How Long Does it Take to Lose Pregnancy Weight?

Aside from wondering what their baby will look like and what type of mom the will be, many expectant mothers spend a lot of time during their pregnancy wondering: How long does it take to lose pregnancy weight? Doctors recommend that most women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancy, but the rate at which women lose this weight after pregnancy varies greatly.

Misconceptions

Many first-time moms labor under the misconception that after they deliver their baby they will be right back to their pre-pregnancy weight. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. The baby, placenta and other fluids expelled during delivery usually only add up to around 10 to 15 pounds or less, leaving several more pounds of weight to lose.

Considerations

How long it takes to lose pregnancy weight depends a lot on whether a woman chooses to breastfeed her newborn. While women who opt to breastfeed often burn a lot of calories and lose weight by breastfeeding, it also prohibits them from doing much dieting. Women who do not breastfeed are often approved for exercise and reasonable dieting just a few weeks after a normal delivery.

Time Frame

Depending on how much weight was gained during the pregnancy, most women can expect to lose their pregnancy weight within a few months to one year after delivery.

Prevention/Solution

No matter how long it takes to lose pregnancy weight, women should have realistic expectations about weight loss. Extreme dieting and rapid weight loss are never recommended for post-pregnancy weight loss, often resulting in weakness, fatigue and a greater likelihood for the weight to return. Instead, women should expect to lose a healthy one to two pounds a week until they return to their pre-pregnancy weight. Regular moderate exercise and a sensible diet should make this goal highly attainable.

Potential

Most doctors recommend that instead of agonizing over how long it takes to lose pregnancy weight, expectant and new moms should focus on keeping themselves healthy and energetic and enjoying their new babies. Dwelling on excess pregnancy weight is not healthy and accomplishes little.