thread: Post-pregnancy weight loss - is this normal?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Apr 2005
    1,814

    Post-pregnancy weight loss - is this normal?

    During my pregnancy I put on 10 kgs.

    I gave birth to a 4.86kg baby. And presumably, I can also account for some pregnancy weight with my placenta/amniotic fluid/increased blood volume.

    When I came home from hospital (day 5), I weighed 1.5 kg more than my pre-pregnancy weight, which I was pretty pleased about, thinking that it wouldn't take me long to lose. Now ... day 10 .... I weigh 1.5kgs less than my pre-pregnancy weight.

    Is it normal to lose my pregnancy weight so fast, and then some? I am breastfeeding, and worrying that I may need to eat more to keep my supply up. Or should I just count my blessings lol?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Apr 2005
    1,814

    LOL Fletch - aside from total exhaustion, yep, I'm feeling great

    I should add ... I wasn't the skinniest person to start with (~100kgs), so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it?

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Sydney
    2,614

    Similar thing happened to me Cherie. A week after giving birth I weighed 2kg less than pre-pregnancy weight. My midwife told me if you breastfeed, it often helps you lose the weight quicker.

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    melbourne
    11,462

    i lost 4 kg by the time igot home and a total of 7kg in 7 days, took me a further 4 weeks to loose the last 4kg and i;m back to excatly my pre preg weight, i breast feed as well

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Sep 2004
    Sydney's Norwest
    4,954

    Cherie, embrace it hun. You are a lucky one Like Fletch said, as long as you are feeling ok, well, as good as you can with a brand new baby, enjoy loosing the weight.

    I was lucky with Joel, I put on 22kgs and lost it all in 2 weeks of having him. Still don't know how, but I'm not complaining

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Nov 2004
    Giving the gift of life to a friend..
    4,264

    Cherie when I fell pregnant with Maddy I was about 52ish kgs!
    When I had her I was 72kgs & then within 4wks of her birth I was 48kgs!
    She was bottle fed & I just focused 100% on her & nothing else, so I did forget meals & I was single & had some relationship stresses!

    Once happily married & TTC with Indah I realised I was about 65ish kgs, when I had her I was 78kgs & figured I'd lose weight quickly & easily again as I was now breastfeeding... Well I think I got down to 68kgs... Now I have no idea what I weigh, but I'm hoping my baby weight falls off!!! hee hee

    So Thank your lucky stars!!!!! hee hee

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2004
    5,756

    I also put on 10kg with Charlie. He was 4.1kg. I lost all the weight plus another 3kg in about a week after he was born.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Aug 2004
    Hunter Valley, Wine Country, NSW
    3,006

    I`m another one where breastfeeding = huge weight loss.

    It has happened with both my boys and now everyone has been saying to me that I`m fading away to a shadow (I`ve always been a small person), yes I don`t have much weight on board, bones are sticking out everywhere but as I say I eat like a horse but it`s because I`m breastfeeding it just falls off me, I`m well underweight to what I should be but what can I do - stop breastfeeding - NO WAY!!!!!

    My grandmother was the same that in the end they told her to stop breastfeeding as there was nothing left off her, I know exactly how she must have looked.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    8,369

    Normal to me - 3 days post-birth I was back in my skinny jeans, although I still have about 3kg of preggo weight to shift I'm OK doing that slowly, as some must be on my chest and arm muscles now. If I were overweight before pregnancy I imagine I'd have lost weight too as I feel/look thinner than this time last year now.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Cloud nine :D
    6,309

    I had the same happen to me... By day 5 i had lost all 10kgs of my pregnancy weight...
    and im Breastfeeding as well and the weight it still going...

    Deejoy i am the same... eat like a horse, but because Bf the weight just keeps going

  11. #11
    Administrator
    Add Rouge on Facebook

    Jun 2003
    Ubiquity
    9,922

    I think thats perfectly normal Happened to me too!

    *hugs*
    Cailin

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Apr 2005
    1,814

    That's great to know that it's not unusual. I'd just heard so many people say how hard it was to lose their pregnancy weight, and thought it must be weird to lose not only my pregnancy weight, but extra, only 10 days after having Jambin. But it seems like it's not that weird after all

    ... having a baby is a bit of an extreme way to lose weight though

  13. #13
    paradise lost Guest

    Hey,

    I too lost a lot. I only gained 6-7kg during PG (was 96kg before i got pregnant though, so was still a good healthy "pregnant" weight IYKWIM) and was back to pre-pregnancy weight by day 4. I breastfed for 7 months (supplemented with FF from 4 months) and i'm sure that helped a lot. NOw, just over a year on, i'm 75kg, not been this thin in a decade! I do run a lot now (in training for a half-marathon), which i started doing when DD was 6weeks old (to avoid PND which i could feel casting its long shadow, due to relationship stresses, breakup, having to move house with a 4month old blah blah blah), but really built up the distance once i'd weaned her. I'm actually drinking a coffee with 2 sugars and double cream as i type this as i just upped my training runs to total 26k a week and i started thyroxine recently for an underactive thyroid and i'm desperately trying to kep my weight! Never thought it'd happen!

    You're right about it being extreme though - met a friend i'd not seen in a long time the other day and she was like "WOW, you look so well, how did you get so toned and thin?" and i was like "i got pregnant!" She looked at me like i had 2 heads! LMAO!

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Apr 2005
    1,814

    Wow hoobley!! That's an awesome weight loss. And well done on the marathon running. I am really keen to get back into my jogging, but might give it a few weeks yet

    I've lost another kilo this morning ...

  15. #15
    BellyBelly Life Member

    Nov 2003
    1,861

    I lost the PG weight really quickly after Kynan was born but that was because my thyroid was acting up again. For me it's an autoimmune thing but even without that thyroid problems aren't uncommon after birth so if you're concerned then get it checked out.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Apr 2005
    1,814

    Thanks Angel - I'll definitely keep that in mind if things continue too drastically.