muffin top(s?)..... no worries.

[Belle]

i've dug out this thread (selfishly) as I remember it being great therapy - and it still is! I'm aghast to find that all this time later am, if anything, heavier than I was when I started this thread - certainly than this time last year - even after cutting out 90% of treats and increasing exercise. So not fair! I think part of it is that as the babies turn into toddlers you're not walking miles pushing a pram anymore. Not that mine is anywhere near out of his buggy but there's a v short time limit of how long he'll be happy to stay in it, so those long walks are over. Other than that not sure why still can't shift the weight, esp as my son can hardly be described as a baby anymore (was v nice in the first year thinking 'he's still a baby, the weight can wait').

pickle - you mentioned weight watchers - is there one in east dulwich?

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

My son is 10 months and I am 3 stones overweight, I am breastfeeding and cannot find any willpower to diet...it is so depressing being fat and with the summer we are having it is not fun still wearing big horrible clothes. I cannot wait until he is off the breast so I can diet...I do wonder though if I will ever get back into my usual size bras and 8/10 clothes!

[KatsuQueen]

Belle, this thread is therapy and thanks for bringing it up again. As our "boys" (not babies anymore..sigh)are the same age (I was in the bed next to you at Kings) it's reassuring to hear that it's not just me feeling all fat and saggy. All the other mums seem to be so slim and fit in their skinny jeans when hanging out in the playground. I think I've put on weight since the thread was started too. I think it was carrying him in a carrier on long walks that helped, now he's walking that's some calorie burning gone.

It also doesn't help that I eat lots of cake and chips :-$ So it's my own fault really.

[crystal7]

Yes very therapeutic! I'm probably as big as I was when I last posted! Thought going back to work would make a difference but being even tireder in the evenings=bad food choices! Was thinking of joining Weight WWatchers online as they meet on Wednesdays in ED when I'm at work but er haven't got round to it...Finally stopped breasfeeding so no excuse now!

[Belle]

to make matters worse, I discovered on my last trip home that my mum (who's recently dieted a bit) now weighs less than me. She's taller and probably a bigger frame than me and it quite stung to hear it! Have made all the obvious diet cuts apart from booze (please no!) so feel am at an impasse.

C7 - might look into the online ww option. and yup katsuqueen - 17 mths and counting, can you believe it?!

[snowboarder]

It is all still v depressing, have to say. Hubby wants to get some nice photos of babysb and us for the grandparents - I just cannot contemplate being captured on camera looking like this.

[Elfy]

Belle, there's also a Weight Watchers meeting at 7 on a Monday @ East Dulwich Community Centre. I went religiously for a couple of months and lost more than a stone. (Motivation was a holiday in Thailand). Since then, I've stopped going...and started piling on the pounds again. The weekly weigh in really worked for me (as did the shock of the 1st weigh in...the words..'your scales must be wrong' nearly came out of my mouth..I wonder how many times they've heard that!)

(BTW, I think they do also have a programme if you are breastfeeding..I think you just are allowed more 'points').

My son is 2 and a half so I think the 'baby weight' excuse was starting to wear a bit thin!

[nicolemodesti]

Belle - after feeling the same as you and not having the excuse of my 20 month old being a baby, I joined weight watchers and lost 15lbs in 6 weeks. I go to weekly weigh ins near my work in the morning, which suits better than the evening slot, although have done an evening weigh in with my son offering crisps to all the people about to be weighed. Thank goodness they were quavers and only 1 point! I find weekly weigh ins great as I have to pay and don't want someone else telling me I've gained. I also make a point of not weighing myself at home. Tracking what you eat is beneficial in seeing what you are putting into your body. They do offer guidance for breast feeding mums too. Good luck!

[Pickle]

There are quite a few WW meetings locally - have a look on the website. I used to run the Dulwich Village one on Thurs evenings, and the Wednesday morning one which is in a room at the back of the Bread of Life Cafe. There are also Monday and Wednesday evening classes from memory. It's been a while since I was a leader, but the website should give you all the updated days and times. I swear by it (obviously, having been a leader and also through losing a lot of weight pre-babies), and you can do it while breastfeeding - I'm testament to that having done it after each baby to lose my excess weight.

I've started running v. early in the morning in an attempt to shift my stubborn Mummy tummy, happy to have company if anyone fancies it - while it's hard dragging myself out of bed at 5:50am it's lovely once I'm out and running in the fresh air and I feel sooooooo much better for it!

P xx