I’m not a "bounce back" mom.
I've been pregnant four times, and each time, I’ve gained and eventually lost 40 to 60 pounds. Each time it has taken me nine months to slowly add the weight, and each time it has taken me over a year to lose it. Twelve months. Not six weeks. Not three months. A whole year.
And that makes me completely normal
There are moms who lose weight quickly after their baby is born. I don't know their secret. It could merely be genetics. It could be a home chef or a personal trainer.
I have the genetics that allows me to grow and birth big babies (my biggest was a whopping 11 pounds that, yes, I birthed vaginally). I also have the appetite of a starved animal when breastfeeding and the postpartum lack of sleep to make a walk outside feel like a marathon. Meaning, I don’t restrict calories postpartum and I don’t prescribe to an exercise regimen right away.
During the 4th trimester — the three months after baby is born — I am in recovery. Plain and simple. After my baby is born my focus is twofold: Eat well so I can feed my baby well, and sleep often so I can function enough to care for my family. Losing weight is not on my radar.
I wear maternity clothes postpartum
When they become baggy, I swap my postpartum box of clothes, which are larger than my pre-pregnancy size but are still my style and loose enough that I feel comfortable in them. At some point, I add a belt to my pants and notice that my shirts are baggier than the cute kind of baggy, and then I return to my regular mom wardrobe.
Like clockwork, this transition of size and weight seems to always happen around my baby’s first birthday. Now, take note, this regular mom wardrobe is not my pre-mom wardrobe. It is my “I have lots of kids” wardrobe, the one with tummy grace and ample breast support.
So, let’s recap: 12 months after delivery — not 12 weeks — I find myself returning to a version of my normal self. Which means that, for me, pregnancy weight loss occurs during my 7th trimester. SEVENTH!
My 4th trimester is fluffy, the time we’re often told is for slimming down and adjusting to the new normal with baby. But rather than focusing on the scale, I pack it away and focus on nutrition, gentle exercise (like slow walks with my kids and yoga that incorporates my baby), and most of all, grace for a body that has done amazing work.
This might sound revolutionary to some
I mean, I often see “look at me in my pre-pregnancy jeans” photos scattered across social media. The likes and comments are in the hundreds, if not thousands. But what about the squishy and full postpartum bodies? The ones that also birthed babies and continue to care for them? They deserve praise, too.
My transitioning body, whether it be during the 4th trimester or beyond, is no less worthy. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s normal. One like yours. With a little extra here and a little extra there and a precious baby snuggled on our chests that makes all the weight as it comes and goes very much worth it.
