Before your first postpartum doctor’s checkup, expect to lose some weight naturally. This will happen usually around six to eight weeks after giving birth. After that, you may lose another 10 to 15 pounds in the months ahead assuming you followed your doctor’s pregnancy weight gain guidelines.
But do you have an unexplained weight loss after pregnancy?
- Postpartum weight loss timeline
- Why am I thinner after pregnancy than before
- Rapid weight loss after pregnancy explained
Postpartum weight loss timeline
Thinner after pregnancy than before? | Photo by Andres Ayrton from Pexels
During pregnancy, women gain various amounts of weight. According to MayoClinic.com, underweight women should gain between 28 and 40 pounds during pregnancy, while obese women should gain between 11 and 20 pounds. While some of the weight gained during pregnancy is lost immediately after birth, the remainder may be retained as body fat.
The greatest rapid weight loss occurs during delivery. You may lose up to 10 pounds during the birth of your child. As residual fluids are discharged from your tissues during the first week after birth, your body continues to drop weight quickly.
However, after the first week, you should reduce your weight gradually and steadily. Healthy weight loss normally occurs at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week after the initial postpartum period. A variety of factors influence how quickly you lose weight following your pregnancy.
Women who have multiples, such as twins or triplets, may lose weight more quickly. Your activity level, daily caloric consumption, breastfeeding status, and pre-pregnancy weight all influence how quickly you lose pregnancy pounds. Excessive weight loss can indicate a range of conditions, including GI issues, cancer, heart disease, infection, and kidney disease.
Why am I thinner after pregnancy than before
Immediately after your baby is delivered, you will lose about 10 to 12 pounds. This is your newborn’s entire weight, including the placenta and amniotic fluid.
Then, over the next few days, you’ll lose another 5 pounds of water weight. Following that, losing two pounds per month for the next six months is normal and healthy.
Losing too much weight too quickly is not healthy for you or your child. Excessive weight loss during childbirth might leave you exhausted and tired. You could potentially end up with insufficient breast milk or breast milk lacking the nutrients your baby needs.
Rapid weight loss after pregnancy will vary depending on a person’s lifestyle, metabolism, nursing status (breastfeeding has been demonstrated to increase weight reduction), and other personal health and genetic factors.
Does breastfeeding make you lose weight?
Photo by João Henrique do Carmo
Breastfeeding mothers are more likely than non-breastfeeding mothers to lose weight quickly. Your body creates hormones that cause muscle contractions in your uterus when you breastfeed.
As a result, each time you breastfeed your infant, your uterus contracts and shrinks. Within six weeks of giving birth, your uterus will recover to its pre-pregnancy size.
Breast milk production necessitates an extra 500 calories each day. The extra calories come from both the meals you eat on a regular basis and the fat that has already built up in your body. You’ll be able to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy more rapidly if you use up those fat stores.
It’s conceivable that you’re not eating enough to compensate for the calories your body expends to create breastmilk if you’re losing weight too quickly or more than you’d want.
READ MORE:
Postpartum Hair Fall: What causes it and how to deal with it
Mom’s guide on how to care for your postpartum wound, vaginal or cesarean delivery
Postpartum Guide: Recovering from pain in stitches after delivery
Unexplained weight loss after pregnancy
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Excessive or rapid weight loss after pregnancy can be caused by a medical problem that requires treatment, as well as lifestyle concerns and the pressures of new parenting (such as being too exhausted to eat). It is best to ask for help from your doctor.
Could it be postpartum thyroiditis?
Hypothyroidism is the most common symptom of postpartum thyroiditis, and it appears as fatigue, cold sensitivity, weight gain, constipation, sluggishness, and dry skin.
In some people, hyperthyroidism causes exhaustion, weight loss, palpitations, heat sensitivity, anxiety, irritability, and tremor. In some women, hyperthyroidism will be followed by hypothyroidism.
According to Sydney GP Dr Victoria Wilkinson, many of the symptoms are attributable to the demands of having a child or to symptoms associated with breastfeeding.
Within 12-18 months, most symptoms will fade and the thyroid will regain normal function, but 10-20% of women will suffer long-term thyroid dysfunction.
Thinner after pregnancy than before: what to do
The demands of parenting can make you skip meals, but it’s vital to eat enough. It takes a lot of energy to breastfeed and produce a healthy supply of breast milk. Consume a variety of nutritious foods that will provide you with all of the nutrients and calories you require to gain that energy.
If you’re losing too much weight, think about how much you’re doing and whether you’re taking time for your own nourishment. Make it a point to eat healthily, stay hydrated, and get enough rest.
