What is the best time to regain weight after childbirth

There is no one-size-fits-all standard answer for postpartum weight recovery. Clinically, it is generally believed that 6 months after delivery is the recognized golden window period. If a vaginal delivery is carried out 42 days after the reexamination confirms that the uterus is in good condition and there are no other abnormalities, adjustments can be started step by step. For cesarean section, it is not too late to start after the wound is completely healed and the body is stable for about 3 months.

However, many experts in obstetric nutrition have different views. They feel that there is no need to stick to this time point. As long as the body allows it after delivery, even if you slowly walk around the room just a week after giving birth, and skim off the upper layer of oil when drinking soup, you are laying the foundation for weight recovery, and you cannot wait for a long time before "officially starting".

There are two completely different examples around me. Xiao Min, who gave birth to her first child last year, had a natural birth. She gained 22 pounds during the 42-day review and her rectus abdominis separated two fingers. The doctor said that there was no need to repair it, and she could just stand for a short time and hold the baby for a long time. She listened to the advice and was not in a hurry. I signed up for private lessons at the gym and took my mother-in-law to push the baby for 40 minutes around the neighborhood after dinner every day. I didn’t even drink pig’s trotter soup or old hen soup every time I was breastfeeding, but replaced it with steamed fish and shrimp, boiled vegetables and warm milk. Not to mention that my milk volume was not affected, and I returned to my pre-pregnancy weight of 98 pounds in just over 3 months. Another friend, Arlene, had an emergency cesarean section. The wound had been in pain for more than two months. In the first three months, she broke out in sweat even after sitting up to feed milk for a long time, and could not move at all. It was almost 4 months before she slowly started to do some light exercise such as abdominal breathing and squatting against the wall. She also lost almost all the 32 pounds she gained during pregnancy by the 6-month mark.

Some mothers have also asked me before if I can no longer lose weight after 6 months. Is the "fat solidification" mentioned on the Internet true? In fact, this statement is a bit exaggerated. Essentially, in the six months after delivery, your metabolic level is still relatively high compared to pregnancy, and the newly accumulated fat cells have not yet stabilized. At this time, the input-output ratio of adjustment is the highest, and you can see the effect without much effort. But it really doesn’t mean that it’s hopeless after this time. I met a mother a while ago. She started to adjust her diet and exercise regularly when her baby was two and a half years old. She lost 20 pounds in eight months. However, the process was more strenuous than when she just gave birth and required more stable persistence.

Of course, don’t go to extremes. I’ve seen many mothers run 5 kilometers on an empty stomach just after confinement. As a result, they started leaking urine within two days of running, and some even lost half of their milk supply. The gain outweighed the gain. After all, weight recovery is a matter of course. You should take care of your own body and your baby's food first, and then adjust slowly. There is no need to beat yourself up in pursuit of the so-called best time. To be honest, whenever you are willing to start and your physical condition allows you to start, that is your best time.