If you are currently trying to figure out weight loss after pregnancy while breastfeeding, let me assure you that you are not alone. Perhaps you’ve believed some of the myths I believed before I had my first baby and are now confused about the numbers on the scale. After all, there are plenty of myths surrounding breastfeeding out there.
And most of us have heard this one every time the subject of breastfeeding comes up in the presence of a pregnant mama: “Oh, you’re so thin when you breastfeed.” And consequently, we expect to have the waist circumference of a super model complimented with enlarged, milk-filled breasts postpartum.
We assume weight loss after pregnancy will be a breeze. However, while this may be the case for some women, it is certainly not true for every female body.
Let me share my first experience with you on weight loss after pregnancy while breastfeeding.
Please note that I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post is meant to be medical advice. Please speak with your care provider about any concerns you have.
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This post has been updated as of 7/25/2024
My Experience with Weight Loss After Pregnancy
I gained 30 pounds during the course of my first pregnancy. When I stepped on the scale a couple of weeks after giving birth, 20 of those pounds had miraculously disappeared.
“Great!” I thought. “The weight is just going to fall off and I won’t even have to do anything but nurse!”
I was thrilled to be experiencing (or so I thought) what so many people say – it’s so easy to lose weight and may even be difficult to keep weight on while breastfeeding.
However, after that initial 20 pounds, I didn’t lose an ounce for three months. I tried to exercise but it was incredibly difficult or impossible for the first four months of my daughter’s life because she wanted to be held constantly, including during sleep.
But I did use this exercise ball to bounce my reflux baby, which did give me a little bit of a thigh workout. I highly recommend purchasing one of these balls if you do not already have one. They are great for during pregnancy, for postpartum baby soothing and just for exercise in general. Also, your baby will play with it as he grows into a toddler and beyond!
It has now been over six years since I gave birth to my first child, and my exercise ball is still an essential item in our house. I used it throughout both of my full-term pregnancies to help with back pain and exercising/stretching as well as during the postpartum phase. Also, as I already eluded to, my kids now play with it all the time.
But despite my regular use of the exercise ball, I wasn’t getting a ton of exercise. I did whatever I could to get some exercise in, but it just wasn’t much.
I also generally ate pretty healthy – little to no processed foods and sugar and most of our meals and snacks were made up of veggies, fruits, and other whole foods (by the way, if you need some easy, healthy snacks for postpartum, get yourself some Larabars or RX bars – both are healthy quick-grab snacks that taste delicious!).
No matter what I tried to do with exercise and healthy eating, though, I didn’t lose weight.
Find out how you can increase your productivity while nursing here.
I lost about a pound somewhere around three months postpartum but got no further. I kept reading online that a healthy weight loss postpartum was about a pound a week. That was just plain comical to me. I would have LOVED to have lost a pound every THREE weeks!
Three and a half months post partum, I got the stomach flu and lost two pounds which, amazingly, stayed off. Yay! I was hopeful that my body was finally ready to shed the weight. Unfortunately though, my weight stayed put even though I was starting to be able to get a little more exercise in most days.
Around five and a half months post partum, I began a high intensity fifteen-minute workout everyday. I loved it because it didn’t take a lot of time (and by this point, my daughter would usually play on her own for that long at some point during most days) but I could still get a good workout in.
I had been doing this faithfully for three weeks with zero weight loss when I became exhausted. Utterly exhausted. As in, for almost two weeks after I stopped the workout, I could hardly do anything and every time I tried to get back into my normal routine, I set myself back and had to rest for several days again (Breastfeeding can change how your body responds to exercise – this is one of those postpartum experiences no one tells you about).
One great way to get some exercise during which you can adjust the intensity is by using a balance board like this one. And this has the same bonus as the exercise ball – it will become a great toy for your child one day. It makes a great seated spinning ride on a hardwood floor according to my kids.
Use a balance board to avoid making the same mistake I did of overdoing it in my exercise routine. You can get a great waist workout by doing some simple twisting back and forth without going too crazy.
Even if you don’t feel like you are breaking a sweat or producing any muscle soreness, stick with what works for your body when working on weight loss after pregnancy, especially while you are breastfeeding. Trust me, you don’t want to incur the same exhaustion as I did when I overdid it with my exercise routine. The severe exhaustion I had to contend with while caring for my baby was not worth it.
It was during this period of exhaustion that I lost three pounds in under a week and a half. It was not a pleasant way to lose the weight. I certainly would not do that intentionally, but I was grateful that the weight stayed off again.
Once again, I thought to myself, my body must be ready to lose weight now. But of course, my weight refused to budge any more.
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At almost seven months postpartum, I got an upper respiratory virus along with my husband and baby, and I lost a few pounds but all except one pound came back when I recovered. After that, amidst the business and stress of the Christmas holiday season, I lost another couple of pounds.
At the time of the original writing of this post, I was nine and a half months postpartum with my first baby. At that time, I had roughly two pounds to lose to get to my goal weight. I did eventually lose those last couple of pounds, but it was well after I was a year postpartum.
The whole process of weight loss after pregnancy took much longer than I expected. What I didn’t realize for my first six months postpartum is that all those hormones responsible for helping your body feed your infant can also inhibit weight loss.
You may have heard Serena Williams’ breastfeeding story featured on Today. She discontinued breastfeeding her daughter earlier then planned because she could not lose the pregnancy weight as long as she was nursing. If even this amazing female athlete could not shed the baby weight while nursing, there is obviously more than just diet and exercise involved.
Until I realized what a common struggle this is, I felt so discouraged and alone in my inability to lose weight. I kept reading on all the medical websites that new mothers should be able to lose their pregnancy weight by six months postpartum.
Combined with the fact that everyone I saw on Facebook having babies seemed to get back into shape quickly, this made me feel terrible about myself. It didn’t help that all those comments about how thin everyone is when they breastfeed were implanted into my brain before I even gave birth, setting me up for brutal disappointment.
Read about how to stop eating your way through motherhood here.
Mama, as you struggle to feel attractive/in shape/sexy/like yourself again, you need to know that it is not just your body betraying you while everyone else enjoys the benefits of nursing back into their pre-pregnancy skinny jeans. There are plenty of women dealing with the same thing. If you need a little encouragement from some moms who share(d) the same experience, check out these posts:
- Why Didn’t I Lose Weight While Breastfeeding?
- Why You Can’t Lose Weight Breastfeeding
- The Breastfeeding Lie: How Nursing Made Me Gain Weight
Take comfort in knowing your weight loss after pregnancy is not a unique battle, nor are you without hope for shedding that baby weight. Even if it is a slower process than you thought it would be.
And something that might offer you a bit of encouragement is the fact that each pregnancy and postpartum can be different. Weight loss after pregnancy with my second child was a totally different story.
The second time around, I was not even trying to lose the weight, but the weight came off within about 8 months. Maybe it was a result of the stress and sleep deprivation of having a heart baby in the hospital.
But I believe it was just what my hormones felt like doing this time. So take heart knowing that weight loss after pregnancy might come easier in the future if you plan to have more children.
I know it can be incredibly discouraging and frustrating to have that extra pregnancy weight right now. I had plenty of difficult days in my journey of weight loss after pregnancy the first time around, scowling in the mirror and grimacing at the numbers on the scale.
But you know what? I’m a mom! And that joy far outweighs even the highest numbers I’ve ever seen on my scale.
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