Too much weightloss after birth

A friend has just asked my to do a post for her (she has no internet).

She has a 2.5 year old and a 8 month old. She is still breastfeeding number 2. She is concerned about her weightloss. At birth she was approx 72 kilos before pregnancy was 60ish. She is now 49kilos ( i personally envy her), she is worried that she is losing too much. She isnt dieting or trying to lose, she is trying to put on. She has down the "junk food" diet as she puts it....nothing but rubbish..lol.

She is off to see a doctor soon (hopefully sooner then later but cant be sure 2 kids + rent + food + car repayments etc on a single parents doesnt leave you with much, also just moved and needs a new drs so we are trying to find a Bulk Billing one) but she is wondering if anyone knows a healthyish way. By healthyish, i mean one that isnt full of fat and will do life long damage to the heart etc.,

TIA.


YM

She might want to ask the Maternal Child health Nurse (free)- maybe she can refer her if she thinks she has a problem or give her some weight gain diet tips.

You might be able to google some info for her ... but lots of pastas/rice/wholemeal/low fat milk products are healthy/filling and reasonably cheap to help with weight gain.

Moving this to Your Body After Baby & Post Natal Issues

Sorry i realised after that there was a health section. Im really sorry.


They eat a lot of rice and pasta as the children are muslim. I will tell her about the ECHN. Total forgot about them. Thanks heaps.

My suggestion would definitely be to go to the Doctor, specifically to have her thyroid function checked. It can be common to develop thryoid problems post-pregnancy and I think from memory, it is an over-active thryoid that results in weight-loss, whilst an under-active thyroid results in weight gain. There would most likely be other symptoms present too.....her sleep may be disturbed for example.

I had the same problem after my first baby. I was around 50 kgs when I fell pg, got up to 72kgs then afterwards just kept loosing it. I got down to 7st 10. or about 47 kgs or so. At 171cm (5"7)tall way too thin. Anyway for me it was the breastfeeding that was making me loose it all. I don't think that I was putting in enough nourishment for the 2 of us.
Other than her eating a healthy and nutrious diet and maybe more frequent meals I don't know what else to say.

Hope your friend gets some help soon.

I agree with Mel about getting her thyroid function checked. Post partum hyperthyroidism isn't uncommon and one of they symptoms can be excessive weight loss. I had a pre-existing thyroid prob which started acting up again after my boy was born and the weight just fell off me. I ended up weighing about the same as I did before my 1st PG!

Thanks heaps for this info. I'm hoping she can come up to my place tomorrow or wednesday and will show her the results of this thread.

BTW she also lost a lot of blood with number 2 could that have been an underlining problem?

Should go and phone her now hey??!!! LOL

I think the only way to put on weight is to eat more calories than you burn. Unless of course there are underlying factors like thyroid problems. I think that can be checked with a blood test, but there should be other symptoms as well like sweating and tremors as well as the weight loss. HTH :)

After I had my first baby, I lost all my pragnency weight (30 kg) in 1 months. Then loose a little bit more during couple of months that I was breastfeeding. I believe that rather than eating more healthy food. Resting is also the part of weght lost. Anyway, to be certain that nothing wrong with her help. I agree that she should go get a check up with doctor. Then she might need more help with her children so she could have more time of. Healthy body come from healthy mind.