How to Lose the Baby Weight in 9 Months

Many women long to have their pre-pregnancy bodies back during the last trimester of carrying their baby and will dream about diligently spending an hour a day in the gym until they’re back down to size. These same women are often in for a rude awakening when their little ones do finally enter their lives, as they usually find they have no time to put toward getting back in shape. Like new mom Suzanne White says, “I just could not believe how little time I had during those first six months with her – if I was able to take a shower it was a good day for me, I really did not have the time to even think about working out – much less take a step in the direction of actually lifting a weight.” Most women can agree that unless you have the “perfect” baby from day one, time in the gym is just not feasible. However, fitness experts say that a new mom does not necessarily need an hour in the gym everyday. There are small ways a new mom can slowly, but realistically, get her pre-pregnancy body back. Here is how to make it happen:

Forget about going to the gym – With an infant, and especially with a newborn, it is just almost impossible for a new mom to leave the home for any significant length of time on a regular basis. Experts say to be realistic and to dedicate a space for a make shift home gym before your baby arrives. This way when a new mom has a rare spare moment (and some energy to accompany it!) she can exercise around her baby’s schedule.

Breastfeed – Experts agree that this is perhaps the single greatest way a new mom can lose weight fast. Breastfeeding an infant requires a woman to consume 600 additional calories on top of what she ate when she was pregnant. Most infants consume more calories than a mom can eat resulting in a deficit that equals weight loss. Breastfeeding has double pluses; the infant grows bigger and stronger while the mom gets smaller and closer to her pre-pregnancy weight.

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Exercise in small bursts – Most new moms do not have a nifty sequence of time to dedicate to exercise, but if a new mom can get in 10 minutes of abs in the morning and then 10 more minutes in the afternoon, a decent abs workout for the day has been achieved. A solid half hour to an hour for exercise is best, but 10 minutes here and there adds up and is by no means bad.

Make the most of the situation – There are some instances when a new mom can get a workout in while tending to her baby. One mom who had to soothe her colicky infant for hours every night with an up and down rocking motion said, “after I realized she screamed every night like that, I just put on my work out clothes and got ready for rocking her – which also served as a great way to do squats, and in a few months my lower half was thinner and more toned than ever before!”

Some new moms may feel as though all the little ways they are trying to work out do not make a difference because the process can be somewhat slow going and it can take a good while to see results in some cases. However, experts agree that every little bit does count, and that when it comes to exercising with a new baby, taking baby steps is often the best approach to get new moms feeling great about their bodies.