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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!
Susan Peach is a retired La Leche League Leader, a dance and fitness instructor, and mother to two teenage boys. She is also the creator of Mambo Moms, a fun and gentle Latin dance based fitness program that helps new moms get back in shape while spending quality play time with their babies. Find out more at http://www.mambomoms.com