I've never even heard of this pelvic binding. Where have I been? This is something I might be interested in when I am finally post partum/ post BFing again.

Re: weight gain - I only gained about 30 with my son, lost most by the time he was about 3 months but had a pesky 5-10 until he stopped BFing (ok- until I stopped pumping but same thing I guess). Nothing is the same though! Wider hips, little loose belly... I too miss being thin! I was ok with wearing a bikini last summer by the time he was 18 months but now I'm pregnant again and already feel HUGE!!! How do you get so big so fast the second time? People at work are already able to tell and I'm barely 11 weeks. So much for keeping it quiet until the end of the first trimester, haha.

Even when I ran before I stopped BFing I found it impossible to lose that last bit of weight. I was eating a lot because I was always so starving, but I thought I made up for it burning those calories with BFing. I don't know...

Anecdotally, I have noticed that women who start out thin or average seem to hang on to some baby weight until they wean, whereas women who started out somewhat overweight are more likely to say they easily dropped all their pg weight while breastfeeding. I think your body needs a little nutritional cushion to support lactation, you know?

15 mo is not that long postpartum IMO. Like I said it took me a year (without dieting or exercise) to lose all my pregnancy weight (plus two bonus pounds), and then another six months for all my parts to look mostly normal again.




Honestly I have not done much 'exercise' for many years. Certainly not since I had my first kid. I have never really noticed that exercise changes my weight either - I am certainly stronger and more toned when I exercise but it doesn't change my weight at all. I weighed the exact same (123 lb) for years and years, whether I was running 20 miles a week, playing Ultimate and eating healthy (preclinical years!), or doing no formal exercise and living off doughnuts (research years).




I wouldn't, unless they are so out of style you wouldn't want to wear them again. At 1.5 years postpartum all of my measurements were back to how they were before, and I fit in all of my prepregnancy clothes. (The only permanent changes were a very mild boob sag and a somewhat wider bellybutton.) I actually went on a celebratory shopping spree, and then ended up getting pregnant a month later so I didn't get much wear out of the new clothes, sigh.

Re belly binding: As far as I know there is no controlled research on this, just lots and lots of anecdotes and 'traditional wisdom'. Like I said, my anecdote is that my gut went down faster the second time than the first, and I don't know what else I would attribute it to other than the more religious belly binding.

I don't see why it would restrict circulation though - surgery seems to give these binders to many patients post certain abdominal procedures, you would think (hope?) if there were a circulation issue that wouldn't be done?

I haven't seen the hip binders, that's interesting. I would guess the mechanism would be really different though - supporting stretched-out abdominal muscles vs squeezing the pelvic diameter while the ligaments retighten?

I guess I am in a better boat b/c I was never super thin to begin with . I was a size 6/8 pre my first child. Never had a bikini body. After 8 years of pregnancy/breastfeeding/pregnancy/breastfeeding, I ended up after #4 at 6 weeks PP with about 30 extra pounds from where I had started pre #1.

I am still nursing and am on a great diet exercise program called Mama Wants her Body Back. There is a trainer at my gym who is running the program. I have done weight watchers on and off for 20 years (that was how I got down to a 6/8 in the first place) but have learned how to cheat the system too easily. I have tried Atkins (lost weight but hated it b/c I felt very unhealthy, hair started falling out, bad skin), South Beach, and various other diets. This is the first one that combines a way of eating with a specific exercise program and boy am I seeing results. I have lost 11 pounds in 5 weeks which for me is amazing. My body fat percentage has dropped 6 1/2 % and I feel very strong. Prior to this I had lost about 6 on my own. So I still have to lose about 12 pounds to get to my ultimate pre preg weight and then another 15 or so to be where I want to be.

So, don't sweat it, it will come off. I also lose some when I stop nursing, and the 'girls' deflate. But my body shape is definitely different than pre preg.

Don't know about the belly binding but all of my Brazilian and Latina patients do it.

Even back at my ultimate "college" weight, I have never recovered my shape. My rib cage is wider, my hips are wider. They had to expand for the kiddos, and I guess they see no purpose in returning to narrow. I had 4 kids in just over 6 years, and ended up, when I finally stopped breastfeeding the youngest, at 35 pounds over college weight. To be fair, though, I was only 5 pounds over pre-baby #1 weight, I gained most of the pounds in the 1st year of med school. I used an online calorie calculator and religious exercise to lose it all, which took about 9 months. I have since moved, changed jobs, and gained about 15 pounds again (sigh). I am having limited motivation, honestly, because I can work my tail off and not eat anything fun, and have a BMI of 23, or I can exercise and only moderately watch my diet and have a BMI of 25. Hard to see the benefit, there.

I would stick with the BMI of 25 and enjoy life!! You look great!! I'm shooting for BMI of 25....I want to eat, at least sometimes

I am very happy to find this thread. The amount of "real weight" gained is probably about 30 pounds, but I put on about 20 more in the weeks leading up to delivery thanks to pre-E. I haven't been on the scale since checking in before delivery, and probably won't until my next OB appt in a week. But I feel like I've gotten rid of that extra fluid and then about 10-15 lbs of weight from baby and junk.

My maternity clothes are getting big on me again, but my regular clothes are too tight. So I still have a ways to go. Plus, I'd still like to lose about 40 lbs of pre-pregnancy weight. I can't wait to be cleared to start exercising again (stupid BP), but I will probably turn to running and lifting again.

I have to say though that if the first week after giving birth is any indicator, I will lose weight from not having time to eat. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be.

Totally! It drives me nuts when people (all w/o kids obviously) are like, oh we should get together since you'll have lots of free time while on maternity leave. Say what?! >:P

But you are on the pumping hamster wheel right? That is a *lot* more work than 'just' having a baby to take care of. Hope you get past that part soon, and get your son home asap.

SOOOO much work! Plus having a LO in the NICU an hour away. Ugh.

Yup, on the pump band wagon. I'm not pumping a whole lot thanks to a previous breast reduction, but I am getting enough to constitute about 1/3 to 1/2 of his feedings, which makes me feel better from an immunological point of view. Funny, I never thought I would really care about it, but now that I am able to do it, I'm dedicated.

I'm excited to see my OB on Monday and to find out when I can start an official exercise program, even if it's just walking. My high BPs put the hold on anything formal until further notice.

I'm beginning to not like seeing myself in pics with my son thanks to the post-pregnancy effects

Don't look at it that way, Megboo. I also was completely repulsed seeing myself in those pics with my son after he was just born. I gained so much weight! But you know what, life waxes and wanes us through stages and scenes in the "big picture." You being a source of life for your baby was one of those stages. You will regain who you feel you are with weight in time, but as you are now, you successfully managed to deliver your son. This is part of life. I hate the expectations society puts on women. I am not perfect at this yet, but I am trying to view imperfections such as weight as part of moving through the stages of life. This sounds so philosophical, but eventually we will get to a healthier place. This is just the place we are at when we deliver our babies.

The heavier pictures we have represent the fact that we carried a baby through some tough stuff in pregnancies. We did it! That's over, and in time, we will recover.

I'm still not there yet, but it'll happen. Every day I'm going to continue to make healthy choices. And I have a beautiful reminder of how I got heavy in the first place! Those tiny little baby cuddle pictures are also worth having! Take plenty and be proud of the fact that you got that baby here!

Encouragement for the day!

megboo, I missed your delivery and LO story... Sounds likee you're dong well-- I mean, "NICU an hour away" and still pumping nd still wondering about your weight loss actually sounds like youLve got things under control. How is LO doing? How are you and DH?

and FWIW, I,ve got 10# to go. Which is really 15 but I dob't want to write that. He's 3 months old...