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I have no experience with this, but Mrs. Dumpling just recently mentioned this on her blog too, so you definitely aren't alone!
I have no experience, but that really scares me. I don't think it would be worth going through if it wasn't for a baby :) Maybe you just feel like you look larger ?
Well, it took about a year to get my hips back to size, so thats one thing that might still shrink. My ribs too, it seems. My stomach it took doing a lot of yoga, running and incline sit ups to get back nice and flat, and I still have my "craving" pooch. (I call it that because if I stopped eating all the crap/chocolate/starbursts etc I eat it wouldn't be there.)
Oh yea! So glad I have this to look forward to. I think that after baby I'm going to try to go for better fitness rather than pre-pregnancy weight.
With my last baby (I have 4, my last is 19 mos. old) I gained 15 lbs. during my pregnancy. I went home in my pre-pregnancy jeans!
@camrie: Fitness becomes quite the challenge considering the demands on your time... but couch 2 5k helped me get here.
@BanditGirl: Good for you.
@Belle2Be: Good to know that things still might improve. My real problem is just tone. I don't have stretch marks and I'd love to be able to show that off when I go to Hawaii in February... but it doesn't look like that'll happen.
I worked out before my pregnancy and during my pregnancy and that helped. Breastfeeding helped, too!
ugh I'm so frustrated with my after-baby body. (i have had two children) I'm 25, and I'm 5ft 5inches, I weigh 115lbs and my waist is a 26. Looks good on paper, but I have the weirdest stomach. It's jiggly, but it's not loose skin. I eat amazingly healthy, never eat fast food, never eat at restaurants, I cook super healthy food at home. I don't know why my stomach is the way it is and I feel like I've done alot to try and change it but it's not working! So frustrating!!!! I weigh the same as I did in highschool, but my body definetly doesn't look the same!!!
@Mrs. DG: you go girl! No stretch marks?? You should feel like a goddess! I'm sure your body is kick ass, even if it isn't quite what it was before.
My older sister is pregnant right now and due within the next five weeks. She hasn't gained a lot of weight, about 12 lbs so far, but she is worried how her stomach will fair afterwards. She doesn't have any stretchmarks yet either, and when I read that you didn't have any she was like "THERE IS HOPE!" lol. So anyway, thanks for making her day!
@Bostonsmom: You totally, totally get it! Thank you :)
@astrangeharris: I'm glad I could give her a ray of hope. I did lotion the belly every single day of the pregnancy. They say it doesn't help, but my entire family has stretch marks except for me, so who knows. I do hope your sister fares well in the stomach department.
@Mrs. DG: Toning was actually pretty easy for me! I did it in a month. I give all my credit to my shoes though(Vibram Five Fingers!), no joke. I walked/ellipticalled 20 minutes, ran a mile or 10 minutes on a treadmill, then did about 15 incline sit-ups 3 days a week, (after about 2 weeks I started adding more sit-ups and adding a medicine ball to the sit ups). No crunches, that just works out your upper abs which usually isn't a trouble area after a baby. I also did Wii-Fit Yoga Core exercises at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes.
ETA it's not like, crazy Yoga master toned, but its acceptably toned for me LOL. The main belly pooch is gone, I had 2 15 months apart so it was a little tough on my body.
@Belle2Be: I wish that much working out would tone me... but no way. I need way more than that just to maintain. I guess I just require a lot more exercise.
I should really start working out more, but I don't even know where to start. I have quite a few pilates and yoga dvd's and I have a Wii fit, but since I had my second child it's like I don't have time anymore!
@Mrs. DG: my sister does the lotion too! Its actually kind of a running joke around here b/c she literally is constantly greasy from chin to knees! Like we'll be in the middle of driving to dinner and look back and she'll be rubbing lotion on herself. She says she is so sick of the routine of doing it but googles "stretchmarks" to make herself keep it up. I know that probably makes us sound crazy, but whatevs! lol
I lost the weight in about 12 weeks, did a lot of exercise weeks 6-12. I actually feel like I look pretty close to the way I did before (I might very well be wrong but I am not looking to prove it!), just with bigger boobs that I imagine will be saggier once I finish BF! And I am sure my tummy is not as tight, but I am lucky not to have saggy skin.... I am not sure if this is because I also had a really small pregnant belly - in the first percentile or something like that, so my body didn't stretch out as much as most. The 30+ pounds I gained went mostly to my hips and ass :) I was pretty freaked out they would stay huge but luckliy they went down over time! that said, I am up about 5-8 pounds from what I used to always weigh - gained that weight from my sedentary job and I don't know how to lose it!
i exercised before and during pregnancy too which i do think helps. but honestly, so does genetics. there is only so much we can do!
Congrats on getting your weight back to pre-pregnancy early! Not an easy thing for a busy momma.
This probably isn't what you want to hear but there are some sexy one pieces - I bought one for this summer so I don't have to put too much pressure on myself too early. It was definatley harder to find a one piece that still brought a little sex appeal but they are out there.
C25K is great for endurance but you probably need something to help tone. Some things you can do during the day, like try sitting on one of those exercize balls if you're in front of your computer, it helps tone all those little stability muscles and I find them more comfy than a regular chair. Also you can do basically a version of kegels with your stomach while you're working, just tighten your abs and hold it there for a bit. Here's some stomach exercises to do quickly at your desk http://www.buzzle.com/articles/stomach-exercises-at-your-desk.html .
And here's a 10 minute ab pilates workout that is just great and only would need to be done a couple times a week to see results.
@troubled: Thanks for the suggestions. I spend about 4 hours a day on the exercise ball. I sit at one at the desk and it's how we put the baby to sleep at night. :) But you are right, what I really need to do is bite the bullet and enroll in a really good pilates class. That would probably do the trick. I've just got to find a little more time in my day!
I am hoping that the body is still continuing to change and that the lower abs will remember their previous state. I think they rather enjoyed being relaxed during pregnancy!
I was talking to my mom about this the other day and she said that her biggest post-baby frustration was her hips - even though she got back to her pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly, none of her pants fit because her hips expanded in prepare for birth. However, she said as soon as she stopped breastfeeding (at 9 months), they went right back to the way they were pre-baby, almost overnight! Let's hope I will be that lucky...
Sounds like you're doing a lot, I'd be frustrated too.
I wouldn't try to make time for a whole pilates class, try that last 10 min video I linked to, it's absolutely wonderful. My husband and I found it when I got pregnant because I was worried about my abs. I have been a bit lazy with it, like once a week at the most, but even with that the OB commented yesterday on my abs when she was listening to the little ones heart beat.
My husband has kept doing the video a couple times a week and he looks amazing, I've noticed a big difference and even though he was in great shape before he has much more defined abs now.
I feel ya, DG. The weight came off easy after birth, but my body just isn't the same. My breasts are different, my belly is different, and my hips/waist is totally different. I try not to be too disappointed about it, but I definitely prefer my pre-pregnancy body. My problem seems to be that I have extra skin or something on my torso. I can feel the muscles underneath, but my abdominal skin isn't pulled tight anymore, so you can't even see my stomach. Sigh.
On the upside, my legs look great! I attritbute it to all the walking/bouncing/rocking I've been doing these last 6 months.
My friend was just telling me (6 months post natal) that she's 5 pounds away from her pre-baby weight, but she is nowhere near being in the pre-baby jeans. Kinda scary--i wouldn't think 5 pounds would be such a big difference. It's sad it doesn't just melt right off and spring right back! Boooo.
I'm surrounded by women (DH's family) who look the same pre and post baby. I've been living in this delusional world where i assumed you look the same =(
I had my son earlier in life. started at (5'5") 103, underweight I know, ended up at 142 at birth, left hospital at about 130, dropped the rest within 4 months. HOWEVER, i was very active, running several miles a day prior to being pregnant, only breast fed for two weeks so I didn't have to consume extra calories to sustain breast-feeding, went to college, and did free-lance on the side, so yeah I was super busy which I'm sure all that had something to do with it. My body looks exactly the same as pre-pregnancy.
I never realized you could go back to your pre-pregnancy weight, yet still feel different. How do you think celebrities do it? Or is it a bunch of hush-hush photo-shopping/or plastic surgery?
I'm sorry if this doesn't count since I've never been pregnant, but I was overweight for a few years after college and I've since gotten back down to actually a few pounds less than I weighed in college, but my college jeans still don't fit. My body is totally different now, my upper half is much smaller and my hips/behind are bigger. Great :(
I don't have experience or advice yet but I know I'm already scared of this...I've only gained 6.5 lbs so far and I'm 20 weeks but already feel much less attractive. I am naturally a little person and I feel that any extra weight will look sloppy to me :( I'm also scared it will redistribute is an unflattering way!
I found that I didn't gain any extra weight until around 10 months after I had the baby. When I came home from the hospital I could put on my pre-pregger jeans. Not easy and it definetly did not look good but I could still do it.
I don't really think its the weight that alot of woman find shocking. Weight you can lose. But never can you ever get the exact body back. THATS what my shocker was. I carry weight now in places I never had before, and my stomach will never be the same. It is dissapointing at first and it took me a long time to get used to my "new" body. It does get better though! I just had to find a new style to find and flatter my new self!
I've always been really small. The extra weight is killing me as it is, and I'm barely halfway through my pregnancy. ALL of the weight is in my belly and thighs. My boobs hardly got anything! wah. no fair.
@Mrs. Spring: Way to keep it positive. Yes, you are right... arms are more toned (lifting that baby) and legs look great! I need to focus on the good stuff and keep working on the middle :)
10 min pilates it is!
@Mrs. DG:I have also heard from a lot of moms that after they stopped BFing they lost that last bit of fat - maybe your body will get more back to pre pregnancy once you are done BFing Ceci??? I am hoping for that too!!
Well, I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight, but I was overweight when I got pregnant! I do feel like I have a bit more of a muffin top, still, but overall I am mostly happy with my body, stretch marks and all! (I got those dang stretch mark ~3 days before birth.) I think the extra boobage helps me still feel fairly proportional, even if it's not hollywood sized. :P
I did Pilates before, during and after pregnancy, so there's another vote for that. I get a lot of compliments, but people may just be being nice.
Now I'm debating if I want to try and get back to *wedding weight*, but I think I'll just focus more on cardio and trying to do things that help with my knee & tailbone pain. Pregnancy and birth were not kind to those sports injuries!
Good luck and don't be hard on yourself!
Edit: My instructor used this book with me, and I really think it helped. http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Exercises-Childbearing-Year-Comfort/dp/0964118319/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1292042784&sr=8-2 My prenatal massage therapist actually told me I was an anomaly, bc I was the most toned pregnant woman she'd ever massaged. (again, not to toot my own horn, as I am overweight but also muscular)
I have to lose 5kg (sorry I have no idea what it is in pounds) to get back to my pre pregnancy weight, but I actually have no motivation to get rid of it. My SO is a personal trainer so I thought that I would be really keen to get back into shape but I'm not, and it has been 3 months since DS was born. I guess because I have major stretch marks EVERYWHERE I kinda don't care :(
Self esteem isn't very high right now, sorry for the whinge. Well done OP for getting back into shape!
@Mrs. DG: Great job getting back to ur original weight so quickly!
This thread motivates me to keep thinking about taking action to get back into shape.
I'll have gained 35lbs by term. (just a few more weeks) So I figure 20lbs will disappear to baby, breastfeeding and placenta. Then I have 15lbs to work on starting in month 2 after delivery. I give myself months 2-5 to get off a pound a week for a total of 15 weeks. Yikes. Go back to work in the 6th month. Thanks for all the tips.
I truly intended to workout more during the pregnancy (got the DVDs etc) but I just couldn't get it going. Working out once every week or two weeks is just not going to cut it, I'm afraid. Sounds like a lot of people who regained shape were doing stuff doing their pregnancy. Hope that's not the only key. Anyway, I'll start up workout vids and get hubby to go to the pool once I give birth to lose weight. So sad to think I can't eat as much (or the way I'm eating) as I'm eating right now (it's not THAT much!) or risk gaining a pound a week for the rest of my life. That would be bad!
My body isn't the same either. I weigh less than I did when I found out I was pregnant, and it still looks strange to me. I've always had a bit of a stomach, but it's much softer than it used to be, and it looks like it's shifted position if that makes any sense. It feels like my body, but it doesn't at the same time.
I've never eaten super healthy, but I don't exactly eat sweets everyday and only have fast food occasionally. I'm very good at moderation, but I just don't feel like me.
I don't really know how I deal with it. I'm poking at myself more now than before I was pregnant. I need to start some kind of exercise, but I don't know what, and I'm never very good at getting started on activities like that. I feel very uncomfortable working out, either alone or with the chance of someone walking in on me.
I'm right there with you DG. I haven't weighed myself in a while but last time I did I was within 3 lbs... so weight wise I'm probably there. I don't even have a scale in the house though - and don't pay much attention to weight. I care more about how I feel and look. I'm back into my pre-preg clothes which is great. At least now I feel like I have choices! But - the shape isn't exactly what I want :)
Standing in front of a mirror I feel GREAT! Then I sit down and lift my shirt to nurse and the tummy rolls over my jeans. Wait - that tummy wasn't there 2min ago when I just looked in the mirror *standing!
My tummy/arse/thighs needs quite a bit of work (as it did pre-preg also) to really feel like I've accomplished something. Also my CORE. My back just feels so soooo weak. You'd think 4 mos of carrying him around it'd be stronger.. but I really need to focus on that. I'm going to try that 10 pilates video posted above!
I just registered for a 10 miler in April so hopefully that will get me motivated to run! I've already run 2 5K's with Warren in the bob! (But I'm not running enough to see the effect on my body!)
All the holiday prep work makes it even hard to find time to fit in exercise!
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Beekeeper
Well, I finally did it. I'm back to my normal weight. I should be thrilled, right? I'm so disappointed. I couldn't have ever imagined how much my body has changed. I know I have a beautiful baby to show for it, but I do believe I look at least 5 lbs heavier than I did before pregnancy, despite acheiving my normal weight.
The axiom is 9 months up and 9 months down. I only gained weight for 7 months, so I gave myself 7 months to hit my goal. I hit it a month early, but I'm not sure it even mattered :(
What's your experience after the baby? Do you feel like you look really different? How are you dealing with it?