By Beverley Brooke

It is important that you remember that weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy. You have to gain weight in order to provide a healthy and comfortable home for the child that you will be nurturing for the next nine months.

Most women want to know what the ideal weight is during pregnancy. Honestly, there is no one answer. Weight gain will vary from woman to woman. There is no one “ideal” weight during pregnancy, just like there is no one “ideal” weight that is just right for al women.

That said there are certain guidelines that you can follow to ensure that the weight you gain during pregnancy is healthy.

Do you think that breastfeeding helps raise the occurrence of obesity or lower it? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics breastfeeding actually lowers the risk that your baby will grow into an obese child or obese adult. One of the reasons pediatricians are now recommending that mothers breastfeed for at least the first year is because of the added health benefits in reducing childhood obesity.

Why does breastfeeding have that added benefit? One reason is that it is believed that when a baby is attached to the breast and nursing, they quit when they are full. However, when a parent is feeding a bottle to their baby they often try to feed their baby until the bottle is empty, many times overfeeding the baby. This can teach their baby that they need to keep eating, even when they feel satisfied.

It is speculated that breast milk may contain ingredients that help control a baby’s metabolic rate, therefore helping to control their future weight gain. Because no one knows exactly what breast milk is made up of, it can not be duplicated to an exact copy by formula manufacturers like Enfamil. Because breast milk is genetically different and altered for each baby, there is no way for formula to be as good for your baby as breast milk.

Breast milk also helps prevent diabetes, ear infections, and diarrhea in babies. Besides being healthy for your baby, it is cheapest and easiest way to feed your baby. With health and convenience all taken care of, and the risk of obesity being lowered by breastfeeding, why would someone who could breastfeed make the choice to NOT breastfeed their baby?

By Beverley Brooke

How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.

Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery. This weight may be attributed primarily to the loss of excess fluid in the body, the baby’s weight, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Some women might lose a little bit less, and others might lose a little bit more.

As the 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 bit of time to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. It did after all take you nine months to put that weight on! Many women have successfully lost weight however, in just a few short months after a delivery.

Some women will hang on to the last few pounds they have to lose until they stop breastfeeding. Your body may want to cling to a few extra pounds to ensure you have enough energy to provide adequate milk for the baby. Every woman’s experience is unique with respect to this.

The good news is that with a solid nutritional program and with moderate exercise, you can expect to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy within a reasonable time frame.

Most women will be back to their pre pregnancy weight within nine months of delivering IF they follow a regular exercise program and eat healthily after delivery. That said some women will lose their pregnancy weight in as little as six to twelve weeks!

About the Author:
Article by Beverley Brooke, author of How To Ensure A Safe, Healthy Pregnancy And Lose Weight After Pregnancy. Visit her site for more on www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com.

During your pregnancy you more than likely gained weight. The average amount most women are told to gain is between 25-35 pounds. If a woman is underweight it may be suggested that she gain more than 35 pounds. Likewise, if a woman is overweight it may be suggested that she gain less than 25 pounds. However much you gain, how do you take it off?

The weight that the average woman gains is broken down somewhat like this:

Now this is just an average as some women will have 5 pound babies and others will have 10 pound babies. Getting rid of this weight after the baby comes is where the hard part comes in. If the chart is accurate for you, then you can probably expect to leave the hospital just 15 pounds lighter than when you came in. This accounts for the baby weight, the amniotic fluid, the placenta and some of the blood volume. That leaves you 16-20 pounds to still lose. Some of these pounds will come off naturally during the immediate weeks following pregnancy. Others will take longer.

If you started the pregnancy overweight and only gained a few pounds then chances are you will leave the hospital weighing less than you did before you delivered your baby. This is a GREAT feeling. If you desire, and begin eating healthy then you can continue the downward loss after your baby is born.

Some women will gain more than the recommended amount of weight during there pregnancy. From bad nutritional choices and a possible sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy, some women will gain, 50-60 pounds. Occasionally a woman will gain 80 pounds during pregnancy. The excess weight is all fat and is much harder to lose.

If you want to try to take advantage of the “best diet” a woman will ever go on, and continue to lose weight there are things that you can do. After your baby is born remember to eat healthy. Try to stay away from the sweets and fats, and eat more of the good healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and lean meats. If you are breastfeeding you will need the calories to help produce breast milk so you do not want to go on a strict diet. Healthy eating will go along way. After your 6-8 week postpartum doctor’s appointment, when your doctor gives you the all clear, start a light work out program, reawakening, and reshaping your muscles. Exercise, along with a healthy diet have been proven to help with weight loss.

Also, remember to drink a lot of water. Water consumption helps clear your body of the toxins and helps flush out the fats. The old “rule” is eight glasses of water a day, however many experts now suggest that you should drink half of your body weight, in ounces of water each day. Therefore, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink a minimum of 70 ounces of water each day. This computes to approximately nine glasses of water each day. If you are 200 pounds you should drink 100 ounces of water a day, or 12 1/2 glasses of water. If you have a hard time drinking water there are now flavored powders that you add to your water and that can give it a great taste.

Before you start any weight loss program, you should be sure to check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you.