Battle of the Baby Bulge

Returning to Your
Pre-pregnancy Weight

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

Having a baby is a wonderful, life-changing event. But it's an event that changes your body as well. Pregnancy brings food cravings, swollen ankles and extra pounds, but most of these pregnancy traits dwindle away after Baby finally arrives. There are times when the pregnancy weight stays with you long after Baby has made an entrance into the world. So, what can a new mom do to return to the shape and weight that were hers before pregnancy?

Dr. Charles Mabray, a board certified OB/GYN, believes it all begins with the pregnancy itself. "I have delivered thousands of babies," he says. "Over two decades ago it became obvious that the absolute best approach [to returning to your pre-pregnancy weight] is to eat right during pregnancy. This almost guarantees no excessive weight gain during the pregnancy and makes it easy to get back the form desired."

The average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. During the actual delivery, a woman will lose approximately 12.5 to 14 pounds. This leaves a new mom with an extra 12.5 to 21 pounds to shed. But various medical conditions during pregnancy – such as gestational diabetes and hypertension – can add an additional 10 to 15 pounds to a pregnancy weight leaving more postpartum weight for Mom to lose.

Many women mourn their inability to lose the weight, but the reasons behind these unsuccessful attempts are sometimes no fault of the women. "An often overlooked problem that women should ask the doctor to address is that of thyroid function," Dr. Mabray says. "Postpartum thyroid dysfunction is not rare and may play a big part in the ability to lose weight following a pregnancy."

The most important factor when focusing on losing postpartum weight? Set realistic goals. Believing that after giving birth the pre-pregnancy shape and weight will return immediately is a sure way to become frustrated.

"Women may set these goals that are not attainable regardless of whether they have become a new mother or not," says Ingrid Kromer, personal trainer and exercise specialist for women at Bally's Total Fitness. "A good realistic goal for weight loss is losing about a pound a week. If a woman has 10 extra pounds, then taking two months to lose that weight is absolutely normal. Setting little goals such as doing 10-minute exercise sessions each day and then moving up to 10 minutes twice a day will make the goals more attainable but still offer the results that are wanted."

Want to see more?

• Back, Belly and Bottom: Your Postpartum Restoration Plan
• Fitting Exercise Into Your Busy Schedule
• Exercising With Your Baby Indoors
• Fitness and Breastfeeding: A Winning Combination
• Babies Today MomsTalk Discussion Board