New-mommy body survey
How many moms fit into their skinny jeans a year after the birth of baby? I sure didn't. Luckily I wasn't alone. Babycenter surveyed 7,000 new mommies about their bodies. 'New' means these moms had babies just a few days old to 2 years old. Here are a few highlights:
- Weight Loss Expectations: Sixty-five percent of new moms expected to shed pregnancy weight by their baby's first year, but only half of the moms with 1- 2-year-olds had accomplished this feat. It truly is a tough road -- I finally lost it, but had to pay money to hop on the Weight Watchers scale every Saturday morning to pull it off. After that I'd have a big breakfast -- with hashbrowns -- then start counting Points all over again.
- Tummy Woes: Eighty-seven percent of women say their stomach still hasn't returned to normal. My girlfriends across the country consistently report thanks to stretch marks (for some) and pregnancy's final-month-ultra-stretch, their abs are not the same.
- Pregnancy Weight Gain: Forty-two percent of moms surveyed gained more than the recommended limit of 35 pounds. Herein lies a major obstacle to losing the weight -- if you eat wildly during pregnancy and gain too much weight, it'll be tougher to take off later. Only 32 percent of the survey's big gainers lost their pregnancy weight within a year compared to 50 percent of moms who gained less.
Body image wasn't too stellar for survey-takers either. Over half admitted their body image has worsened since motherhood. But there's definitely good news here -- healthy eating and physical fitness is ever-ready to rescue pregnant and new moms. Go for it -- fitness fans everywhere applaud your efforts!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-09-2008 @ 11:25PM
Judy said...
I've had 3 kids, over 10 years time. (My oldest is 12, youngest 2.) I gained too much with each of them, and successively more with each, too - 38 with my first, born at 36 weeks. 45 with the second, 50 with the third. All 3 were healthy normal babies and pregnancies (even the 36 weeker), although my second did weigh over 9 pounds.
My first was born when I was 17, and I can say that ever since then I wished I could get a boob lift or something! I managed to lose the weight each time, and now only weigh a few pounds more than I did when I got pg the first time, and most of that weight is in muscle and I'm *much* healthier than I was then.
I think women look at all the celebrity moms who lose it all in a few months, pose nude right after having a baby, and have completely unrealistic expectations. Taking it all off in a year does sound like a reasonable goal, though.
And I'm thankful that most of my stretch marks - almost all from my first - did NOT go to my stomach. They can still be easily covered in a bikini!
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 12:47AM
Bev Sklar said...
Judy,
Thanks for sharing your experiences -- and wearing a bikini ... wow!
One-piece swimsuit girl,
Bev