How to lose weight after childbirth: diet, breastfeeding, exercise, bans. Nutritionist advice Rimma Moysenko

The “children’s” kilo has a “statute of limitations”!

The specificity of losing weight after childbirth depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the course of pregnancy, and the state of health after childbirth. And also on the possibility of breastfeeding and the nature of the mother’s sleep. Necessarily need a “confrontation” with a nutritionist in order to exclude postpartum depression, which can become an additional risk factor for the appearance of extra pounds.

Formally, the postpartum period in nutritional practice is associated with the period of feeding and the period of the beginning of the menstrual cycle (this is already the end of the postpartum period). Until the woman has resumed her menstrual cycle while she is breastfeeding, the hormonal balance is altered and may not give the opportunity to fully recover. However, if this period is long past, the child is born, fed, walks and talks, and the mother still has not lost weight, such excess weight can no longer be considered postpartum proper, other factors have come into play.

Who cares about losing weight after childbirth in the first place? 

The risk groups for the appearance of excess postpartum weight include all women who, in principle, easily recover, as well as constantly “sit” on various diets before conception, thus arranging for their own weight a kind of swing – up and down.

Also, the need to lose weight after childbirth, as a rule, is all those who are genetically overweight after childbirth – this is an individual feature for which nature has its own explanation, but you should be prepared: if the women of your family noticeably recovered by giving birth to a child, with a high degree of probability, you will also encounter this problem.

Also, according to statistics, more often than others, women are forced to answer the question “how to lose weight after childbirth”:

• become pregnant with IVF;

• have taken hormonal maintenance therapy during pregnancy;

• suffering from histogenic diabetes mellitus (with a change in hormonal levels).

And, of course, those of us who are sure that during pregnancy we need to eat “for two”, move a little and sleep a lot, run the risk of facing the difficulties of postpartum return to normal weight. And yet, no matter how offensive, they were panicky afraid to recover after childbirth.

How to lose weight after childbirth: proper nutrition and self-love!

In general, the appearance of additional fatty deposits during pregnancy and their preservation after childbirth is a normal process, part of female physiology. “Baby fat” protects the fetus during pregnancy and the recovering uterus after pregnancy in a completely unchild way. A small amount of fat can accompany hormonal changes while a woman is breastfeeding.

If you develop these habits, they simply will not allow you to change after childbirth.

The most common mistakes that prevent you from losing weight after childbirth

• Inexperienced mothers, due to some prejudice, refuse to give birth on their own and feed their children from the first days of their lives or feed for too long, which can also turn into a problem for weight (see below).

• Inexperienced mothers are on strict diets, which changes the quality and quantity of milk and deprives the child of the pleasure of getting the right food, and the woman herself is doomed to weight jumps, looped into a vicious circle.

• Inexperienced young mothers suffer from obsessive fears that their former weight will not recover. For mothers, all this is fraught with an incorrect hormonal background, and for children – a violation of psychoemotional development.

How to lose weight after giving birth to a nursing mother?

A child under one year old who is artificially fed is at least 10 times more likely to be overweight than his or her breastfed peer. Therefore, by breastfeeding, mother helps herself and her baby.

During lactation, additional calories are consumed, which, however, does not mean at all that you have to follow the popular misconception and eat for two while you feed. If a mom’s menu is balanced and contains all the essential nutrients, this is enough to produce milk of a quality that meets the needs of the baby.

However, feeding that lasts longer than recommended by WHO may be hiding a risk factor for the mother’s weight. As a rule, closer to the age of two, the mother feeds the child much less often than in the first months; many are limited to evening and night feeding only. Accordingly, the consumption of calories for milk production is reduced – this can lead to the fact that a woman who is accustomed to the “nurse’s menu” gains weight.

It is important that a young mother does not need to consume more food (especially a high-calorie one), in order to maintain the ability to breastfeed – because the mother overeats, milk will not get better. Moreover, closer to the age of two, the child can already eat ordinary food; breastfeeding after the terms prescribed by WHO, it makes sense to preserve, in consultation with the pediatrician, children who are weakened, for example, with severe food allergies and limited food choices.

In no case should you …

Newly made, and especially nursing mothers should never experience reduced diets on themselves! Any reductions and prohibitions – be it in terms of calories, fats, proteins or carbohydrates – are not for them.

A woman in the postpartum period must certainly have nutrition balanced in all ingredients with the participation of additional vitamin complexes developed for mothers after childbirth.

The best diet that helps to lose weight after childbirth is a balanced diet without fasting days, which does not give any allergic manifestations in the child. And if the baby shows a reaction to some foods in his mother’s menu, she will in any case be on an impromptu diet, abandoning them. The postpartum period is a good time to harmonize your eating habits.

In addition, it is important to get enough sleep. Look for extra sleep at any time of the day! Walk more with your child, listen to music that gives positive emotions.

In my experience, in the first months after childbirth, the psycho-emotional state and normal sleep are much more important and useful than any diet, which will inevitably turn out to be additional stress for the mother.

If you follow these simple rules, your weight can recover within the first two months after giving birth. If there are no problems with the daily regimen and nutrition, and the weight does not move off the ground, you can be sure: these kilograms are still needed by your body. Be consistent, don’t panic, and you will definitely get back in shape.

Having set yourself the task of losing weight after giving birth, keep a food diary, do not forget to praise yourself and enjoy motherhood. Any negative emotions interfere with the normalization of weight – both psychologically and by influencing the formation of an unfavorable hormonal background.

How to lose weight after childbirth: an algorithm of actions

First, take control of all meals: both “full” meals and snacks. Secondly, control whether you are drinking and what kind of liquid it is.

First of all, we are talking about pure natural non-carbonated water. The daily intake of water for a woman is 30 ml per 1 kg of existing weight. However, a nursing mother should drink at least 1 liter more. You can also drink tea with milk, various herbal infusions that do not cause allergies in the child. Fluid is very important for weight loss, recovery and normal functioning of the body.

Third, don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Fourth, plan an approximate flexible diet and sleep schedule, making up for the night’s lack of rest with extra hours of the day — sleep when your baby is asleep. Fifth, move more with the stroller by devising different walking routes.

Monotony is the enemy of harmony

A woman who wants to lose weight after giving birth must definitely include animal protein in her diet. And if there is a tendency to iron deficiency anemia, then at least 2-3 times a week red meat should be on the menu.

Non-starchy vegetables and a sufficient amount of greens (in aggregate – at least 500 g per day) provide good intestinal motility, have a negative calorie content and contribute to weight loss. Also, leafy vegetables and vegetables with a low starch content contain sufficient amounts of calcium, vitamins and minerals, which are important for a quick recovery after childbirth.

Fresh fermented milk products – luxurious probiotics! They ensure the formation of a good immune response, which is important for the recovery period, when the body is vulnerable.

It is recommended to use cereals and dark coarse bread in the morning. They contain many B vitamins that stimulate carbohydrate and protein metabolism, normalizing the state of the nervous system.

Unsweetened fruits or berries (1-2 servings per day) are an excellent source of vitamins, antioxidants and pectins, which also help to maintain stable bowel function. Do not forget about 1 tablespoon of vegetable olive oil added to salads, as well as a small handful of nuts and dried fruits for snacks.

Eating after childbirth should not be monotonous. Let food bring not only satisfaction, but also pleasure.

Pharmacy supplements – help or harm?

Regarding the use of so-called biologically active food supplements, many of which are positioned as a means of helping to lose weight after childbirth, I advise you to consult first of all with a pediatrician.

The fact is that many dietary supplements can cause an allergic reaction in a child, can enhance or slow down the intestines (both mother and child), can overexcite or slow down the reactions of the nervous system.

As a nutritionist, I do not recommend that nursing moms take lipolytic or bowel-accelerating supplements. When trying to lose weight as soon as possible after childbirth, with their help, you can cause consequences that are undesirable for a young mother, whose time and health belong mostly to the newborn.