The problem with losing weight postpartum...

goldenrun358

goldenrun358

Cathlete
Hi ladies! I am seven weeks postpartum tomorrow and I am totally discouraged with weight loss. The problem with losing weight after baby: FATIGUE!! I don't get much sleep these days and the thought of working out it NOT appealing. I don't want to waste any extra energy, I feel like I need every bit of it to get through the night. Also, cutting calories is hard because when I am tired, I want to eat.

My baby and I have both been through a lot--this has not gone the way I thought that it would and I have been under even more stress than I thought. So many things have happened that I feel the need to be hypervigilant about her health and mine. But, carrying an extra 25lbs is stressful too because none of my clothes fit.

I'm sorry for whining, but how do you all do it? Did you just do it even though you were tired? Any thoughts would be helpful. TIA
 
The short answer? You just have to force yourself.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but really, that's it. Like any other time, you'll find that once you start working out, you'll have more energy. It's hard to battle the fatigue, and some days you have to do less than you'd like to, or you have to break up your workouts into 10 minutes at a time...

You just have to do what you can, and make yourself do it.
Then, once you see your body start to change back, that is a motivator in iteself to keep going.

The lack of sleep is so hard, and it's tough not to just lay on the couch when they finally do nap. But you'll feel so much better once you get back into it, I promise!
 
I haven't had my little one yet so I am not speaking from experience but I just wanted to say: Give yourself a break! 7 weeks out is still very early and everyone's body reacts differently to pregnancy and pp weight loss. And you are a new mommy! You even said it yourself: You two have been through a lot. If working out is not appealing to you right now, then don't. I know for me, working out is a stress relief so if I am just not feeling it, then I don't do it. Some days I have forced myself and I feel better mentally after I do but you know your own limits. Try fitting in what you can even if its only 10 minutes and you might find that you have more energy as you start to work out longer. And remember...eventually you will find a routine and workout schedule that works for you and your baby!

I was very hard on myself because I was so fatigued throughout this pregnancy and barely worked out until I gave myself a break and relaxed about my eating and working out and everyone has told me that I look great and am all baby. I know what areas are not firm for me right now but that is something I will work on after my little guy is born.

Good luck!
 
I'm not really trying to be too hard on myself. We really have had a tough time. She was born with a cleft palate that the hospital missed and I discovered the day after we were released from the hospital because she wasn't breast feeding properly. She will require surgery at 9 months. She lost 9% of her birth weight, then had to start formula. I started pumping, which was a horribly painful experience.

I was so overwhelmed with having to pump every three hours around the clock and care for a newborn, that I decided to quit pumping after 3.5 weeks. While weaning, I developed mastitis--this led to an abscessed milk duct that had to be drained. That was an excruciating process and I basically lived with severe breast pain for more than 4 weeks. It hurt to even hold her. Thankfully, this is now better. I thought I was going to have to have surgery as well, but luckily the surgeon took a conservative approach to the infected milk duct and I was just on antibiotics for 24 days!

She just recently developed an allergy to her formula which caused blood in her stool, so we switched to soy. This constipated her causing her to scream when trying to have a BM and all she could get out were hard pellets. Another switch to the formula has been made (just yesterday) and we're hoping for the best.

We have been to more doctors appointments in the last seven weeks than I have been to in my whole life.

Aside from the physical stuff that I have been through, dealing with the emotional stuff has been overwhelming. This on top of being a first time mom. I never in a million years thought that I wouldn't be able to breast feed. I was flexible with my birth plan, but didn't ever consider that I may not be able to feed my child the way I wanted to. BF was VERY important to me and I was devastated by this.

Amid all this, I was the matron of honor in an out of town wedding and had to throw a bachelorette party!

So, I'm trying no to be too hard on myself. But, I just keep hoping life finds a balance and normalcy. And I pray nothing else goes wrong. I just want to enjoy the rest of my maternity leave and enjoy my baby. Part of this includes taking good care of me: i.e. exercising.

Sorry so long. But it feels good to write all that down finally!!

The baby awakes! Gotta go!
 
(hugs)(hugs) You have been through ALOT, girl!! Hang in there.....enjoy your little peanut.

Working out, once you are able will help with stress management & will give you more energy.......as long as you don't overdo it. I'd start off with just 20-30 minutes on days when you can workout.....and then slowly get back to your regular schedule.

You will do it; it might take longer than you thought.....but it will happen with "baby steps". :D
 
What an emotional rollercoaster you've been on :( Hugs to you both (and to DH, who must also be exhausted).

What if, in an attempt to take some pressure off yourself, you focus on 10 minute workouts for now? There are several DVDs that allow you that flexibility. I just got 2, both by Core Fusion (through amazon.com). You could start with 10 minutes, then decide to do another 10 minutes if you feel like it. That way, you'll feel like you're doing something, but it's not as overwhelming as thinking you need to work out for 30-60 minutes.

Does DD like to walk? Maybe a daily walk would serve you both well too.

I am a big believer in sleeping when you can during the first weeks. Given how much you guys have been trying to figure out with DD, I think sleep is vital. I know I my patience level drops when I'm too tired and too stressed. Please don't beat yourself up.
 
Thanks ladies for the support and encouragement. Luckily the baby likes her jogging stroller and we have gotten out. Actually, she loves to get out and do something everyday. She is very alert! We have taken walks and even jogged some. It's just hard to look back at my previous fitness level compared to now. But, you're right, just doing something is better than nothing and I've been trying to keep that mentality.

I have been able to sneak in a few core sessions and the floor work section from B&G recently. The hard part is keeping it consistent.

And even though I say I'm not hard on myself, I am sometimes. I'm trying to keep only positive tracks playing in my mind though. I don't want my daughter to pick up on any negative body image habits!!

Thanks for listening ladies. It's really cathartic to write about our experience. All in all we are lucky because she is otherwise healthy and normal and she is beautiful and such a delight in our lives!

Warm wishes to you all!
 
I haven't read all of the above, so I apologize if I repeat someone else but my advice is to not be so hard on yourself. Set a goal. Perhaps set aside three days a week that you will do a good long workout. Get your husband to watch the baby and enjoy that me-time. Once this becomes habit, you'll enjoy that endorphin rush and look forward to it each day. Set aside your workout DVD that morning and start to look forward to it. Buy yourself a cute workout outfit and maybe a new workout DVD to build motivation. And enjoy that time to yourself. Before long, you'll want to workout more and more... And it will give daddy time to bond with baby. As soon as my husband hits the door at night, I hand off all three of my kids (ages 7, 4 and 1) and head upstairs for a nice, long workout. They know not to bother me unless someone is seriously injured. It's MY time. We deserve some time to ourselves, not just to workout, but to recharge. It sounds cliche, but it's so true that we're no good to anyone else if we're not happy and healthy. And my kids see that I enjoy working out and this makes them want to do more things to be healthy. It's a totally win-win situation...

As for the breast feeding. Don't be so hard on yourself about that either! I tried to breast feed my first child, and I had to stop because it just didn't work. It was very important to me too. The nurses in the hospital made me feel like I would be a bad mom if I didn't breast feed... I went through huge guilt about it. And the guilt is harder on the baby than formula. They can sense when we are stressed out, and they are stressed out too. He thrived on formula. He has been the healthiest little boy! I didn't even attempt to BF my other two. I didn't want the guilt and stress. And they are happy, healthy little boys, as well.

As for the BMs.. Talk to your doctor about remedies for this. I am a huge advocate of suppositories. I used a half of a children's suppository each time my babies were backed up, and it helped immensely.

Hope some of this helps... First-time mommyhood is very stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Enjoy this time and try not to sweat the small stuff. :)
 
I like the idea of the hand off to hubby. Right now, I'm trying to find the time when she is asleep. But, it would be really nice to not have to be mindful during the workout and not have to have my attention split. It almost makes me anxious that she might wake up and I won't get to finish. I mean, you can't work your biceps and not your triceps right http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif

Having the time completely to myself would be wonderful. We'll see what can be worked out. DH is self employed and doesn't always get home at a time conducive to working out.

But, on the upside, just by cutting portions, I lost three pounds in a little over a week!! And already the jeans fit better!
 
Many hugs to you. You have had a rough start. BTW, my first daughter wouldn't breast feed bec she was 9 weeks preemie. I pumped every 3 hours for over 3 months. It was exhausting. By the time I got the baby fed and back to sleep I had to pump, wash everything, etc. When I went back to sleep she would be up in an hour. I totally understand that part of your situation.

As far as working out, don't worry about it yet. Can you do some lunges on the way to the kitchen and back? Great. Do that. Throw in 10 pushups during a commercial. Do maybe 3 or 4 things like that a day for starters. In two weeks or so, aim for a 10 minute session each day. In a few weeks after that aim for 2 ten minute sessions or one 20 minute session. By then she may nap longer or at the same time each day. Take a short walk if possible. I didn't discover Cathe until my first maternity leave. Before that I did Kathy Smith Lift Weights to Lose Weight and it was 2 short 20 minute sessions. I started with half of those workouts and then happened to see Cathe while channel surfing one morning. Eventually you will get there but you do not need the stress from the guilt of not working out.

Hope this helps.
 
Fit Moms Pregnancy & Postpartum

Hi goldenrun 358,

Apologies if this is too late for a reply, i have only just joined CatheNation Forums. I can understand exactly were you are coming from regarding fatigue. I have an 18 month old and in the early days when he had a sleep i would immediately run and put on my exercise gear regardless of how tired i felt, it was my me time. Although friends and family thought i was mad. At the beginning it was as someone suggested very small steps - i found Lindsay Brin (momsintofitness) a good fitness instructor to ease you back into exercise.
And i found the more i exercised the more energy and confidence i had as my figure slowly became more toned. My stomach region isn't how i would like but i have defiantly become more stronger as time has gone on. Even to this day i put my son down for his sleep in a playpen (travel cot) while i do my dvd's, he just automatically goes to sleep. And as time has gone on, i have progressed to more difficult dvd's like Cathe's.

Good luck with your baby and getting back to exercising.

Annie:):)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top