Babylune

Not until I am 6 weeks post partum!

by kate baggott on January 24th, 2006

There comes a time, shortly after birth, when a new mother steps on a set of scales to see just how much weight remains after the little tenant’s eviction. Do it too soon and you might find that the number is the same one you saw at the midwife’s or doctor’s appointment during your last appointment. It can be the most depressing moment of a woman’s life. The day after my son was born, the scales didn’t even register the 10 pounds of baby I’d just pushed out.
To get a real sense of how much your pre-pregnancy weight differs from your post-pregnancy weight, you need to wait until you are six weeks post partum. OK, some experts say 4 weeks, but why not give yourself a break? Before that, the scales lie. Really!

It’s called the watershed. For the first 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth, your body sheds the fluid reserves it has built up to nourish the baby and expand all your systems to support two. It is most obvious during the first two weeks post partum when you may sweat excessively, especially at night. In addition, your body uses fat reserves to make milk. So, if you’re nursing, a little weight will come off as you enter and maintain production.
That said, I still have four days before I plan to step on the scale. Even then, I will do it only under perfect conditions: first thing in the morning — but after nursing and peeing — before breakfast and only completely naked.

Still, I am mentally preparing myself for what the numbers might reveal on Sunday morning. Luckily, Erin Hawkins has been writing a series called Diaper Daze for the Toronto Star about her first born son’s first year. In her latest installment, she’s talking about post partum body image, diet and exercise with a smile (albeit a rather sarcastic smile).

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POSTED IN: The first 6 weeks