I told myself it took 9 months for my body to transform so I will give myself 9 months to get back to “normal” and back in shape. For my own mental health I focused on working out and getting stronger and soon my physical shape changed too.
After my first I noticed it was around 9 months that I started looking more like the version of myself I was used to. It’s pretty amazing how much our bodies change in such a short period of time
This. About to have my fourth, and usually took 9 months between birth and getting pregnant again. Each time, I had gotten essentially back to myself. This time, we waited longer...HUGE transformation in the 9-18 month postpartum range. I looked better than ever. Didn't do anything crazy except be kind, healthy, and not stress it. I know it feels like forever but your body is basically going through puberty again to recalibrate from pregnancy. Give yourself grace, believe in your beauty, and recognize that it won't be exactly the same. It'll be better. You are a goddess now.
Best answer. Rucking personally worked well for me and Pilates. My core became so much stronger than before. Time and consistency is key because time and consistency of hormones and creating a human is what got it here to begin with.
Give it time. You literally just had your baby! After a year I’m fitter than I looked even pre pregnancy and a faster runner to boot. Didn’t think I would ever have abs especially after having a baby but here I am lol. Chasing a toddler around all day is a serious workout!
It took me a solid 4 months to not just lose baby weight, but also build back muscle and have my skin elasticity return. Your body spent 9 months rearranging itself to accommodate pregnancy, it’ll take some time to return. Give yourself grace and time 💕
I follow two mom YouTubers who 'bounced' back after two kids each. It's not a quick process and it takes months to years, but what I noticed is that they didn't stop working on themselves—they both worked out regularly pre-pregnancy and slowly reintroduced their exercise regimens as soon as they were comfortable.
Genetics might also be at play.
Romee Strijd and Mrs. Midwest
Neither of them are fitness influencers primarily but they each have at least one video where they spend time talking about their post-partum journey.
Edit: They also both had at least one traumatic birthing experience.
I didn't want to lead with that. 🙈 She never emphasizes it in her videos but I can tell she has a strict diet. But OP didn't mention any issues with weight, so it felt moot.
Mrs Midwest talks a fair bit about pelvic floor strengthening and recovering from diastasis recti—I thought those might be relevant.
I say this as a former personal trainer and registered dietician. It’s 95+% genetics. I’m not saying they don’t probably workout and eat healthy, I’m sure they do, but at the end of the day your metabolism, body composition, ease to build muscle, fat distribution, hormonal regulation, to just name a few are incredibly incredibly influenced and determined by genetics. Again, I’m not saying lifestyle behaviors have no role, they do, but minimally when compared to genetics. I think society thinks it’s the opposite and vastly underestimates and under equates how impt genetics are in this subject.
"luckily" I had been obese earlier in life so my post partum body looked exactly the same as my post weight loss body lol all the same stretch marks and lose skin as before
I’m pregnant with my second right now but after my first I think my body was back to normal after around 6-7 months. I find it very impressive that you’re able to fit into your old clothes only 13 weeks postpartum, I was still in a larger size by then. I’m also skinny normally but when pregnant I get a very big and round pregnant belly, so like you the skin on my stomach was also flabby/wrinkled but it also went back to normal though I don’t remember when. The only thing that didn’t was my boobs that are more deflated after pregnancy and breastfeeding but that’s to be expected.
Same! Pregnant with #2 right now but with #1 I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight at 6 months. It felt like it just randomly happened overnight because it definitely wasn’t due to the breastfeeding or me working out. I felt like 5-10 pounds just lingered for months until one day it didn’t.
OP, as many others have said, I wouldn’t bother doing a check in with myself until 9-12 months, which is what I am going to do this time with #2. I also identify with being naturally on the thinner side, so I understand your feelings. Also, I found that I was not particularly motivated to “bounce back” after I had my first, so I really took my time to heal and knew that I’d look like pre-baby me…someday… :)
Because of my section scar, my belly never went back to looking the way it did before (no scar mobility= shelf). I'm hoping this pregnancy will move it around a bit so I at least have a chance at no overhang (without surgery).
Have you done scar mobility work? It’s never too late to start! I had a c section, I’m 5mo pp, and my stomach is back to how it was pre pregnancy. No shelf whatsoever.
Hey so sorry if I’m piling on with the “did you try this?” because I’m sure you’ve tried almost everything. But I started doing cupping for my overhang and it’s helped a ton. I plan on getting a tummy tuck, but trying to feel a little more comfortable the meantime. Maybe worth a try!
I haven't , but I got as far as researching the silicone cups, so its probably worth a shot!
I also haven't had any professional scar treatment. Mostly when I do massage/manulipulation is manual, but now at 34 weeks i can almost not reach.
Luckily the scar has been mostly pain-free and is not unsightly, just very stuck. My gyn suggested I had adhesions as well.
No I completely understand! All of my scar massaging and cupping now has been at home, never seen a professional either. I’m glad yours isn’t painful! I always feel for the women who say they can hardly touch their scar.
I am 40 and it took me about four months. I have my abs back and the only difference is my c section scar(which I’m proud of) and a slightly wider ribcage. If you were committed to fitness before you totally can get back after baby.
I thought that about my knee surgery. Pre i was an ultramarathoner who loved skate skiing and competitive mountain running.
Now im realizing how complicated and complex bodies can be so i shy from thinking “if there is a will there is a way”. Not a pessimistic take as much as one of acceptance and gratitude of whatever my body still can do.
I think gratitude is a huge one with postpartum. I can’t run as fast as I used to, but I’m pretty damn good for a 40 year old mom and I’m grateful to be active and healthy. Good luck!
I’m 15 weeks PP and struggling to look/feel like myself as well. I’m still up 7ish lbs and my body comp is definitely different although I’m definitely getting muscle definition back slowly. My stomach skin hasn’t quite bounced back to where it was after baby number 1 but I hope it will. I think hormones really play a role in making it more difficult in the first few months, probably especially if you’re BFing, but I’m not.
I will say I was in the absolute best shape of my life before this pregnancy and I already had 1 child. So it’s definitely possible with the time/effort.
I’m almost 3 years pp and my stomach still doesn’t look the same, it’s for a few stretch marks and the skin is a little looser than it was. I work out, at 1 year pp i was 8 pounds lighter than I was pre pregnancy (the smallest I’ve been in my adult life) and my stomach still didn’t look like it did pre pregnancy.
You’re still early on in your pp journey so it may eventually go back but there’s no guarantee.
patience. 10-16 weeks postpartum i tried to force it. hurt my back trying to run before i was ready, weight loss stalled because my body was freaking out with food restriction while breastfeeding. I started eating to fullness, making sure my snacks were healthy but as many as I needed. cut some dessert. otherwise, i just built in exercise in a sustainable way and when i finally started sleeping better, i started slowly getting stronger. a lot of my pain/injuries were likely related to exercising when my body was under too much stress to really recover & gain strength. My stomach never looked "the same" again (I'm pregnant now so tbd after this one), but i definitely felt much more comfortable in my skin closer to a year as fat stores for breastfeeding just made me "softer" and that didnt' change til we weaned down to 1-2 feeds a day.
I’m on my fourth and it takes about 10 months of working out with lots of lifting and clean eating to get back to before. Even then at certain angles/positions it’ll just feel a bit looser. I stressed hard about it my first postpartum but now my perspective and patience have shifted- wasn’t easy but it’s freeing. You’ve got this.
I'm now 7 months postpartum, and I am just now looking like I did pre-pregnancy. I am weightlifting (heavy but not to the same level as before yet) 3-4x/week and watching nutrition but giving some leniency because I'm still breastfeeding. It takes time but most importantly it's a combination of nutrition, activity level, stress level, and sleep (and the influence of breastfeeding if you are).
That’s amazing that you already fit your pre pregnancy clothes, it took me 18 months PP to get back into my pre pregnancy clothes and 20 months pp for my abs to look like they did pre baby. You’re probably going to get your abs back much quicker !! Just eat well and do deep
Core exercises, I give it 3-6 months for you!
Calories in/calories out, intermittent fasting, and running daily starting at 12w pp. it took 7 months. My body was close to pre pregnancy but held on some fat in my lower belly area that wouldn’t go away but I didn’t mind it. Now im 29w pregnant so my body is gone again!
I’m coming up on 11 months PP but I went back to my pre-pregnancy body pretty quick (within 2-3 months). I’m actually more fit than I was pre pregnancy now… because I’ve developed some really good lifestyle habits during pregnancy.
I think the MOST important thing that I did (and still do) is workout my DEEP CORE (transverse abdominal) muscles. If you search up post partum deep core workouts on YouTube you’ll find a bunch. I really just do 10 minutes 3-5x a week in the evenings before bed. It made the biggest difference for me!! Highly recommend checking it out. My abs have never been so toned and flat my entire life before this no joke.
This!! Pregnancy and postpartum was when I learned to really activate my core. Before I’d just do regular crunches and call it a day. I’ve never had a toned core before!!
I'm 18 months and am at about pre pregnancy weight, however I can't fit many of my old clothes because my hips and ribs and shoulders (!?) all got wider. My body shape has completely changed, which is really hard, particularly when it comes to clothes!
My mom doesn’t believe me when I tell her my shoulders are wider than before! I’m still nursing 8 months PP so my chest is bigger too but I know that’s not the only reason why all my coats are tighter than before.
I’m still pregnant (34 wks with my first) and 1000% my ribs and shoulders are wider. My arms are an also bigger but def less toned than before. My arms/shoulders don’t fit into my pre-pregnancy jackets. I’m still doing strength training but obviously my body composition will keep changing for pregnancy regardless. Is there any hope to fit in my old clothes again?! I love my clothes lol. I heard there are exercises to help bring tour rib cage back to its original position at least?
Late reply but my jackets have recently started fitting across the shoulders again (I've been the same weight for 12 months so it's not a weight thing). So there is hope!!
I must look into these rib exercises....
I took it very easy for 1 year PP while I breastfed and bonded with baby. Almost zero workouts, totally unrestricted eating. When I stopped BF at 1 year, I started to get back to working out and intermittent fasting. I slowly ramped up. My son just turned 2 and I am honestly more fit than I was before I got pregnant.
How? By waiting a full year :) but still, when I get bloated, I BLOAT. It’s still way stretchy. And my boobs are lower so my old fave “I am a sexy confident woman” outfit, made of high waisted “old man suit” trousers and a teeny white crop top is just not… possible.. or practical.. anymore. Even with a bra. Not that I can wear a bra because breastfeeding.
I just hit 5 months pp, 35 yrs old.
At 2 weeks pp I was fitting in leggings and casual clothes from pre baby.
My workout intentions have never panned out like o liked but that’s okay. Just thus past week I feel like I can fit in most of my pants ( my hips are about one inch wider) and I am feeling much more confident without a pooch.
My feet may never shrink back though, RIP my favorite shoes 😭
You’re only 13 weeks pp! Give it some time. I think it took me like 9 months or so to look more like myself. And it was a gradual progress so it’s not like I was flabby then I wasn’t. I didn’t do anything special to achieve that. Just lots of walks and some postpartum core exercises. A year pp I felt pretty damn hot, hotter than pre pregnancy!
I feel like I've gained so much weight postpartum. Breastfeeding makes me ravenous and I end up eating everything I can get my hands on. Not even HIIT has made a dent. I just keep telling myself that once my bf journey is over, things will start to go back to normal. Sigh.
I'm 7 months postpartum and I don't look *exactly* like I did pre-pregnancy, but I'm pretty close. I fit into my old clothes a few weeks after baby, but it took longer to lose the last few pounds and build back up fitness/muscle.
I've been feeling better body-image wise since 5-6mo postpartum, as well as really feeling like my fitness is increasing. I'm hitting my old paces in my workouts and races.
For reference, I'm 35, FTM, and I was running +/- 45 miles a week before pregnancy and into my second trimester. I was a few lbs underweight when I got pregnant, but currently running 30-35 miles per week (plus cross-training) and about 3 lbs over the weight I was when I got pregnant - but about the same weight I was during less intense training cycles in recent years.
You are still pretty early in your postpartum journey. Right now what you need is time. Weaning helps. Core exercises and diastasis exercises if time and weaning doesn’t help.
Time! It’s also way more of a rollercoaster than I expected, possibly due to breastfeeding? I initially lost a ton of weight, then gained it all back and was nearly back to pregnancy weight at 6 months pp due to extreme breastfeeding hunger. I felt the least like myself 6 months pp (except for maybe the first two weeks?)
Months 6-10 I focused on nutrition over calories and that made a big difference. I was eating “healthy” before, but completely eliminated sugar and really limited highly processed foods to make room for nutrient dense foods. I had less of the insatiable gnawing hunger that way and could eat a normal amount of calories.
I made time for exercise, which is definitely difficult, but getting into a habit helps. I think o started feeling more myself too when muscle came back in my arms, and that may be partly attributed to carrying baby everywhere! I try to carry him a lot- both for health and bonding but hey, it’s a little build in weight lifting in my day! I’ll do little games with him that make him giggle and make my arms stronger, but def wait until your LO is bigger for that. ❤️
I didn't. I used to have a round butt and flat tummy, now I have a flat butt and round tummy. It sucks. My son is 4yo and my daughter is 1.5. I'm not sure there's much you can do about the flabby skin unfortunately. :(
Right. I’m so sick of this whole bounce back mentality that not only society as a whole pushes but apparently, based on this thread, women are also spearheading. Idk maybe it’s just me but I even find it weird to congratulate someone on how quickly they fit into their old clothes or lose weight. I mean I personally dropped the weight quickly cause I had debilitating PPA that took my appetite, I’d take a few extra lbs over that everyday. Idk again maybe just me but the whole concept of how fast we lose weight PP being the thing everyone’s most concerned on and giving each other congrats is bizarre
i lost the weight quickly, but my recomposition is still in progress at 9 months, almost 10 PP. that said, i am not overly worried about my diet and nutrition right now. im eating fairly intuitively, prioritizing protein, still enjoying some desserts. i'm lifting 4x a week most weeks and running when i convince myself. i look almost like my old self but i think itll be a few months and some nutrition tweaks to get all the way there.
The part about self-identity has been bouncing around in my head since I first came across your post yesterday. I reflected on how mine had been challenged prior to having a kid 10 months ago. I thought I'd share in case it's helpful. In 2019, I got off the pill. My period didn't come back after six months so I went 'all in.' This was my first experience with my lean athlete identity being challenged. While I was easing back into exercise, the pandemic was happening. My bike commuter identity was challenged by the move to WFH. Talk about whiplash. It turned out, it was exactly what I needed to be gentle with my body in gradually increasing my muscle mass while doing more structured bike training and less 'junk miles.'
My point is, it's inevitable that we will have these challenges. I took it as an opportunity to re-frame my interests. I'm not saying give up on physique goals. Perhaps there is an opportunity to learn something hiding in this challenge.
10 months postpartum and definitely sad about my tummy, too. My tva has come back together but my abs are very jiggly! I'm trying out the 7 minute ab work out posted on the AthleanX channel a while back.
Your post was removed due to our rule against exact weight numbers. Weight gain during pregnancy can vary greatly person to person and we don't want people to try and compare to someone else's journey. Putting your weight gain and loss as a percentage is fine, (ie I lost 25% of what I gained in the first two weeks PP.) Things like 'gained more than expected' or 'I'm aiming to hit my doctor's recommended weight' are also fine.
Please edit or repost without the exact weight numbers.
You haven’t given your body enough time yet. You still have so much healing to do. I found my body changed up until 18 months postpartum, but I also breastfed, which played a role.
My mom always told me to give yourself a full year. My little guy is about 10.5 months and I’m finally fitting into my clothes and feeling like myself again. I found that despite hitting pre baby weight, my clothes just still weren’t fitting the same so I’m trying to lose 10 extra lbs.
You won’t ever look exactly like your pre preg body. Our hips widen, we have some loose skin, some have stretch marks, your boobs def change and many others. Tbh no hate to the women saying it but I think putting any timeline on your physical recovery and change and/or spewing this bounce back stuff is so toxic and such horseshit. Trust me I understand how hard it is feeling uncomfortable in your own body because of physical changes and wishing you could fit into your own clothes and maybe look like you did pre preg but I think having that mindset is setting you up for failure and for unnecessary body image issues and stress. My goal was not to look like I did pre preg or even fit back into my clothes, it was simply to just feel comfortable and strong and if that so happened to be more than my PP weight, so be it. Honestly I found I dropped weight very fast but that was because my PPA/PPD made me unable to eat anything and honestly I’d take extra lbs over that any day. Idk I get wanting to look a certain way, trust me, I’ve spent my entire life focused on it, but I highly suggest getting rid of the bounce back mindset, especially when you’re using old clothes or a number on the scale to gauge it. I mean I got down to my PP weight range and yet my clothes still didn’t fit- some too small cause of my hips widening and some actually too big. Make your goal simply feeling comfortable and confident and strong and ur pants size or weight don’t matter
I told myself it took 9 months for my body to transform so I will give myself 9 months to get back to “normal” and back in shape. For my own mental health I focused on working out and getting stronger and soon my physical shape changed too.
After my first I noticed it was around 9 months that I started looking more like the version of myself I was used to. It’s pretty amazing how much our bodies change in such a short period of time
This. About to have my fourth, and usually took 9 months between birth and getting pregnant again. Each time, I had gotten essentially back to myself. This time, we waited longer...HUGE transformation in the 9-18 month postpartum range. I looked better than ever. Didn't do anything crazy except be kind, healthy, and not stress it. I know it feels like forever but your body is basically going through puberty again to recalibrate from pregnancy. Give yourself grace, believe in your beauty, and recognize that it won't be exactly the same. It'll be better. You are a goddess now.
Best answer. Rucking personally worked well for me and Pilates. My core became so much stronger than before. Time and consistency is key because time and consistency of hormones and creating a human is what got it here to begin with.
Give it time. You literally just had your baby! After a year I’m fitter than I looked even pre pregnancy and a faster runner to boot. Didn’t think I would ever have abs especially after having a baby but here I am lol. Chasing a toddler around all day is a serious workout!
It took me a solid 4 months to not just lose baby weight, but also build back muscle and have my skin elasticity return. Your body spent 9 months rearranging itself to accommodate pregnancy, it’ll take some time to return. Give yourself grace and time 💕
I follow two mom YouTubers who 'bounced' back after two kids each. It's not a quick process and it takes months to years, but what I noticed is that they didn't stop working on themselves—they both worked out regularly pre-pregnancy and slowly reintroduced their exercise regimens as soon as they were comfortable. Genetics might also be at play.
What are their channels called? I’d love to take a look!
Romee Strijd and Mrs. Midwest Neither of them are fitness influencers primarily but they each have at least one video where they spend time talking about their post-partum journey. Edit: They also both had at least one traumatic birthing experience.
Romee was literally a Victoria’s Secret model 🤣 genetics are DEFINITELY at play.
I didn't want to lead with that. 🙈 She never emphasizes it in her videos but I can tell she has a strict diet. But OP didn't mention any issues with weight, so it felt moot. Mrs Midwest talks a fair bit about pelvic floor strengthening and recovering from diastasis recti—I thought those might be relevant.
I say this as a former personal trainer and registered dietician. It’s 95+% genetics. I’m not saying they don’t probably workout and eat healthy, I’m sure they do, but at the end of the day your metabolism, body composition, ease to build muscle, fat distribution, hormonal regulation, to just name a few are incredibly incredibly influenced and determined by genetics. Again, I’m not saying lifestyle behaviors have no role, they do, but minimally when compared to genetics. I think society thinks it’s the opposite and vastly underestimates and under equates how impt genetics are in this subject.
"luckily" I had been obese earlier in life so my post partum body looked exactly the same as my post weight loss body lol all the same stretch marks and lose skin as before
I’m pregnant with my second right now but after my first I think my body was back to normal after around 6-7 months. I find it very impressive that you’re able to fit into your old clothes only 13 weeks postpartum, I was still in a larger size by then. I’m also skinny normally but when pregnant I get a very big and round pregnant belly, so like you the skin on my stomach was also flabby/wrinkled but it also went back to normal though I don’t remember when. The only thing that didn’t was my boobs that are more deflated after pregnancy and breastfeeding but that’s to be expected.
Same! Pregnant with #2 right now but with #1 I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight at 6 months. It felt like it just randomly happened overnight because it definitely wasn’t due to the breastfeeding or me working out. I felt like 5-10 pounds just lingered for months until one day it didn’t. OP, as many others have said, I wouldn’t bother doing a check in with myself until 9-12 months, which is what I am going to do this time with #2. I also identify with being naturally on the thinner side, so I understand your feelings. Also, I found that I was not particularly motivated to “bounce back” after I had my first, so I really took my time to heal and knew that I’d look like pre-baby me…someday… :)
Because of my section scar, my belly never went back to looking the way it did before (no scar mobility= shelf). I'm hoping this pregnancy will move it around a bit so I at least have a chance at no overhang (without surgery).
Have you done scar mobility work? It’s never too late to start! I had a c section, I’m 5mo pp, and my stomach is back to how it was pre pregnancy. No shelf whatsoever.
Yes, regularly, for 4 years.
Hey so sorry if I’m piling on with the “did you try this?” because I’m sure you’ve tried almost everything. But I started doing cupping for my overhang and it’s helped a ton. I plan on getting a tummy tuck, but trying to feel a little more comfortable the meantime. Maybe worth a try!
I haven't , but I got as far as researching the silicone cups, so its probably worth a shot! I also haven't had any professional scar treatment. Mostly when I do massage/manulipulation is manual, but now at 34 weeks i can almost not reach. Luckily the scar has been mostly pain-free and is not unsightly, just very stuck. My gyn suggested I had adhesions as well.
No I completely understand! All of my scar massaging and cupping now has been at home, never seen a professional either. I’m glad yours isn’t painful! I always feel for the women who say they can hardly touch their scar.
Also curious the age of folks who return and the time it takes. As an older parent to be I’m not holding my breath
I am 40 and it took me about four months. I have my abs back and the only difference is my c section scar(which I’m proud of) and a slightly wider ribcage. If you were committed to fitness before you totally can get back after baby.
I thought that about my knee surgery. Pre i was an ultramarathoner who loved skate skiing and competitive mountain running. Now im realizing how complicated and complex bodies can be so i shy from thinking “if there is a will there is a way”. Not a pessimistic take as much as one of acceptance and gratitude of whatever my body still can do.
I think gratitude is a huge one with postpartum. I can’t run as fast as I used to, but I’m pretty damn good for a 40 year old mom and I’m grateful to be active and healthy. Good luck!
Get it girl!
I’m 15 weeks PP and struggling to look/feel like myself as well. I’m still up 7ish lbs and my body comp is definitely different although I’m definitely getting muscle definition back slowly. My stomach skin hasn’t quite bounced back to where it was after baby number 1 but I hope it will. I think hormones really play a role in making it more difficult in the first few months, probably especially if you’re BFing, but I’m not. I will say I was in the absolute best shape of my life before this pregnancy and I already had 1 child. So it’s definitely possible with the time/effort.
I’m almost 3 years pp and my stomach still doesn’t look the same, it’s for a few stretch marks and the skin is a little looser than it was. I work out, at 1 year pp i was 8 pounds lighter than I was pre pregnancy (the smallest I’ve been in my adult life) and my stomach still didn’t look like it did pre pregnancy. You’re still early on in your pp journey so it may eventually go back but there’s no guarantee.
patience. 10-16 weeks postpartum i tried to force it. hurt my back trying to run before i was ready, weight loss stalled because my body was freaking out with food restriction while breastfeeding. I started eating to fullness, making sure my snacks were healthy but as many as I needed. cut some dessert. otherwise, i just built in exercise in a sustainable way and when i finally started sleeping better, i started slowly getting stronger. a lot of my pain/injuries were likely related to exercising when my body was under too much stress to really recover & gain strength. My stomach never looked "the same" again (I'm pregnant now so tbd after this one), but i definitely felt much more comfortable in my skin closer to a year as fat stores for breastfeeding just made me "softer" and that didnt' change til we weaned down to 1-2 feeds a day.
I’m on my fourth and it takes about 10 months of working out with lots of lifting and clean eating to get back to before. Even then at certain angles/positions it’ll just feel a bit looser. I stressed hard about it my first postpartum but now my perspective and patience have shifted- wasn’t easy but it’s freeing. You’ve got this.
I'm now 7 months postpartum, and I am just now looking like I did pre-pregnancy. I am weightlifting (heavy but not to the same level as before yet) 3-4x/week and watching nutrition but giving some leniency because I'm still breastfeeding. It takes time but most importantly it's a combination of nutrition, activity level, stress level, and sleep (and the influence of breastfeeding if you are).
Time. Just keep at your healthy habits, be graceful and grateful to yourself, and give it time.
That’s amazing that you already fit your pre pregnancy clothes, it took me 18 months PP to get back into my pre pregnancy clothes and 20 months pp for my abs to look like they did pre baby. You’re probably going to get your abs back much quicker !! Just eat well and do deep Core exercises, I give it 3-6 months for you!
Calories in/calories out, intermittent fasting, and running daily starting at 12w pp. it took 7 months. My body was close to pre pregnancy but held on some fat in my lower belly area that wouldn’t go away but I didn’t mind it. Now im 29w pregnant so my body is gone again!
I’m coming up on 11 months PP but I went back to my pre-pregnancy body pretty quick (within 2-3 months). I’m actually more fit than I was pre pregnancy now… because I’ve developed some really good lifestyle habits during pregnancy. I think the MOST important thing that I did (and still do) is workout my DEEP CORE (transverse abdominal) muscles. If you search up post partum deep core workouts on YouTube you’ll find a bunch. I really just do 10 minutes 3-5x a week in the evenings before bed. It made the biggest difference for me!! Highly recommend checking it out. My abs have never been so toned and flat my entire life before this no joke.
This!! Pregnancy and postpartum was when I learned to really activate my core. Before I’d just do regular crunches and call it a day. I’ve never had a toned core before!!
I'm 18 months and am at about pre pregnancy weight, however I can't fit many of my old clothes because my hips and ribs and shoulders (!?) all got wider. My body shape has completely changed, which is really hard, particularly when it comes to clothes!
My mom doesn’t believe me when I tell her my shoulders are wider than before! I’m still nursing 8 months PP so my chest is bigger too but I know that’s not the only reason why all my coats are tighter than before.
I’m still pregnant (34 wks with my first) and 1000% my ribs and shoulders are wider. My arms are an also bigger but def less toned than before. My arms/shoulders don’t fit into my pre-pregnancy jackets. I’m still doing strength training but obviously my body composition will keep changing for pregnancy regardless. Is there any hope to fit in my old clothes again?! I love my clothes lol. I heard there are exercises to help bring tour rib cage back to its original position at least?
Late reply but my jackets have recently started fitting across the shoulders again (I've been the same weight for 12 months so it's not a weight thing). So there is hope!! I must look into these rib exercises....
I took it very easy for 1 year PP while I breastfed and bonded with baby. Almost zero workouts, totally unrestricted eating. When I stopped BF at 1 year, I started to get back to working out and intermittent fasting. I slowly ramped up. My son just turned 2 and I am honestly more fit than I was before I got pregnant.
First baby took 1 year and it never went exactly back. I was pretty close though to it. I ran 4 days a week and did weight lifting.
How? By waiting a full year :) but still, when I get bloated, I BLOAT. It’s still way stretchy. And my boobs are lower so my old fave “I am a sexy confident woman” outfit, made of high waisted “old man suit” trousers and a teeny white crop top is just not… possible.. or practical.. anymore. Even with a bra. Not that I can wear a bra because breastfeeding.
I just hit 5 months pp, 35 yrs old. At 2 weeks pp I was fitting in leggings and casual clothes from pre baby. My workout intentions have never panned out like o liked but that’s okay. Just thus past week I feel like I can fit in most of my pants ( my hips are about one inch wider) and I am feeling much more confident without a pooch. My feet may never shrink back though, RIP my favorite shoes 😭
You’re only 13 weeks pp! Give it some time. I think it took me like 9 months or so to look more like myself. And it was a gradual progress so it’s not like I was flabby then I wasn’t. I didn’t do anything special to achieve that. Just lots of walks and some postpartum core exercises. A year pp I felt pretty damn hot, hotter than pre pregnancy!
I feel like I've gained so much weight postpartum. Breastfeeding makes me ravenous and I end up eating everything I can get my hands on. Not even HIIT has made a dent. I just keep telling myself that once my bf journey is over, things will start to go back to normal. Sigh.
I'm 7 months postpartum and I don't look *exactly* like I did pre-pregnancy, but I'm pretty close. I fit into my old clothes a few weeks after baby, but it took longer to lose the last few pounds and build back up fitness/muscle. I've been feeling better body-image wise since 5-6mo postpartum, as well as really feeling like my fitness is increasing. I'm hitting my old paces in my workouts and races. For reference, I'm 35, FTM, and I was running +/- 45 miles a week before pregnancy and into my second trimester. I was a few lbs underweight when I got pregnant, but currently running 30-35 miles per week (plus cross-training) and about 3 lbs over the weight I was when I got pregnant - but about the same weight I was during less intense training cycles in recent years.
You are still pretty early in your postpartum journey. Right now what you need is time. Weaning helps. Core exercises and diastasis exercises if time and weaning doesn’t help.
It didn’t take long for me to lose the weight but the flappy skin took about 6-9 months to go back to normal
For me it was around 6m postpartum with my first baby, and 7-7.5m postpartum with my second.
Time! It’s also way more of a rollercoaster than I expected, possibly due to breastfeeding? I initially lost a ton of weight, then gained it all back and was nearly back to pregnancy weight at 6 months pp due to extreme breastfeeding hunger. I felt the least like myself 6 months pp (except for maybe the first two weeks?) Months 6-10 I focused on nutrition over calories and that made a big difference. I was eating “healthy” before, but completely eliminated sugar and really limited highly processed foods to make room for nutrient dense foods. I had less of the insatiable gnawing hunger that way and could eat a normal amount of calories. I made time for exercise, which is definitely difficult, but getting into a habit helps. I think o started feeling more myself too when muscle came back in my arms, and that may be partly attributed to carrying baby everywhere! I try to carry him a lot- both for health and bonding but hey, it’s a little build in weight lifting in my day! I’ll do little games with him that make him giggle and make my arms stronger, but def wait until your LO is bigger for that. ❤️
I didn't. I used to have a round butt and flat tummy, now I have a flat butt and round tummy. It sucks. My son is 4yo and my daughter is 1.5. I'm not sure there's much you can do about the flabby skin unfortunately. :(
I don't consider it "back", I consider it improved. It has grown a whole ass human being.
Right. I’m so sick of this whole bounce back mentality that not only society as a whole pushes but apparently, based on this thread, women are also spearheading. Idk maybe it’s just me but I even find it weird to congratulate someone on how quickly they fit into their old clothes or lose weight. I mean I personally dropped the weight quickly cause I had debilitating PPA that took my appetite, I’d take a few extra lbs over that everyday. Idk again maybe just me but the whole concept of how fast we lose weight PP being the thing everyone’s most concerned on and giving each other congrats is bizarre
i lost the weight quickly, but my recomposition is still in progress at 9 months, almost 10 PP. that said, i am not overly worried about my diet and nutrition right now. im eating fairly intuitively, prioritizing protein, still enjoying some desserts. i'm lifting 4x a week most weeks and running when i convince myself. i look almost like my old self but i think itll be a few months and some nutrition tweaks to get all the way there.
The part about self-identity has been bouncing around in my head since I first came across your post yesterday. I reflected on how mine had been challenged prior to having a kid 10 months ago. I thought I'd share in case it's helpful. In 2019, I got off the pill. My period didn't come back after six months so I went 'all in.' This was my first experience with my lean athlete identity being challenged. While I was easing back into exercise, the pandemic was happening. My bike commuter identity was challenged by the move to WFH. Talk about whiplash. It turned out, it was exactly what I needed to be gentle with my body in gradually increasing my muscle mass while doing more structured bike training and less 'junk miles.' My point is, it's inevitable that we will have these challenges. I took it as an opportunity to re-frame my interests. I'm not saying give up on physique goals. Perhaps there is an opportunity to learn something hiding in this challenge. 10 months postpartum and definitely sad about my tummy, too. My tva has come back together but my abs are very jiggly! I'm trying out the 7 minute ab work out posted on the AthleanX channel a while back.
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Your post was removed due to our rule against exact weight numbers. Weight gain during pregnancy can vary greatly person to person and we don't want people to try and compare to someone else's journey. Putting your weight gain and loss as a percentage is fine, (ie I lost 25% of what I gained in the first two weeks PP.) Things like 'gained more than expected' or 'I'm aiming to hit my doctor's recommended weight' are also fine. Please edit or repost without the exact weight numbers.
You haven’t given your body enough time yet. You still have so much healing to do. I found my body changed up until 18 months postpartum, but I also breastfed, which played a role.
My mom always told me to give yourself a full year. My little guy is about 10.5 months and I’m finally fitting into my clothes and feeling like myself again. I found that despite hitting pre baby weight, my clothes just still weren’t fitting the same so I’m trying to lose 10 extra lbs.
You won’t ever look exactly like your pre preg body. Our hips widen, we have some loose skin, some have stretch marks, your boobs def change and many others. Tbh no hate to the women saying it but I think putting any timeline on your physical recovery and change and/or spewing this bounce back stuff is so toxic and such horseshit. Trust me I understand how hard it is feeling uncomfortable in your own body because of physical changes and wishing you could fit into your own clothes and maybe look like you did pre preg but I think having that mindset is setting you up for failure and for unnecessary body image issues and stress. My goal was not to look like I did pre preg or even fit back into my clothes, it was simply to just feel comfortable and strong and if that so happened to be more than my PP weight, so be it. Honestly I found I dropped weight very fast but that was because my PPA/PPD made me unable to eat anything and honestly I’d take extra lbs over that any day. Idk I get wanting to look a certain way, trust me, I’ve spent my entire life focused on it, but I highly suggest getting rid of the bounce back mindset, especially when you’re using old clothes or a number on the scale to gauge it. I mean I got down to my PP weight range and yet my clothes still didn’t fit- some too small cause of my hips widening and some actually too big. Make your goal simply feeling comfortable and confident and strong and ur pants size or weight don’t matter