Drinking lots of water is one of those things that seems easy in theory, but in practice it can be difficult to accomplish. One effective strategy to help make sure you get enough is to place water bottles strategically around house. You can buy small plastic bottles of water by case at grocery store or you can buy refillable type of bottle that you might take to gym or on your bike.

Put a bottle anywhere you spend time during day: near your favourite nursing chair (put several here—you’ll probably use them all!), near baby’s change table, on bathroom counter, on top of washing machine, on kitchen counter, on your desk, on a shelf near front door, beside your bed, on kitchen table, etc. Each morning, spend 3 or 4 minutes making rounds collecting yesterday’s empty bottles and replacing them with fresh ones. This way, you’ll be more likely to drink lots of water because there will always be some close at hand.

4) Breastfeed your baby if at all possible. Depending on age and weight of your baby, you can use around 800 calories a day producing milk for her. Besides host of other benefits that breastfeeding affords both you and your baby, quicker postnatal weight loss is one advantage that all new moms welcome. Even if you are returning to work or can’t breastfeed full time for any reason, any amount of breast milk is good for your baby, and as a perk, will help you use up additional calories for as long as you are able to continue.

In addition, breastfeeding releases natural hormones that help you relax. Since hormones released when you are stressed can contribute to weight gain, it only makes sense to counter this with activities that help you relax. Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to do this, and you and your baby will also benefit in so many other ways. If you need more information or support with breastfeeding, visit La Leche League International on web at http://www.LaLecheLeague.org

In part three of this article you’ll learn ways to burn extra calories easily and enjoyably without sweating it out at gym. You’ll also learn secret that savvy new moms use to effortlessly burn up to an extra 200 calories a day —that’s 2 pounds a month with no extra effort!

Remember though that moderation in your exercise program is key. Even if you bounce back quickly from your baby’s birth and are feeling very energetic, be sure to start slowly and increase your exercise level gradually. Too much too soon can set you back by causing you to feel exhausted later on in day. This can lead to grouchiness or a bout of baby blues, neither of which will motivate you to continue exercising! Remember old adage, “always leave ‘em wanting more.” This should be your fitness mantra in first few postpartum months. In other words, stop before you’ve had enough and you’ll be more likely to continue with your fitness program next day.

6) Wear your baby often. Using a sling or carrier to keep baby close during day will make your baby happier, plus it will give you a little extra weight to pack around as you do your daily chores and activities. It may not seem like much, but as your baby grows you’ll be increasing amount of weight you’re carrying while you go about your daily routines. And that adds up to extra weight loss for you.

Instead of using a stroller when you take a walk, put baby in carrier. Instead of putting her in a swing or rocking seat, rock her to sleep in your arms or in your baby carrier while you stand and gently bounce to and fro. When you go to grocery store, carry her in a sling instead of putting her in shopping cart. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to live within walking distance of your grocery store, you can even make this a daily outing to pick up a few items each time. Your baby will enjoy extra closeness of being in a sling or carrier as you do laundry, tend garden, or even take some time out for a hobby like bird watching. Babies in our society seem to spend so much time strapped into various pieces of equipment. Most will love opportunity to be closer to person they most adore—you!

The bonus for mom is that extra weight to carry equals extra calories burned. Over course of a year this can add up to significant weight loss, in a very healthy way for all concerned. Depending on how often you carry your baby, and how much she weighs, you can easily burn an extra 100-200 calories a day just by carrying her along for part of your day. Anytime you’re on go, try to carry your baby with you and you’ll be getting benefit of increased calorie burn that comes with packing around an extra 10, 15, or 20 pounds.

And there you have it, six painless ways to lose those extra pregnancy pounds effortlessly and without stress. Remember, your baby won’t be small for long so try not to get too preoccupied with weight loss. If you eat well most of time, get some moderate exercise on a regular basis, and follow rest of tips in this article series, you’ll get back in shape with hardly a second thought.