We all hear it every time the subject of breastfeeding comes up: “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 post partum. However, while this may be the case for some women, it is certainly not true for every female body.
I gained 30 pounds during the course of my 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.
Despite this, I did whatever I could to get some exercise in, which wasn’t much. I also generally eat pretty healthy – little to no processed foods and sugar and most of our meals and snacks are made up of veggies, fruits, and other whole foods. No matter what I tried to do though, I didn’t lose weight.
I lost about a pound somewhere around three months post partum but got no further. I kept reading online that a healthy weight loss post partum 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 post partum experiences no one tells you about).
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 and 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.
At almost seven months post partum, 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. Since then, amidst the business and stress of the holidays, I lost another couple of pounds.
I am currently nine and a half months post partum and have roughly two pounds to lose to get to my goal weight. This process is taking much longer than I expected. What I didn’t realize for my first six months post partum 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 post partum.
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.
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
- Don’t Count on Breastfeeding to Help You Shed Your Baby Weight
Take comfort in knowing yours is not a unique battle, nor are you without hope for losing that baby weight, even if it is a slower process than you thought it would be.
I know it can be incredibly discouraging and frustrating. I continually have difficult days of 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 seen on my scale.
Leave a Reply