Having a baby changes your life--and your body. Being among the 25 percent of women who have their baby via Cesarean section makes the experience even more complicated. Losing weight after a c-section can be done, but respect that your body has been through a lot and that weight loss will come with time and diligence. Wait at least six weeks after your c-section before embarking on a weight loss plan. Respect that most doctors ask patients to wait at least this amount of time to be sure muscles have had time to heal from surgery and that your body fully recovers from the birthing experience. Wait two months if you are breast feeding before restricting your diet, so as to establish your milk supply.
Step 1
Breastfeed your baby, if possible. Shrink your uterus and burn extra calories through the process of making milk. Pump for the first few weeks if you find holding your baby painful due to the c-section. Do not add additional calories as was once recommended if you are breastfeeding--according to BabyCenter. If you follow sound nutritional principles, you will take in enough to support your milk supply.
Step 2
Clean your house of junk food and commit to eating well. Fill your pantry with fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Eat these whole foods for meals and snacks--simply cleaning the calorie-dense junk food out of your diet may stimulate weight loss. Do not make a conscious effort to restrict calories at first, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Step 3
Resist the urge to go for convenience foods. Drive past the fast food restaurant, even if your all-nighters with the new baby make you too tired to cook. Rely on the healthy supplies in your pantry to toss together whole grain pasta and tomato sauce or broil chicken to serve with steamed broccoli. Snack on monounsaturated fat-filled nuts and cook with olive oil to help fill you up and reduce belly fat, as shown in a Spanish study published in a 2007 edition of "Diabetes Care."
Step 4
Incorporate regular exercise. Obtain clearance from your doctor post c-section, and begin to burn calories through cardiovascular exercise. Try walking with the stroller or trade babysitting with another mom so you can visit the gym. Start slowly, going just 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and work your way up to longer periods of exercise. Add in strength training to build muscle after a few months. Avoid working the abdominals for the first two or three months to allow full healing of the surgery site.
Step 5
Respect your body. Do not try to lose weight too quickly--you gained the weight over the course of nine months, you cannot expect it to fall off in a matter of weeks. Allow yourself at least 10 months to return to your prepregnancy weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Good sources of whole grains are brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa and whole wheat bread. Lean protein sources include skinless poultry, egg whites, bison and fish. All fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of nutrients, but focus on green leafy varieties for high nutrition and low calories.
- Do not start exercise too quickly or you risk rupturing your incision site. Do not restrict calories below 1,200 per day--you need this minimal amount to keep your energy to care for your baby and to prevent a slowdown of your metabolism.
Things You'll Need
- Breast pump (optional)
Member Comments