Postnatal Weight Loss Tips
Losing weight after pregnancy can feel like a challenging journey, but it’s important to approach it with patience and a focus on overall health.
Postnatal weight loss is not just about shedding pounds; it’s about regaining strength, energy, and balance in your body while nurturing your newborn. This period requires a delicate balance of proper nutrition, physical activity, and self-care to ensure both you and your baby thrive.
What is “Baby Weight”?
Let’s define “baby weight” before discussing how to lose weight after giving birth.
The weight a woman accumulates during pregnancy is referred to as this. Different weight gain recommendations may be given depending on the mother’s pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and whether the pregnancy is singleton or multiple gestation.
Nonetheless, most women who are within a healthy weight range and are expecting a single child should gain between 11.3 and 15.9 kg during their pregnancy.
This weight gain during pregnancy, also known as “baby weight,” includes:
At birth, a full-term male baby usually weighs 3.3 kg (7 lb), whereas a full-term female baby usually weighs 3.2 kg (7 lb).
- 0.7 kilogram placenta
- Amniotic fluid-0.9 kg
- Breast tissue -0.5–1.4 kg
- Blood-1.4 to 1.8 kg
- Fluids-4.6–6.6 kg
- Enlargement of the uterus-0.9 kg
- Additional fat reserves-2.7–3.6 kg
What happens during the first week following childbirth?
After giving delivery, your loose ligaments begin to tighten, the uterus gradually starts to shrink, and the volume of blood and fluid gradually drops. Baby weight loss takes time. Only 20% of women regain their pre-pregnancy weight in the first three months after giving birth, in case you were unaware.
Your body requires time to heal, regardless of whether you had a caesarian section or a regular delivery. Your recuperation time may be extended if you lose weight too soon after giving birth.
How much weight loss is expected after giving birth
Along with the loss of amniotic fluid just after delivery, you would have probably lost between 4.8 and 4.9 kg due to the delivery of your baby and placenta.
Regarding the remaining “baby weight”:
Breast tissue: Your breasts should return to their pre-pregnancy size in a few days if you are not nursing. After weaning, your breasts will most likely regain their pre-pregnancy size if you are feeding.
Blood: Over eight weeks, your blood volume should gradually return to normal.
Fluid: To get rid of the extra fluid you retained throughout pregnancy, your kidneys go into “overdrive” in the first two weeks after delivery, generating up to three liters of urine each day. Up to eight weeks may pass during this process.
Uterus: The uterus returns to its normal size in about six to eight weeks.
Additional fat stores: These extra fat stores have a specific function, which is to store energy for breastfeeding and the delivery process (burning roughly 500 calories each day). For comparison, 7,700 calories are contained in 1 kg of fat.
How to safely reduce weight following childbirth
Losing weight after giving birth should be a personal decision that helps you feel like yourself again. Even if your body has changed significantly throughout pregnancy, it’s crucial to realize that using drastic diets or exercise to “bounce back” and lose weight after giving birth is not feasible or healthful.
Instead, concentrate on adopting a well-rounded strategy to restore your sense of well-being. This entails putting healthy food first and getting frequent, mild exercise that makes you feel good.
To develop a safe and efficient plan that works for you, please speak with your doctor if you have a history of eating disorders or are experiencing postpartum depression.
- Take a healthy, balanced diet:
A good method for measuring nutrition quantitatively and correctly figuring out if you’re in the calorie deficit required for postpartum weight loss is to count calories.
The postpartum time is difficult enough. The idea of setting aside extra time and/or mental space to record your food intake is absurd when you’re juggling self-doubt, frustration, nipple pain, breast engorgement, baby blues, mood swings, and everyday housework.
Alternatively, you might just adhere to a few rules for your weight reduction postpartum diet:
Make whole foods the mainstay of your diet: This would include dairy products, whole grains, high-quality protein (more on that later), and an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
Consume enough protein: Breastfeeding and postpartum recovery depend on consuming enough protein. At three to six months postpartum, women who are primarily nursing require 1.7 to 1.9 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Consuming enough high-quality protein, such as lean proteins like chicken and tofu and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, also increases satiety, which makes it more likely that you will maintain the required calorie deficit.
Stay away from alcohol because it is high in calories (7 calories per gram). In addition to its energy density, alcohol can enter the breast milk and subsequently enter your child, which could have negative effects on their sleep and gross motor development, among other things.
Reduce your intake of highly processed meals and added sugars: Ultra-processed foods are high in added sugar, oil, and sodium. They contain very few health-promoting elements and a lot of calories. Limiting UPFs isn’t the only thing you should do to lose weight after giving birth. Additionally, there are “hidden” added sugars in meals and drinks.
Avoid using crash diets: To lose weight after giving birth, avoid using crash diets, which significantly cut daily caloric intake to 800–1,200 calories. These are unsustainable, increase your risk of weight gain, and have a detrimental effect on breastfeeding.
- Increase your water intake:
You could aid the process by maintaining adequate hydration, even though your kidneys will naturally work hard to eliminate the extra fluid stored during pregnancy. This is due to:
Fluid retention may result from dehydration because your body tries to compensate for the loss of water.
However, what is the recommended daily intake of fluids?
Breastfeeding women should consume 3.3 liters of water each day, according to the Institute of Medicine. As a general guideline, if you are not nursing, you should drink enough to urinate multiple times a day and have clear, pale yellow urine that is devoid of odor.
- Make sure you get as much restful sleep as you can:
- Lack of sleep may hinder your attempts to lose weight after giving birth by:
- Increasing the hormones that cause hunger
- Making you more likely to seek out items high in calories
- Reducing your everyday energy use
Of course, it’s difficult to get adequate sleep when you have an infant that requires constant attention. The following advice may help you make the most of your downtime:
Try to go to sleep when your infant does. Newborns often sleep for 20 to 50 minutes at a time.
Trust your network of support by having a reliable individual watch the infant while you sleep.
Maintain proper sleep hygiene by limiting caffeine consumption and keeping your bedroom cool and dark.
Exercise:
For a new mother to better care for her infant, a solid recovery plan is essential. A new mother might begin exercising the day after delivery if her pregnancy was good and there were no postpartum problems. In the early postpartum period, the back and core are crucial muscles to take into account.
Your postpartum back pain and discomfort may be reduced if you exercise the day after giving birth. An excellent place to start is by concentrating on exercises like pelvic tilts, ankle motions, deep breathing, pelvic bridges, and core activation while maintaining proper breathing patterns.
Do something active for 20 to 30 minutes five times a week. Walking along your hallway for ten to fifteen minutes, walking on the spot, or briskly moving about your house or neighborhood while pushing a stroller can all be considered moderate-intensity.
Add strength training with weights and resistance bands as you approach 6–12 weeks postpartum.
Women who prioritize maintaining an active lifestyle after giving birth score higher on measures of psychological health and postpartum adjustment.
You won’t immediately start engaging in strenuous physical activity after you leave the hospital. You will likely feel a bit sore, particularly if you have stitches or a C-section.
You may think about where to begin returning to physical activity when the haze of those early newborn days clears.
Kegel Exercises

Through Kegel exercises, the pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened. Your pelvic floor muscles are what you use to stop the flow of urine. You can prevent unintentional gas or stool passages and urine spills by strengthening these muscles. Both those with a penis and those with a vagina gain from it.
Your pelvic floor muscles’ “fitness” can be maintained with the use of Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises help maintain the strength of your pelvic floor muscles, much like lifting weights can help you build other muscles in your body. You can enhance your control over your bowels and bladder and prevent pelvic muscle weakness by doing Kegel exercises.
You may inadvertently release gas or leak urine and feces due to weak pelvic floor muscles. As you age or as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, or surgery, your pelvic floor muscles may get weaker.
Elevating, holding, and finally releasing your pelvic floor muscles are all part of Kegel exercises. Begin by performing a small number of Kegel exercises at a time, then progressively increase the duration and quantity of Kegel exercises performed during each “session” (or set). At least two to three sets of these exercises should be done each day.
Walking

Walking can help you refocus, get back into shape, and prevent blood clots while you’re feeling well, which is likely to happen shortly after you return home from the hospital. If it’s freezing outside, start with quick strolls along the street or a circuit of an inside shopping center. Don’t expect to get very far at first; instead, take your time.
Core strengthening
Pregnancy causes the stomach to expand, which is no secret. Some pregnant women have a disease called diastasis recti, in which the abdominal muscles split down the middle.
A strong core is about much more than just looking good in a two-piece; it provides stability for your daily activities, including walking, twisting, bending, and yes, carrying that little bundle of joy. Your doctor may give you the all-clear to begin working on reconditioning your core about a month after a vaginal birth, and longer after a C-section. Crunches, planks, and bridges are good core exercises during the postpartum phase.
Yoga

The best postpartum exercise following a typical birth is yoga. Gentle yoga can be done even after a C-section.
Yoga is a safe and efficient way for postpartum moms to lose weight because it involves simple motions and focuses on breathing. Here are some yoga poses that will help you shed those extra pounds!
Use Surya Namaskar to stretch:

The sun salutation, also known as Surya namaskar, is a series of twelve energetic poses that strengthen every muscle in your body and burn fat. Additionally, this specific pose makes you maintain regular breathing, which can strengthen your heart. To get all of these advantages, though, you must use the proper form and technique.
Use the happy baby yoga position to embrace optimism:

We don’t need to remind you of the pain of childbirth. Your pelvic muscles extend significantly during a typical delivery to aid in birthing. This puts a lot of tension on your muscles, which makes them unpleasant and stiff after giving birth. Thankfully, there is a simple yoga stance that can help you overcome this problem. When performed correctly and consistently, the happy baby yoga pose helps to reduce this pain by stretching your pelvic muscles.
Technique:
Your hands should be by your sides as you sleep on your back with your knees bent.
After exhaling, raise your legs to your chest.
Spread your knees apart from your hips.
Gripping the outside of your ankles, tuck your arms inside your knees.
Now, gradually lower your feet and knees toward the floor.
At this point, your feet should be pointed up at the ceiling.
Maintain this posture for approximately one minute.
Pilates: A mild method of self-strengthening

Nearly 65% of women suffer from postpartum fatigue! Most moms find it challenging to resume their regular activities as a result of this exhaustion. Returning to their regular lives may become difficult unless they regain muscle strength.
One of the greatest exercises for postpartum women to regain lost strength is Pilates. Pilates is a healthy and long-lasting method of simultaneously building muscle and losing that stubborn fat because it consists of soft motions and simple exercises.
Utilize pelvic tilts to strengthen yourself:
Pilates is among the simplest and most fundamental exercises. A pelvic tilt aids in strengthening the glutes, lower back, and core muscles.
An excellent workout to strengthen your core and get rid of those obstinate roles. The proper form for a pelvic tilt is as follows:
On a pillow, rest your head and shoulders, then sleep flat on your back.
To create a comfortable angle, bend your knees.
Gently exhale, then use your abdominal muscles to push your lower back down.
Your tailbone will rise and your pelvis will tilt as a result.
Maintain this posture for a short while.
Breathe, then slowly move back to the beginning position.
Do this five to ten times.
To improve your pelvic strength, try performing this exercise three times.
Increase your strength by performing wall push-ups:

Frequent push-ups might be taxing on the body, particularly during the postpartum phase, but they also work out your complete body. The wall push-up is a version of the standard push-up that is meant to be easier on your body and less strenuous.
Don’t assume, nevertheless, that it is ineffectual or worthless. This exercise will provide you with a much-needed increase in upper body strength if you perform it correctly and consistently.
- Maintain a minimum of one foot’s distance from the wall while facing it.
- Place your hands on the wall beneath your shoulders, shoulder-width apart.
- Your feet should be hip-width apart.
- Lean against the wall and tighten your core.
- Hold for a brief moment or two, then raise again.
As you get farther away from the wall, the challenge will gradually rise. Aim for three sets of five to ten reps each. A simple postpartum exercise that will undoubtedly increase your power in the upper body.
Other workouts to try:
Do you detest being confined to a mat? Get your heart rate up with these enjoyable outdoor workouts! Say goodbye to excess fat with these enjoyable activities!
Swimming

An exercise that is easy on your joints and beneficial to your body. Any swimming technique requires you to engage every muscle in your body to move yourself forward while maintaining a steady breathing pattern. This promotes cardiovascular strength, fat loss, and muscle growth.
Riding a bicycle

With this workout, you may let go of all your cares and feel the breeze in your hair. An excellent method for building leg strength and endurance is cycling.
Running

Do you like walking along trails in the forest? If so, jogging is the ideal activity for you! Jogging is an easy way to get some exercise while taking in the scenery, and it requires little to no equipment!
Dancing
Are you unable to stop tapping your foot in time with the music? If so, give dancing a try as a workout! Dancing is a fantastic method to enjoy yourself while burning off excess calories. Think about bringing your spouse and child along for an enjoyable family exercise session.
Items to stay away from
- Wait until four weeks after giving birth before engaging in strenuous activities like lifting weights or running. A customized fitness regimen is essential.
- Don’t substantially reduce your calorie intake until your milk supply has returned to normal.
- Aim for 500–600 grams of weight loss every week. Achieving the desired weight loss can be facilitated by combining exercise with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
- You require an additional 500 calories each day while nursing. Make sure you don’t consume fewer calories than your body requires.
- If you are only nursing, you should lose weight gradually and under close supervision. After giving birth, weight loss occurs too quickly with a lower calorie intake and less exercise, but it may also result in less breast milk being produced.
Things to think about when losing weight after giving birth
- Before beginning higher-intensity training, it is crucial to strengthen the key muscles.
- Two weeks after giving birth, think about seeing a physiotherapist to assess your pelvic floor muscles and check for Diastasis Recti, a condition where your rectus abdominal muscle separates as a result of your belly expanding during pregnancy.
- Your physiotherapist will assist you with core stability exercises based on the various forms and severity of diastasis recti.
- Deep core stability training regimens have been shown in studies to promote postpartum recovery and heal diastasis recti.
- Losing weight during pregnancy is a gradual process; a healthy diet and exercise are not more important than one another. Postpartum obesity can result from poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity.
- A key element of postpartum weight loss is combining food and exercise.
FAQs
Why has my weight increased since giving birth?
Finally, women are more prone to eating when they are under stress, and stress hormones can contribute to weight gain. Being a new mother is a different experience. There you have it: postpartum weight gain is influenced by thyroid issues, insomnia, and stress.
How can I lose weight after giving birth?
Losing weight after giving birth is a journey that calls for perseverance, dedication, and a well-rounded strategy. Let’s concentrate on how to make your meals healthily support weight loss. By keeping an eye on portion sizes, you may shed those excess pounds without sacrificing your energy levels or, if you’re nursing, your milk supply.
How long does weight loss take after delivering birth?
It takes time to lose baby weight. The truth is that postpartum weight loss will take time following the nearly ten months it takes to grow a kid. According to a recent study, 24% of women maintain at least 10 pounds a year after giving birth, and just 20% of women regain their pre-pregnancy weight in the first three months.
Can you lose weight with postpartum exercise?
Choose your preferred postpartum workout and continue with it! The greatest strategy to lose weight after pregnancy is to combine regular exercise with a nutritious diet. There isn’t a miracle medication that can make you lose weight. Additionally, it’s critical to exercise when attempting to reduce weight to make sure you’re shedding fat rather than muscle.
After giving delivery, how can I put on weight again?
Limit saturated fats and include healthy fats like avocados or olive oil. Additionally, remember to stay hydrated. Exercise can be intimidating after giving birth, but it’s essential for recovering and shedding the baby’s weight. Let’s look at several secure methods to resume our activities. Your body just accomplished something amazing.
Reference:
- Sushmita, K. (2023, October 18). Postpartum weight loss should be slow and steady: Tips to shed the extra kilos post pregnancy. Health shots. https://www.healthshots.com/preventive-care/reproductive-care/postpartum-weight-loss-tips/
- Professional, C. C. M. (2024, May 1). Kegel exercises. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14611-kegel-exercises
- Clinic, C. (2024a, October 18). How to lose weight while breastfeeding. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/postpartum-weight-loss
- Team, N. (2024, December 31). How to approach postpartum weight loss safely | NOVI Health. NOVI Health. https://novi-health.com/library/how-to-approach-postpartum-weight-loss-safely
- Postnatal exercises for weight loss: yoga, pilates, and more tips. (n.d.). Megawecare. https://www.megawecare.com/good-health-by-yourself/pregnancy/postnatal-exercises-for-weight-loss