If you are a woman who has recently given birth to a baby and looking for ways to reduce the baby weight, then you should be very cautious and follow healthy ways to reduce the excessive fat. Here we list some simple guidelines to get your body back after delivery.
What is baby weight?
When a woman becomes pregnant, the placenta is developed. It produces a hormone called HCG that protects the development of the baby.
HCG begins to control Hypothalamus (present in our brain and controls our digestive system) during the pregnancy period. The hypothalamus works first for the baby in your stomach and then to you when you are pregnant.
All the nutrients and minerals you intake are redirected to the baby and then to t you. This enforces the pregnant women to consume more food which stored as extra fat. Such excessive fat helps the women to get sufficient energy while giving birth to her baby and breastfeeding.
After delivery, the extra fat leads to gain weight. Besides this, factors like changes in the hormone production levels, stress also play an important role in excess weight after delivery. This is termed as “Baby weight”.
Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss tips
1. Start at the right time
Beginning the weight loss programs immediately after delivery is not a right thing. During pregnancy period, a hormone named “Relaxin” is produced in your body. This is required to soften the joints in your body and also for softening ligaments, pelvis for baby delivery.
The hormone continues to produce for a while after delivery. If you do physical exercises with this hormone inside your body, there will be a pain in your joints.
You need to wait until your body gets back the pre-pregnancy hormone levels. It requires 12 weeks to return the normal hormone and blood volume levels. Hence you can resume your weight loss activities after the 12 weeks.
2. Do exercise with your baby
If you had exercised regularly before delivery or in the pre-pregnancy period, you should do the same after the baby born. Similarly, the Doctors advice women to avoid gym workouts and buying weights to reduce the fat.
Now you have your baby. As your baby has enough weight, exercise with your little prince or princess. You can do simple movement exercise like Kegels, plie squats, walking lunges by holding your baby.
By keeping your body active with walking and the exercise, you can get rid of the postpartum depression which is also a reason behind the baby weight.
3. Don’t follow diet programs
You should not follow a stringent diet to lose weight after delivery. A new mom should eat more to improve her metabolism. Similarly, a breastfeeding mother should intake 1800-2000 calories per day because around 500 calories will burn while breastfeeding.
The remaining calories alone will help the women to get sufficient energy. Hence it is essential to eat healthy foods after delivery.
It is possible to maintain your weight without shrinking the level of food you eat. Then you should consume more fiber foods and foods which are rich in nutrients, calcium and other minerals.
4. Drink more water
Everyone needs to keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water. It also helps women to speed up their metabolism. Drinking more water will help women to produce more milk for breastfeeding.
Besides these, one glass of milk has the power to burn 4-7 calories. You can burn more calories to reduce your weight by drinking more water.
5. Prefer natural snacks as fat burners
It is easy to buy or purchase online a wide range of weight loss pills and supplements. But they contain various compounds which are not healthier for women especially new mothers. Hence it is better to take natural weight loss snacks to burn the excessive fat.
Here are some natural weight loss food items which you can prepare in your kitchen:
• Green tea
• Mixed nuts
• Boiled egg
• Egg sandwich
• A mixture of lime and honey
• Cabbage dish
• Vegetable Frankie
• Salad containing carrot, cucumber and tomato
• Fruit smoothies (Apple, Pineapple are highly preferable)
6. Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding helps both mother and the newborn baby in diverse ways. It helps the immune system of the baby and supports the child to get sufficient nutrients. Similarly, it empowers the mother to reduce her weight in a fast-paced manner.
The excess fat obtained during the pregnancy period will help the women to produce breast milk. As mentioned above, women can burn 300-500 calories when they breastfeed their babies. It is sure that a breastfeeding mother who consumes limited calories can get her slim body back.
7. Accompany with other mothers
In general, staying alone causes depression. Depression in the post-pregnancy stage is harmful to the woman’s health. Hence it is better to spend your time with other mothers.
Such company will help the new mom to feel energetic and happy. It also induces her to engage in various physical activities with them.
8. Sleep when you want
Gynecologists suggest women after her delivery need to get more sleep. Otherwise, her metabolism will be affected and higher the chances of weight gain. By doing the regular activities immediately after the baby born, you cannot get enough rest to get back the pre-pregnancy weight.
It is better to seek help from your relatives or neighbors to do activities to maintain your home for first few weeks after giving birth to the baby.
Conclusion
In general, there is a fall in the weight gained during the pregnancy period after the baby is born. This is because the weight includes the baby, increased blood, placenta, Amniotic fluid, breast tissues, larger uterus and stored fat.
Once the baby is born, placenta and HCG left while the others return back to their normal size except the fat. All you need is to reduce or burn the stored fat.
By following a healthy eating menu, keeping yourselves active and relaxed, it is simple to reduce the fat stored during the pregnancy, You need to wait for some time to get back your pre-pregnancy weight.