After my second pregnancy I did not make any effort to lose the baby weight and I was not really that good about my diet during that pregnancy. About six months after my little girl was born I decided to start running again, but there were no results. I struggled a lot to gain strength again and just expected my body to bounce back like it did the first time. After a year of no change in my appearance I started to get depressed. Yes, I was still nursing, but how could running six miles multiple times a week not work?
Then I read an article in "Fit Pregnancy" about not doing stomach crunches too soon after the birth. Having been a cross country runner in high school I just kept my workout the same. It was pretty easy to stretch, run, and do some push ups and crunches, but this was not getting my body back. I started to think I would never wear anything that showed my legs again..no more skirts and definitely no shorts! So I stopped stomach crunches and did some basic pilates floor exercises and cut the crunches. I also was less hard on myself about running and went back to my other favorite workout, ballet. I used my kitchen counter as a barre and this worked out great.
When I found out I was pregnant with my third child I had finally started to get my body back. I did not know how to keep in shape during pregnancy and walking everyday in the northwest only works if you love the rain and many grey days. This is when I found a pregnancy pilates routine. Not only did I feel fit, but I had more energy.
Why have I not learned my lesson? I want to be in a hurry to lose the baby weight, but in the process I end up making myself gain weight. In my struggle to pick really challenging workouts I think I burn too many calories and then eat more and gain weight instead of lose it. I wish I really understood what was happening, but I do know that nursing requires some weight and then one must eat enough. I have always been good and keeping a steady weight, so working on strength right now has helped me maintain my weight and then length my muscles. I have cut back to walking or running about once a week and then I focus on pilates, yoga, and ballet type workouts three to five times a week.
The results are slow. Sometimes so slow that I get frustrated, but my baby is not even one yet. It is not good to obsess about weight yet. I have been able to flatten my stomach a little bit and when I run, I am starting to feel just as strong as I ever was.
It is helpful to see Hollywood stars back on shows looking like real people. They have not lost the weight in five seconds. There needs to be a beauty in the nursing mother as well as the pregnant one. I think culturally, pregnancy is praised, but once the baby is born one starts to feel the pressure the look fantastic. What if looking fantastic meant there is beauty in the journey one's body has just been through. Breastfeeding creates another special look. There should be more clothing to flatter the postpartum body. There should be more realistic publications showing the beauty of breastfeeding.
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