Role of Physiotherapy in Post Pregnancy Weight Loss

Introduction

It’s common for new moms to want to put their maternity clothes aside, shed the extra weight they gained during pregnancy, and quickly return to their previous outfits. It can be quite stressful to balance taking care of a new baby and recovering from childbirth with the fear of returning to their pre-pregnancy weight.

You are undoubtedly excited to put on your favorite clothes again now that your child is here and the pregnancy is over. Well, you’re not by yourself! After giving birth, most new mothers naturally want to managed weight. In fact, only three out of four new mothers shed those extra pounds within a year. You can return to your most beloved self, though, if you follow the correct weight loss advice after giving birth.

Postpartum is typically a time of joy and new responsibility. It also gives you a chance to concentrate on your personal health. Therefore, don’t limit your focus to weight loss. It is undoubtedly beneficial to your long-term health, but you will also need to take time off to look after your child and yourself. Let’s start with the top weight-loss advice for new mothers!

What is Postpartum Weight Gain?

During pregnancy, your body puts on weight to support the developing fetus and get ready for delivery. The fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, increased blood volume, and fat storage to support Breastfeeding are all responsible for the overall weight gain.

However, you should be aware that your postpartum period is a time of continuous hormonal and physiological changes as a new mother. Your weight gain will be impacted by these adjustments as well as the change to a new role in your life. The following are a few elements that cause postpartum weight gain:

Fluid Retention And Hormonal Fluctuations

After giving delivery, your body holds onto extra fluid, which causes you to temporarily gain weight. Additionally, your appetite and metabolic rate will be impacted by hormonal changes during Breastfeeding, which will increase the number of calories you consume.

Changes in Physical Activity and Sleep

Your physical activity will decrease as you get used to your new schedule as a mother and the responsibilities of taking care of a newborn. Your metabolism and postpartum weight gain will both be impacted by inadequate sleep.

Emotional and Lifestyle Factors

Your eating habits and weight might be impacted by emotional variables like depression, anxiety, or mood swings. Breastfeeding might help you maintain your weight, but excessive appetite or changes in metabolism may cause you to gain weight.

Tips for Postpartum Weight Loss

After giving birth, you will most likely gain weight, and you may experience pressure to return to your pre-pregnancy body. But losing weight after giving birth is a journey that requires a healthy diet, regular exercise, and an emphasis on wellbeing.

Here are some practical methods you may use in your daily life to feel strong and self-assured in your postpartum weight loss journey.

Prepare Yourself for Weight Loss

You may go through a roller coaster of highs and lows when you become a new mother. Belly fat after pregnancy is one of the most frequent feelings you may experience as a new mother.

However, because your body changes significantly throughout pregnancy, having a stomach after giving birth is very natural. Here’s how you may gradually heal and become ready to lose weight.

Take Your Time

According to a study, 75% of women gain weight one year after giving birth compared to before. Postpartum weight loss often takes time and shouldn’t be rushed, despite the media’s promotion of the contrast. Quick weight loss can cause exhaustion or nutritional deficits, interfere with your recovery, and impact your ability to produce milk for the infant.

Set Small, Realistic Goals

Rather than concentrating on unattainable weight loss targets, aim to lose about 10 pounds in the two years following childbirth. But the amount of weight you acquire during pregnancy affects how much you lose. However, be ready to lose the extra weight at your own speed.

Consult Professionals

Consult your healthcare providers to develop your weight management strategy as you get ready for the life-changing experience. They will give you specific guidance depending on your recovery, general health, and dietary needs.

Plan Your Nutrition and Post-pregnancy Weight Loss Diet

If you are a breastfeeding mom, you need an excess of 500 calories each day, along with plenty of protein, calcium, and fluids to stay hydrated. A diet rich in nutrients will aid in your recovery from childbirth. Here are some pointers to help you achieve your postpartum weight-loss objectives with a diet that is both nutrient-dense and weight-loss-friendly.

Focus on Balanced Meals

A healthy diet helps you recover from childbirth and guarantees that you have enough energy for everyday tasks. Additionally, it will assist you in maintaining a consistent metabolism. To fill your plate with a well-balanced post-pregnancy weight reduction diet, you can think about the following choices.

• Oats and whole wheat are examples of whole grains that give you sustained energy to keep you going throughout the day.
• Vitamins and minerals abound in vegetables like spinach and carrots.
• Oranges and apples are examples of fruits that offer fiber for general health.
• Sweet potatoes and beets are great sources of carbohydrates that provide you with sustained energy.

Even if you choose to include some nutritious meals in your diet, there are some foods you should stay away from after giving birth, such as the following:

• foods like pastries and fizzy drinks that include refined carbohydrates and added sugar. They are linked to weight gain and frequently result in heart disease and diabetes.
• Fast food, chips, candies, and other processed foods are high in calories, sugar, saturated fats, and salt.
• You won’t be able to lose weight after giving birth if cakes or soft drinks include artificial sweeteners.
• Alcohol will cause weight gain because it contains extra calories and few nutrients.
• Consume Smaller Meals Often

Eat more frequently, smaller meals. You’ll be able to handle your newborn’s needs and maintain your energy levels throughout the day with this exercise. Additionally, it will prevent excessive hunger and stabilize your blood sugar levels. To consume smaller portions throughout the day, you can, for example, prepare and store healthful meals in advance.

Mindful of the Portion Sizes

Additionally, you must keep an eye on how much you eat. Additionally, it will help you control how many calories you eat and avoid eating too much. To generate a calorie deficit that helps you lose weight after giving birth, all you have to do is manage your hunger. Additionally, try to eat slowly and be aware of your body’s hunger and fullness cues.

Create A Simple Postpartum Workout Plan

After giving birth, exercise is a fantastic approach to improve general health, control weight, and regain fitness. See your doctor before beginning, and wait six to eight weeks after giving birth. To prevent damage, start slowly and concentrate on low-impact workouts. Other popular postpartum weight loss workouts include:

• Low-impact aerobics will support your weight management, help you regain your fitness levels, elevate your mood, and ease back into your normal exercise regimen.
• As a low-intensity exercise regimen, modified pilates will strengthen your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and enhance your posture.
• Resistance exercise will increase your muscle strength and help you reach your weight loss objectives.
• Postpartum yoga can help you manage your stress, relax your muscles, and improve your flexibility, strength, and balance.

Try this easy postpartum exercise regimen at home.

Day 1

5 Push-ups
20 squats
10 butt kicks
15 Lunges
40 sit-ups
30-second plank
25 crunches
35 jumping jacks

Day 2

15 butt kicks
40 squats
20 crunches
30 lunges
20 sit-ups
10 push-ups

Day 3

30 butt kicks
10 lunges
40-second plank
20 squats
35 jumping jacks
25 crunches
5 situps

Day 4

40-second plank
30 jumping jacks
20 crunches
5 lunges
15 butt kicks
10 push-ups
35 sit-ups

Day 5

40 Crunches
20 butt kicks
25 jumping jacks
30 sit-ups
5 push-ups
35 squats
10 lunges

Tips for Success

Don’t lead a sedentary existence. Set a weekly goal of 150 minutes of moderate exercise and use friends or family as motivation. Additionally, if you are breastfeeding, consume sixteen cups of water every day. Increase your intake of hydrating vegetables like cucumbers and watermelon, and cut back on sugar-filled drinks like coffee.

Go for an outside jog or walk. Enjoy the scenery at parks with your child in a jogging stroller or baby carrier. Gradually pick up the pace of your walking if you’re ready for extra action. Swimming is another soothing, low-intensity aerobic activity that can help you lose weight and restore your fitness.

Things to consider while trying to lose weight after giving birth

Urinating during exercise is common, but not normal

Sneezing, jumping rope, and laughing frequently cause new mothers to urinate. This condition is known as stress urine incontinence (SUI). Many mothers accept this as their “new normal,” but since SUI is treatable and not normal, they really shouldn’t.

To understand how to manage your symptoms if you have leaks, consult your physician or locate a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Mommy pooch that stays steadily

Stretching and weakening of the linea alba (connective tissue holding the muscles together) and rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) are the causes of mommy pooch. Diastasis Recti is the term for this condition, which is treatable.

You should cease doing additional core exercises and schedule a visit with your doctor to check for diastasis recti if, during a crunch, you detect a bulge or gap in your abdomen.

Losing The Baby Weight Takes Time

In actuality, it will take some time to reduce postpartum weight after the baby has grown for about ten months. According to a recent study, 24% of women maintain at least 10 pounds a year after giving birth, and just 20% of women reach their pre-pregnancy weight within the first three months.

This indicates that 80% of women often need more than three months to reach their pre-pregnancy weight. The fact that I did not go back to my skinny pants right away did not make me a failure. I was every day! Since the suggested weight reduction goal is to drop about one pound per week, we would all prefer to lose weight quickly.

Your Initial Weight Loss Will Happen When The Baby Is Born

When you give birth, you start losing weight. You will continue to lose weight over the course of the following six weeks as various bodily fluids return to pre-pregnancy levels after the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, and other fluids leave your body. Soon after having a baby, I went to the scale and saw that I had lost about eleven pounds!

Thirteen pounds is the average weight loss at birth. It is safe to assume that adipose tissue makes up the majority of the remaining weight after six weeks.

Regardless of your weight, you will still appear strong six months after giving birth.

The uterus expands and shifts its place within your body throughout pregnancy. At 12 weeks, the average uterus is roughly the size of a grapefruit; by 40 weeks, it has expanded to the size of a watermelon!

Your uterus remains that size after giving birth and will progressively get smaller over the following six weeks. You will therefore still require your pregnancy leggings and appear extremely pregnant even when your kid is wrapped in your arms.

Your Joints May Feel Different

When I tried to go for a quick jog a few months after giving birth to my kid, I instantly felt knee and ankle pain I had never experienced before. During pregnancy, the hormones relaxin and estrogen are secreted in greater quantities to get the body ready for childbirth. But it affects more than just the pelvic joints.

Increased postpartum laxity also affects the knees, according to one study. Overly flexible joints are referred to as laxity. When jogging or walking, this hypermobility may result in different gait mechanics, which can cause joint pain and perhaps make you feel a little awkward.

Urinating During Exercise Is Not Normal

For postpartum moms, urinating when you laugh, sneeze, or jump rope is frequently accepted as the “new normal,” yet stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is treatable. Pelvic floor injuries can result from fluctuating hormone levels as well as the strain of pregnancy and childbirth.

See your physician or locate a pelvic floor physical therapist to learn how to manage your symptoms if you have leaking. Warning: More Kegel exercises are not always the solution!

Breastfeeding May Help

Although there is little evidence to support the idea that breastfeeding affects postpartum weight reduction, it would theoretically aid in weight loss because the creation of breastmilk requires calories. I discovered that breastfeeding made me hungry, and I’m not sure if it contributed to my postpartum weight loss.

FAQs

References:

• Citra, W., & Yap, S. Q. (2022, May 19). Driving smarter to avoid neck pain. Elevate Physiotherapy. https://elevatephysio.com.sg/postpartum-weight-loss-things-you-need-to-know/
• Apollo Spectra Hospitals. (n.d.). Tips to lose weight after pregnancy – Apollo Spectra. https://www.apollospectra.com/blog/general-health/tips-to-lose-weight-after-pregnancy
• Doss, L. (n.d.). Postpartum weight loss: 10 things you need to know. https://blog.nasm.org/postpartum-weight-loss