I don't know what I weighed during my pregnancy, when should I rip the band-aid off?

[holyspiritleads2truth]

So I made the decision not to learn my weight during my pregnancy but I have a mirror and my husband knows and so I know it's A LOT of weight gain. My husband let slip that I was too heavy for my cheap treadmill, so I know the gain was greater than 40 lbs. I did ask the doctor as we went if I should be concerned and she said no and "eat whatever." My baby will be three weeks old tomorrow. When should I weigh myself and rip this bandaid off (knowing I will for sure freak out and my thoughts will be consumed with weightless).

In the alternative, how would you lose weight without calorie counting or knowing the weight. Like maybe if I can lose some more before I learn my weight it'll take the sting off (like oh I gained x amount of weight but I'm already on my way at y amount of weight loss).

Btw, breastfeeding looks like it's not going to happen in any appreciable amount (I get 1-2 oz per day via the pump, and my baby no.longer takes the boob because it frustrates her).

 

[lovejoy76]

@holyspiritleads2truth I would look now. The only reason i say this is because you are still going to lose a lot (most likely) until you hit six weeks. For me, i looked at 2 weeks. I gained 50lbs and I’m glad I looked because i lost 25lbs by 6 weeks and 42lbs by 12 weeks. It was nice constantly seeing drops on the scale and it motivated me a lot. If i would have waiting until 6 weeks i wouldn’t have felt so good about losing 25 in that month!

 

[sandi217]

@holyspiritleads2truth I would wait until the 6 week appointment to do a weigh in. I also have the same issue with breastfeeding (my lactation consultant and OB diagnosed me with hypoplasia) but I decided to still give my baby what milk I could and then formula for the rest. It has been a challenge because I would get super hungry like my body wanted to produce a full supply even though I just couldn't (max I produced was 1oz/feeding). TBH I gained some weight in my first few months PP on top of the 55 I gained in pregnancy. (My OB told me the same thing, to just eat whatever I want, and also told me to avoid getting covid at all costs, so I hardly went out my entire pregnancy. My weight is my responsibility, but I also don't think I would have gained so much if it weren't for my OBs advice...).

At the 9 mo mark my appetite evened out and the weight has started to come off. I lost 20 lbs in three months without doing much to actively try to lose weight, and I have now started a weight loss program, so I expect to lose more. Good luck OP! It's a difficult time, especially the first few months. Also, feel free to DM me if you want to talk to someone about the low milk supply who has gone through it too!

 

[aminganancy]

@holyspiritleads2truth Give yourself some grace! You just had a baby for Pete’s sake!

 

[jmparriss]

@holyspiritleads2truth I would wait at least 6 weeks , I haven’t weight myself since birth yet, I am about 4 weeks PP and my uterus hasn’t fully shrunk yet but I know I gained a lot but I did stop gaining near the end as I had GD and was on a low carb high protein diet. So you could try and limit carbs, not too low but be mindful of it. I also didn’t drink anything with a lot of calories so like Gatorade zero, diet pop, water, seltzer really helped not having “empty calories”. I am also not BF due to a bad hemorrhage and just never could get my milk in, not even a drop! My OB said it could take a few months for my body to go back so don’t fret at 6 weeks either it’s still early ! Also walks around the block with baby is a great way to get some steps in.

 

[grandpa4]

@holyspiritleads2truth I’d wait a little longer since hormones are still so wonky in the first few weeks. I knew exactly how much weight I gained while pregnant, knew how big my baby was, but I held on to so much water weight for the first several weeks postpartum that I barely lost anything until a month out. I also wouldn’t limit calories much since you’re still healing and your body needs good nutrition to be able to do that. You can start walks and gentle exercise if you feel up to it, but don’t rush it. I could barely walk around my neighborhood block at 4 weeks postpartum but was able to do a couple miles when I tried again at 6-8 weeks.

I had low supply too (was told insufficient glandular fissure) and would only produce 3-4ml per feeding (either pumping or weighted feeds with the LC) off of one breast, with the other breast never producing a drop of milk at all. I stopped trying to breastfeed at about four weeks and it might be coincidence, but that really coincided with my body leveling out. Not being able to breastfeed was very stressful for me and I don’t think that helped either.

 

[daniel1960]

@holyspiritleads2truth Agree with the six week, there was a lot of water weight and such that came off during those six weeks without much trying. Unfortunately it does plateau soon after that without work.

 

[rica]

@holyspiritleads2truth I waited until 6 weeks. I just didn’t want to see a horrifying number and I wasn’t ready to deal with reality. I do think you will lose weight more quickly without breastfeeding. Breastfeeding hormones make my body hold on to fat at all costs. For now, I would just try to eat healthy but without being restrictive. Keep sweets low. Once you are ready, you can start calorie counting.

 

[katrina2017]

@holyspiritleads2truth I would wait a bit. Focus on doing healthy stuff for yourself. I don't know what makes you feel good about yourself but for me it was eating nutritious food and not constricting my hunger. As in I felt good knowing I ate eggs and fruit and olives and avocado for breakfast, plain yogurt and bunch of seeds for snack, huge salad with meat for lunch, fruit and nuts for snack and whatever I craved for dinner. It made my mood and made me energetic about conquering motherhood and pp. (this vibes like a woman laughing while eating a salad advice, sorry ) it put me in a mindset that I am already doing well and it's a matter of time when I can feel ok and portion myself. Skale was less scary that way. So, I don't know, if food doesn't do it for you, maybe walks, meditation, taking time to do skin routine. Something that gives you a sense you are in charge.

 

[womple]

@holyspiritleads2truth After my C section it took me about 10 weeks to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Edited to add: it took me so long because of fluid retention.

 

[ninja_mouse]

@holyspiritleads2truth It took 9 months to grow and carry your LO, dont be so hard on yourself! Start slow and make sure youre drinking a lot of water and eating good food. A lot will drop off naturally as youre healing.

 

[woutyet]

@holyspiritleads2truth I would wait until after your body is healed and you can begin exercising without pain before looking at that number on the scale, counting calories, or otherwise messing with your diet. Your body needs to heal before you can really start focusing on weight loss, otherwise youre just going to be 2-steps-forward-1-step-back for a long time. Youve got this!

 

[unitechrist]

@holyspiritleads2truth I lost 20 pounds just after giving broth before my 6 week checkup. I didn’t breastfeed or pump. It was most likely from lack of sleep, not eating enough and just chugging water so I don’t really recommend it lol

Put off weighing yourself for as long as you can. I weight myself after that 6 weeks and was so bummed that I was still stuck weighing 30 pounds more than my pre-pregnancy weight and it is taking forever to leave. I found myself not even truly enjoying my maternity leave for 3 months because I was crying daily over the scale.

Go on walks outside. It’s starting to cool off and fresh air is good for you and baby. Once you’re cleared to workout, do squats every so often and lunges. I do lunges to and from the sink whenever i gotta make a bottle lol

 

[sayjay9274]

@holyspiritleads2truth 1) Be kind to yourself - you just made a whole dang baby! Your body is amazing and formidable, no matter how much it weighs.

2) Try not to get down about breastfeeding troubles - it's really difficult. If it's something you really care about and are committed to doing, get advice from a lactation consultant. The only important thing at the end of the day is that your baby gets fed! By bottle or boob or any combination, doesn't matter. Plus, take comfort in knowing that breastfeeding is NOT a magical guarantee of weight loss. Tons of women including myself don't lose any weight from breastfeeding, and some even gain more because it can increase your appetite.