How Fast Will I Lose The Weight I Gained During Pregnancy?

Written by Beverley Brooke


Remember as with any weight loss and exercise program, moderation isrepparttar key! How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, includingrepparttar 139864 amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.

Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds withinrepparttar 139865 first 2 weeks of delivery. This weight may be attributed primarily torepparttar 139866 loss of excess fluid inrepparttar 139867 body,repparttar 139868 baby’s weight,repparttar 139869 placenta and amniotic fluid. Some women might lose a little bit less, and others might lose a little bit more.

Asrepparttar 139870 uterus shrinks back down to its normal size and your hormone levels continue to fall, you will lose weight. Most women gain at least 7 pounds of fat during pregnancy. This fat is meant to help women store energy while breastfeeding. How fast this weight comes off will depend on a number of factors including: genetics, your overall health, diet and exercise.

You should expect that it will take a little

Postpartum Exercise - Abdominals And Other Exercises

Written by Beverley Brooke


Most women are concerned with reshaping their newly formed ‘pooch’ after delivery. You knowrepparttar sagging area of skin that used to resemble your stomach?

The good news is you can restore your abdomen to its pre-pregnancy luster, or at least a semblance thereof. It will take a lot of hard work however on your part.

Before you start exercising your abdomen however, it is important that you check for a separation or gap in your stomach muscles. Some women develop a gap in their stomach muscles as a result ofrepparttar 139863 expansion that occurs during pregnancy and labor. It can take anywhere from four to eight weeks for this gap to close.

If you attempt to perform strenuous abdominal exercises prior to this, you may permanently injure your abdomen. So be sure to check before you engage in any stomach exercises.

Here’s how:

- Life flat on your back.

- Bend your knees.

- Placerepparttar 139864 fingers of your left hand palm facing you above your belly button.

- Upon exhaling, lift your head and shoulders offrepparttar 139865 floor while sliding your right hand up your thigh toward your knee.

Feel your abdominal muscles tighten. As you do so, check for a gap betweenrepparttar 139866 edges ofrepparttar 139867 muscle. If you have a gap that is more than two or three finger widths, you should perform only moderate exercise.

The gap will eventually narrow to one inch or so, and at this point you can typically safely perform crunches with no adverse effects. If you are having difficulty assessing whether or not your abdomen has a gap, ask your healthcare provider to point it out to you. This is actually a physical condition referred to as diastasis recti (but no need to get technical here!).

Below you’ll find some ofrepparttar 139868 best exercises for restoring shape and flexibility to your stomach muscles:

Leg Slide This exercise can generally be started duringrepparttar 139869 first month post partum. You can do it while sitting onrepparttar 139870 floor watching your baby.

- Lie on your back with knees bent.

- Tighten your stomach muscles while pressingrepparttar 139871 small of your back againstrepparttar 139872 floor, exhaling as you do so.

- Slide both your legs apart, so that they are moving away from your body. Atrepparttar 139873 same time, keep your back flat onrepparttar 139874 floor.

- Return your legs torepparttar 139875 start position when your back starts to arch.

- Repeat 5-10 times.

It is important that you pay close attention to your breathing duringrepparttar 139876 leg slide, and tighten your stomach muscles before your slide your legs away from your body. Also pay attention to be surerepparttar 139877 small of your back is pressed againstrepparttar 139878 ground.

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