Losing weight after delivery

It seems like whenever I glance at the tabloids in the supermarket, 
there’s a celebrity who’s just given birth and looks amazingly thin.

How do they do it?  And, I guess the bigger question that leaps to 
mind is:  Are new moms feeling pressure to lose their baby weight 
rapidly?  Are they feeling the pressure to attain an unrealistic body 
image? One that seems to be the norm in magazines, but definitely is 
NOT the norm with real women with real bodies?

I saw a patient the other day, who is breast feeding, and pumping 
because she’s studying for the bar exam.  She has lost about 20 
pounds, and still has about 13 to go. She’s exhausted and wanted to 
know what exercise to do and how to cut back on calories.

Here’s what I tell my patients:

If you feel well rested and think to yourself, “I’ve had plenty of 
sleep, I feel energetic,” then by all means go exercise.

Walking for 30 minutes is just as effective as running, and is less 
traumatic for your bouncing breasts.  Be sure to breastfeed or pump 
before exercising.  For moms who are using formula, be sure to have a 
bottle ready for the baby’s caregiver.

Start off slowly with 10-20 minutes of exercise and gradually build up 
to 30-60. It takes time for your body to readjust after pregnancy, so 
as hard as it is, try to be patient and give yourself time to lose the 
baby weight.

If you’re still bleeding, exercise can increase the flow.  If you do 
see more bleeding, scale back the exercise a bit for a few days until 
the bleeding stops.

Remember, you’re not a machine, you can only do so much in one day. 
Caring for a baby is like having 2 full time jobs. There’s a fine line 
between motivating to get off the couch and get moving and pushing 
yourself too hard which can lead to exhaustion and irritability.  
Trust your instincts, and then do the best you can.