Weight Loss 3 Weeks After Giving Birth?!?

Never. And I don't mind a bit, I never expected to look the same, as I had just grown a life inside of me. I've never understood the need to "go back to the way I was" after having kids. Nothing is ever the same after that. Every stretch mark, every little pudgy place, meant I gave 4 human beings life and fought like a warrior to bring them into the world. I'm proud of that.

Girl, calm down! You had a baby 3 weeks ago. Should you even be exercising yet?
I would give it at LEAST 4 months to come off with proper diet and exercise.

You just had a baby. Give the scale a break. Eat healthy, keep up your walking routine and don't worry about how much you weigh. It has only been three weeks. You aren't supposed to weigh what you did prepregnancy at this point.

Sixteen pounds in three weeks is great. Don't expect it to just come off. It may take some time. Are you nursing? That helps with shedding the pregnancy weight as well as exercise. Though you may want to take it easy on the exercise so soon after giving birth.

Most women don't lose all the pregnancy weight in a few weeks. Usually at the time of the birth, you lose about double the weight of the baby. The extra weight is not from the pregnancy. 35 pounds is not baby! I'm not sure where you got the idea that you'd be losing a lot of pounds every week, but you'll probably only lose a couple of pounds a week. Are you breastfeeding?
When I had my 2nd baby, I gained 42 pounds and at my six week checkup, I had lost 39 pounds, but I don't think that's the norm. My baby was a no latch/no suck baby so I was constantly pumping and that's probably why I lost so much weight.
Losing 20 pounds in three weeks isn't a small amount. If you thought you'd lose all the pregnancy weight in a few weeks, you were mistaken to think this was typical. The weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, extra breast tissue, blood volume, etc. is 20-24 pounds. The rest is fat stores and doesn't just go away on its own. An extra 15 pounds is only going to come off a couple of pounds a week at most, with effort.
Good luck. Please don't rush, it's not recommended to diet severely or overdo the exercise at this stage.

The trick was to nurse a lot for a full year to get back to my 130. But it took months, not 3 weeks! I am on baby #5 and never gained any lasting baby weight with baby #2 and up (after the baby was born and give it a few months, up to 9).

I run, nurse, eat healthy, and go to the gym 3 times a week. It's a lot of work but worth it!

I was shocked that the weight takes a few months to really fall off. But then it really goes fast if you do the above! I gained 19 lbs. with the first baby and a bit more for the others.

But still, before #1 I was 122 and 5'8" and that is never going to happen. My body is just different. I gained muscle though as I started going to the gym. I was 145 in college (same as 9 months pregnant with baby #1), and there I think I had way more muscle, even. I did a work out club that was insane 3 days a week. Good, but insane. :)

Every mom is different. You sound like you're doing great - one rule of thumb is nine months up, nine months down. I have friends who swear that no matter what they did, their bodies held on to 10 extra lbs for 9 months and then it just fell off. Take it easy until you're cleared for regular activity by your doctor - walking is great, but don't push it much more beyond that until you are cleared to do so.

My own weight pattern was totally wacky - I lost weight while pregnant, then would gain that back plus a few lbs (literally, never more than 8lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight), then lose 20 lbs at delivery, bringing me down to less than my pre-pregnancy weight after delivery...then I would gain back 10 lbs or so over the next few months. So...be happy that the scale is moving in the right direction!

As to what the weight is from? Only about 20 lbs would have been from your baby, placenta and extra fluid. The other 15 aren't baby weight and will come off slowly via diet and exercise, just like if you had gained those lbs outside of pregnancy. Don't worry about it - you probably look great the way you are. Congrats on your new baby!

Don;t expect your weight to go full on down until after you are done weaning. Your body will hold on to some extra padding to ensure that the baby gets enough calories from your milk. Be prepared for another drop after you are done b/f. Just be sure that you don't carry on eating the extra 500 calories a day and your weight will go back to pre-preg. Your body shape however, might never be the same again.

good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

You're doing great. I lost 20 pounds really fast but it took a lot of hard work and a longer time for the last 20 to come off. It took 9 months to put on so it will take more than a few weeks to come off. Just keep exercising and eating healthy. Maybe increase your walks to 2 miles. Good luck!

Um...it took me 10 years to lose the baby weight.

You're doing just fine, J.. It WILL come off, especially being as dedicated to losing it as you are. Just don't over exert yourself - at least until after your 6 week check-up.

And congratulations on your new baby!

When I was pregnant I gained a lot of weight but I was very puffy and swollen toward the end.
When I gave birth I lost 20 lbs.
Then in the next 2 weeks I lost another 20 lbs - it was all that water I had been holding.
I peed a lot and sweated a lot - sometimes I had to change pajamas in the middle of the night.
I still had more weight to lose after that but at least I felt more like myself.
But it was more like 8 weeks before I could really walk and exercise - my hips were so loose from giving birth (our son was 9 lbs 1.5 oz delivered vaginally) I could feel my hip joints grind for a long time - it took awhile for the joints and ligaments to tighten up again.
It took you 9 MONTHS to put on that weight and grow another human being.
It's going to take you more than a few weeks to take it off again.
Give yourself some time.

My mom hates me. My youngest sister is almost 17 and my mom is JUST starting to lose weight after many many many failed diets (But now my mom has lost 75 pounds this year).

I weighed 115lbs when I got pregnant, 105lbs by the end of my first trimester (Cut pop out of my diet so that is what caused the weight lost), 135lbs when I delivered, and 120lbs when I left the hospital.

Like I said... My mom hates me.

You're doing just fine!!! Weird - we are pretty alike. I was 140 before my kids, up to 175 with both. It's been awhile (they're 9 and 11) but I'm pretty sure I was somewhere in the 150's after 3 weeks. I didn't start exercising again until 7 or 8 weeks postpartum. I think all the weight was gone around 6 months. Funny, I felt the way you do. I remember when my first daughter was 3 months I felt great and thought I looked great. But most of my clothes still didn't fit. I guess when you go from 175 to 150 in a matter of hours you feel skinny! Anyway, I'm actually below 140 now, and feeling fabulous. You will too. For now, just keep eating healthy and walking. Congrats on the baby :)

Don't worry about the scales and weight. Enjoy the baby, eat right, relax and it will come off but you may never have the same weight or you might. Either way you can look good and be happy. I'll never be the size I was before kids and that is just how it is. But I don't look really bad either. You got through stages in life with size and weight because sometimes you need that extra weight for different reasons. Just look your best and it will come off.

I had lost it all for the very reason that I did NOT gain very much with my pregnancies. With #1 I gained 12 lbs., with #2 I gained 14 lbs. and with our last 2 (twins), I gained 20 lbs., and my babies weren't tiny little babies for my size! I am 5' 3" and 122 lbs. I guess I was determined to NOT eat "crazy" while I was pregnant, so I would not have an issue with losing the weight afterward as I had heard "horror" stories ;) of women having a terrible time losing their baby weight, and I just knew I didn't want to be one of them...so I was careful while I was pregnant! So, afterward, the weight just came off easily, without any problems, and I left the hospital in my regular clothes. It was quite nice. It sounds like you are doing just fine and will have NO problem losing the rest quickly. Congrats on your little one! :)

I think as you get older you might still look similar to what you looked like before you had a child but the scale may say something different. I weight much more than I look, I always have. Don't be in a hurry to lose weight. If you are nursing, the fat could release toxins too quickly into your breastmilk and cause colic and other issues. If you are not nursing at all then good luck getting back to 137. It is very rare (unless the women has medical or psychological issues) to get skinny again if you don't nurse.

Hon, it's gonna take 6 weeks or so just for you to deflate all of the fluids your body is carrying!
I TOTALLY understand the impatience, but you do have to give your body time to do what it needs to do naturally.
You're carrying a lot of extra water and blood. Your body needs to adjust down...and it will. Keep up with the healthy eating and exercise. You'll be back to yourself in another month or so.

Also remember that after all the weight is off and you 'reach' your weight your clothing may not fit like it did.

I lost almost all of my weight by the time I got out of the hospital (5 day stay normal 10 day) and went home in regular clothing. That summer I wore a bikini and had no flab but I did breastfeed.

Just take your time and don't worry about it. Walking is good but don't go overboard until the doctor gives you the okay. Then and only then can you really begin to exercise. Don't strain anything when you do workout because your body is still going back to its original shape and size internal and external.

Enjoy your new bundle and have a good holiday season. Remember to rest when you need to and don't push yourself.

The other S.

I weighed about 135 prior to pregnancy #1, weighed almost 195 the day he was born (GASP!) and was at about 155 at my 6 week appointment. I'd say it took a full 6 months to work myself back to 140 - where I still sit 4 years after having baby #3.

I look think, I'm in shape, but I'll probably never actually weigh 135 again. My body just changed.