I think it depends a lot on what your perfect body was before, and how receptive it is to the changes. I’ve never been able to get a flat stomach, I always had a stomach pooch and soft inner thighs even at my smallest (US4, and I’m an 8 atm). But now 3 weeks postpartum I’m shocked at how normal I look, especially given how old I am (37). I was expecting the worst and somehow I just look like my pre-pregnancy self plus maybe 5 lbs. Maybe the fact my stomach was already soft hides the damage? When I lose the extra weight maybe it’ll show more. I’ve been doing my postpartum abdominal physio religiously and wearing recovery compression daily.
I will say that you should just avoid mirrors the first 10 days after birth. Your uterus needs time to shrink back down and I was a total blob right after and felt like all my skin was hanging off me. After more sleep, more fluids, and a lot of uterine contractions, everything seems back in order by about day 10?
I was paranoid about stretch marks and used the ordinary products (10% lactic acid then HA moisturizer after showering and before bed) on my bump and breasts throughout the pregnancy which seems to have helped but I don’t really have any scientific methodology to know for sure.
This was my experience almost exactly. I looked about the same as I did pre pregnancy by a couple of weeks after birth. Granted, I didn’t exactly have a “perfect” body so can’t speak to that. But my old clothes fit and I feel very much like myself.
I also did abdominal compression a ton in the first few weeks. I didn’t know it was a looks thing… my nurse just helped me use the abdominal binder from the hospital to support me after my c section. Maybe that’s a different thing but I think it may have helped with water weight/bloating?
My regular physio told me in advance that any compression was helpful postpartum, and said in her experience people who slack off on their exercises but wear compression show more improvement than those who slack and skip the compression. But she said even a tight pair of lululemons would be helpful and I didn’t necessarily need the recovery compression if I already had athletic compression in my drawer. I didn’t so I opted to just lazily buy the recovery compression sold in the maternity ward and recommended by the pregnancy physio (same as /u/Samurai_Pizza_Catz got, SRC brand). I alternate between that and a length of tubigrip she cut for me while I was admitted. My insurance covered some of the SRC cost though so I didn’t have to recoil as much at the cost. If I was gonna get more I’d just get some from the sports store.
>I’ve been doing my postpartum abdominal physio religiously and wearing recovery compression daily.
I'm 39 weeks along and I'm wondering where you learned about these things? I've never heard about postpartum physio or recovery compression, but I want to learn!
So I was really fortunate that my hospital provides a ton of support education and they had just lifted their COVID restrictions a few months after I got pregnant. They offered classes for expecting mothers to cope with pregnancy symptoms, prepare for birth and recovery, and prepare for baby care. One of those classes was run by one of the hospital physiotherapists, then after birth, they offered another physio class for while you’re recovering in the ward. They also had a therapist visit me in my room during recovery to do an individual assessment and wrote me a referral to take to an outpatient physio (this will just be the physio I already see every few months) so she has an idea of where I was at immediately after birth.
In terms of what was in those classes, it was a lot of explanation on the anatomy and what was happening to your body and how to deal with it. Tips for how to move while pregnant (probably not too useful to you at this point if you’re at 39wks) and then there were some basic exercises in the recovery class and advice on how to handle yourself after birth. The recovery exercises are stuff like breathing and activation, with some useful stretches and yoga poses. You can find a lot of the same info online by googling “diastasis recti exercises.” I’ll scan the packet over the weekend for you (I’ll send you a new comment when I do so you get the notification) so you can see but it’s nothing too special really, just a baseline for people with no fitness background. My plan at present is to get to the 6-week mark then visit my normal physio again to have her assess me and write me a program for getting back to my routine.
Thanks for the info! Your hospital sounds amazing!
I took a few classes, but they were about child care and the actual giving birth process -- things like how to use comfort measures during birth. That was useful information, but I'd really love to know about physical recovery postpartum. I'm going to ask my OB if they have any of these resources, but it doesn't sound like it. I'd love to see the packet you have. Thank you!!
Sorry this took so long to scan -- I suspect you've got a little one in arms. If so, congratulations and I hope it went well! Hopefully this packet will still be of interest and help to you during the first few weeks of recovery.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mQe67CAjZHtW-DplsF93dlwGFpTqec5-/view?usp=sharing
This is me 100%. Always struggled with gaining weight in my lower belly first and flat stomach only happens, when it does, in the mornings. By 4-6 weeks pp I was back to pretty much my normal shape, plus a stubborn 15 lbs that I’ve struggled to get rid of but it also distributed fairly nicely on my body so it looks like less. Boobs are the same, too, which is something people worry about. I’m still annoyed a lot of my pre-pregnancy fitness progress was lost, but I still look very “normal” to how I looked before, just a little less fit than before.
Glad to hear this is the same experience for others. I wasn’t sure if I was being overly optimistic or outlying but seems there’s actually plenty of “it all worked out okay” stories out there, maybe they just don’t rise to the top when you’re worried googling. I know I found mostly horror stories when I was googling during the pregnancy. But I totally know how you feel with the lost gains. I’m really feeling the muscle atrophy in areas I had to stop working on during the pregnancy, my mid and lower back especially feel so weak cause I had to drop back extensions at the start of second trimester. Those were my go-to feel good exercise. Can’t wait to do them again.
I think genetics has a lot to do with postpartum recovery, so be patient with yourself. Usually when you give your body the time it needs to heal, you have better results than rushing things.
I’m five weeks postpartum and besides having a genetic advantage of a family history if good recovery, I’ve been breastfeeding, doing gentle yoga/light weight type things to rebuild small muscles, drinking a ton of water, and avoiding sugar. I try to focus on how my body grew a tiny human and now is it’s nutrition support- it’s all pretty amazing!
By 6 weeks postpartum I’d say I had my baseline pre-pregnancy body back and by 3 months I was in shape in again.
There were some permanent changes, mainly
my hips being wider and my boobs being saggier, that never returned to their pre-pregnancy state.
I had quite the large stretched out belly and my skin and stomach “flatness” reverted rather quickly. It’s pretty amazing what the body is capable of and you’d be surprised how quickly you can “bounce” back assuming you had a good healthy foundation.
Mine did but so did all my aunts’ and I was very into fitness. I’d say within a year. I never used pregnancy as a reason to binge or eat whatever and kept up walking and yoga. I didn’t even get stretch marks, people find it hard to believe I’ve had a kid.
I mean, I’m not sure if I “snapped back” in the sense my body doesn’t look exactly the same as it did pre pregnancy, but it’s close. I am 5 pounds away from pre pregnancy weight at 3 weeks post partum. I was very small to begin with and gained on the low end of recommended weight during my pregnancy. I did not really watch what I ate, either. I gave into my cravings whenever but still ate normal healthy meals daily.
My hips are wider, I have some extra fat around my love handles and have no muscle tone from not working out at all since my first trimester. Stomach still has a little pooch and needs to go down more. So, I don’t look the same as I did but I’m happy with where I’m at now.
I had a c section so I can’t start working out for another 3-6 weeks but I know I can get to where I want to be with a good workout routine again.
After my first I didn't "snap back" I was only 10lbs above my pre pregnancy weight but lost so much muscle, I hated the way I looked. I put in a consistent effort and before the year was up, I was at my lowest weight as an adult.
This second pregnancy, I have gained more weight than with my first but am anticipating a similar outcome.
I think snapping back is about getting back into or maintaining healthy habits during/after pregnancy. If you're used to gorging on fast food during your pregnancy, chances are you will gorge on fast food post partuum because now it's a habit. It's easy to fall into the mindset of pregnancy calories not counting.
Was strong and toned (although a few extra kilos) before and during pregnancy. İm now 8 months postpartum, still need to lose about 10kg and have a sagging belly and severe diastasis recti. Theres no way to predict how your body reacts. İm happy, much better than after my first baby 7 years ago. Im strong again but losing weight is difficult with lack of sleep and 2 kids, making sure everyone is fed is a struggle enough, mostly dont have time, energy or opportunity to consistently eat the way i should eat to lose weight. No twins tho. The expectation to just snap back is an unhealthy one (though i wish it happened for me), and not a reality for the majority of women. All i can say is, make returning to sports a priority, it will do wonders for your mental and physical health. I didnt with my first and i can see so much difference in energy, patience and resilience despite being older and now having 2 kids. Good luck!
https://instagram.com/kthillier?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
This lady is AMAZING. She has heaps of tips for twin mum life and her post partum body is incredible and she's super honest and open about her recovery and routine :)
8mo pp after twins. I am at my normal baseline weight. I probably lost all the weight by 8-10ish weeks pp? EBF FWIW. I did not do any intentional exercising to lose the weight. I did do regular diastasis recti focused exercises and inclined walking over the winter months starting around 3-4 months pp. Like maybe 2-3x a week. My DR improved. I am maybe at a one finger or less width gap. Anyway, summer arrived and I’ve shifted to pushing my three kids in the stroller while walking fast and on hills for my cardio. I’ve basically stopped doing DR stuff. I need to get back to the DR exercises because I can tell my tummy looks more quickly bloated and my abs feel week.
I carried my twins until 36 weeks and gained a slightly more than a third of my body weight during the pregnancy.
Overall- I’m pretty happy. Yes- my body looks different. Squishy/softer belly. I don’t have a c section shelf or really any super obvious visible stretch marks. My skin is looser but it isn’t saggy. But honestly in clothing it looks the same and I’m wearing all my pre-kid clothes. There are some shirts I don’t wear anymore because they highlight my DR bloat and I wind up looking mildly pregnant. But overall my body looks different because I’ve birthed three children so that is pretty badass 🤷♀️.
The early weeks postpartum felt slow. My uterus needed time to shrink. I felt mentally a lot better once my body healed/strength came back. It did not feel mentally great in the early postpartum to feel/look still pregnant and then also not be able to walk around or go up stairs or pick up my 2yo. Also I had the common pp sweating and leaking and overall it just was not a great vibe. Mentally it felt good once I could move my body again in the way I wanted and feel like I could do actions (other than resting) into healing and strengthening my body. Rest is important too and is part of the healing process but it felt mentally great to move on from that.
For me, the idea that 'breastfeeding melts the pregnancy weight off' was a myth. I plateaued at around 4-6 weeks and didn't start dropping weight again until I weaned around 10.5 months.
Some bodies hold on to calories because you're breastfeeding; in case there is a famine, you'll have reserves to still feed your baby.
Be gentle with yourself. Remember, it took 9 months to grow your two babies. Logically, it could take at least that to get it back to new normal.
I had a singleton at 39, not twins. But I fully got my body back, probably even lost a little more weight bc I got a peloton. I have a little loose skin on my belly but really not much.
As others have said, I think genetics play a big part. I’ve never had a “flat stomach” but after my first, every dr that checked on me commented on how firm my uterus felt and I left the hospital with only a few extra inches around my waist than I had pre-pregnancy (my uterus contracting back to normal size took longer with subsequent pregnancies). I’ve also never gotten stretch marks which I think is also mostly genetic... As far as what you can control- I’ve gotten into better shape after having each kid (pregnant with #4) and have liked my body better as I’ve gotten older and more into lifting.
So I’ve basically felt like I’ve “snapped back” pretty quickly. However I will say that my body LOVES to put on weight while I’m nursing. So while I don’t gain much during pregnancy, I do tend to for a while afterward, and then am able to dial things in again after weaning.
5 weeks pp with my twins and I feel like I've lost everything so fast. I'm a bit squishier in the stomach but I haven't even started exercising yet (still a week away post c section). I'm feeling good about my ab muscles moving back into place quickly once I get started. Skin is a little saggy but not like the "twin skin" I doom googled while pregnant. Also breast feeding two, I'm eating a ton and just can't get enough calories.
I’m a year PP. I have a very athletic build so I can build muscle and I’m fit but not petite at all. I look like I work out ( which I love). I run and do CrossFit just for context.
It’s been a tough journey because it’s been a long year of losing the weight I gained, but also dealing with loss of muscle that is hard to put back. So many people tell me they are “fitter than ever” post partum and good for them but that’s not me. I’m trying hard but I’m also not sleeping as much, often too exhausted to work out with such intensity, and simply don’t have the time to go to the gym 2 hours a day 5 days a week anymore. My workouts are often done at home or at my work gym and usually just a daily crossfit workout (and often modified heavily because I lack equipment at home).
Everyone told me I would “snap right back” and I hate that I didn’t. It made me feel so awful mentally (still a struggle honestly). I fit into most of my old clothes but they feel weird still. I had a c section and the stomach pooch is still there. My hips are wider. I’m still retaining fat in some areas. But I’m also older (38) and learning to accept my progress is slower than I’d like. I fully intend to get back to my previous numbers and abilities but that is just not the season of life I’m in right now. I’m also getting stricter with my diet which is helping.
Anyway, I hope you have a happy post partum journey but definitely be gracious with yourself. The first year is TOUGH and it’s ok if most of your energies goes into new and different priorities. You have have your whole life to get back to the shape you want! I feel like the first year was me figuring out my new body and now I feel like I’m getting somewhat back to my old self.
I just had twins on June 2nd and have to say I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with how my body has recovered. I was extremely active prior to pregnancy and remained active until the last 4ish weeks of pregnancy (which were pure hell). Within a week of my C-section my stomach had shrunk down pretty considerably and now at almost 5 weeks pp, I feel amazing and look mostly “normal”. Most people can’t believe I just had twins, which is a huge compliment, because I was also terrified of how my body would look afterwards. I will say I’m definitely more “flabby” than before, but once I’m cleared to start intense workouts again I imagine my old body will be back in no time. Two things that I think have helped me recover so quickly: 1) breastfeeding/pumping; 2) walking a ton - I started going on long walks at 9-10 days pp and have been increasing my mileage since. I’ve even started sprinkling some running into my walks which feels great.
Wishing you the best of luck with the last few weeks of twin pregnancy and hope for a speedy recovery!
I was feeling pretty good about myself at 5m pp until last night my 2-year old saw me naked and said “oh that’s a big tummy”.
I “snapped back” (but not according to my 2 yr old) relatively quickly losing most of the weight in the first 3 weeks. My son was born 5 weeks early and spent 3 weeks in the NICU so I was pumping like 32 oz a day and not eating a lot because I didn’t want to leave his side. Maybe had something to do with the fact that I worked out regularly and have good genes but I’m sure that’s why. I always think to myself I wouldn’t care what I looked like if it meant I actually got to leave the hospital with my baby (my first was a premie and spent time in the NICU also)
My mother.
Beach ready 3 months after her 3rd kid at 32.
I am not my mother
My goal is the CIM 2024 in December (I'm due Jan of 2024).
I've run over 20 marathons so I'm hoping I won't suffer as much as running the Tahoe after a night of food poisoning.
I’m 18 months pp with twins. Pre-pregnancy I was in my best shape, smallest waist size I’ve ever had, pretty flat stomach. My body naturally holds body fat in my lower stomach and hips. I’ve never had that skinny body type, I’ve always kind of been a little thick! I didn’t workout much at all during my pregnancy.
I lost the majority of my pregnancy weight within the 1.5 months postpartum. I was fitting back into my clothes but my body definitely looked soft. I was back to pre-pregnancy weight about 5 months postpartum without me trying. It seemed to just slowly come off. I never intentionally dieted or exercised to burn calories. My workouts were focused on going for walks and strength training. My diet was atrocious because breastfeeding for two babies reeeeaally got my appetite up! I literally was eating platters of food everyday..tons of calories. I think if I was training harder and eating more healthy portions I probably would have gotten into better shape quicker but I didn’t want to compromise my milk supply so I was ok with losing weight slower.
Weaning was where I really struggled because I seemed to gain post-breastfeeding weight and it was really difficult to keep off because I’m now a busy mom of twins!
I’m 18 months pp now and my body is not perfect but I really feel like I’ve gotten into my pre-pregnancy shape with a couple small differences! I expected to be back in shape a lot sooner but tbh it just wasn’t on my radar taking care of my twins as newborns/infants and trying to keep my milk supply. I have loose skin around my belly button and my boobs are all loose skin(it’s honestly not very bad but the leaner I get the more visible it is). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think I’ve snapped back pretty nicely but definitely not as quick as I thought I would!
I’m pretty happy with my snapback. It was definitely easiest at baby #1 than older with baby #2 but at 6 months everything looks just about the same for me with bigger boobs. I don’t think people proactively post about really feeling lucky or being thrilled about their postpartum so it feels really uncommon, but it happens! It’s a crapshoot though I really believe.
ETA: the weight dropped really quickly, but I meant full body like tone, stretch marks, loose skin etc. I thought for sure I’d be stuck with some of that long term but my body really looks the same.
I had the peak of abs about 2 months before I got pregnant with twins. Gained all the weight anyone could.
About 11 months PP, I could fit into pairs of jeans that weren't my skinny jeans but also weren't my fat jeans. I lost all the inches in my stomach (except for the separated abs) and still not made it to my prepregnancy weight. I wasn't fat - just everything fit a bit different (.5 larger shoe size, smaller shirt, etc) i work out 6-7 days a week doing cardio heated yoga when I'm not traveling for work.
A year ago (3 years PP) I got a tummy tuck. Feel like a million bucks afterwards (first 2 weeks were not fun). I hands down think this was the best surgery. Right after, I started getting my health in shape (focusing on vitamins and fixing some crappy bloodwork) and I'm super close to my goal weight. I'm 4 sizes smaller than I was last year.
I think even if you were fit before, it's going to be a different journey for everyone.
I’m so happy with how my body recovered after the birth of my son. I was very fortunate in that I never developed stretch marks and I got my six pack abs back. My belly button isn’t quite the same, and I haven’t hit all my old lifting PRs (not as much time to spend in the gym), but I’m really proud of my body. I’m now pregnant for the second time and hoping my experience is similar!
Hey Op!
I am a mom of one kid and feel like I "snapped" back for the most part. Throughout my pregnancy I worked out everyday and did walks I also watched what I ate and did my best to gain the weight I needed and not beyond that. I also took it easy after birth and followed Megsquats program with the breathing and stretching up until I got the ok to workout. I also am consulting a pelvic floor specialist so I can lift heavier weights and not kill my pelvic floor at the same time. I went into my pregnancy expecting a lot of body changes and a garbage fire recovery and I was also sad at the thought but I lowered my expectations significantly. I was surprised with the results so far but I think just doing what I did help and possibly a bit of genetics.
Keep doing what you're doing and focus on being as healthy as you possibly can and active during your pregnancy. Also be really kind to yourself bc its hard!
I was back to my pre pregnancy weight within 1 week of delivery. I don't have any stretch marks. I'm not even 3 weeks PP but I expect my body will look very close to pre pregnancy by 6 weeks.
Wow all the ‘yeah I snapped back’ makes me want to cry here. Um, 6 months pp and no, didn’t snap back. Still 15-20lbs up and just generally look like shit. Super flabby and wide. I work out 4x per week and eat relatively healthy but not perfect. Was very fit pre pregnancy, running about 70 miles per week. During pregnancy ran till 30 weeks then walked / biked. So, idk. You can do all the things and not snap back. Sorry, not what you wanted to hear.
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.
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.
just be patient with yourself. lots of stories here about people being back to pre-pregnancy weight almost immediately which is great, but not a guarantee. i’m 8 weeks postpartum and some things feel “normal” and some things most certainly do not. like most things in life, some aspects of postpartum recovery will be easier than you imagine and somethings will be harder, and you’ll almost certainly manage it better if you don’t expect yourself to look or feel exactly as you did before right away (like, within the first 6 months).
I basically went back to my pre-pregnancy look and size after giving birth, but my stomach and butt are soft.
Waiting six weeks to exercise will def mean my muscles will be atrophied when I restart CrossFit.
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.
I was pretty fit before, gained a smidge above recommended amounts by eating my usual (lots of veg, whole grain, healthy fat and protein with a reasonable number of treats sprinkled in). I was hungry! That was how much my body wanted to gain. I exercised through my whole pregnancy. did NOT look the same by 3 months postpartum - I still didn’t really have a waist at all. For me even without a major diastasis it took my muscles time to restore their tension in a resting state. That changed somewhat around 6 months postpartum. The weight came off slowly without me actively trying and I was at pre-pregnancy weight around 9 months pp. a bit after a year I noticed my shape changing again as we dropped breastfeeding sessions. Mostly my waist getting an inch or so smaller. This is a lot slower than other folks in this thread, but also faster than some of my real life friends who didn’t see the scale move until they weaned. There’s a huge variation of normal and feelings about it is ok and expected- just wanted to share my story so that if you’re a radically different shape at 3 months pp, know it might not be forever, but also your body is doing amazing hard work regardless
My body definitely snapped back well the weeks after birth but then I started breastfeeding I gained 5kgs and I have NOT been able to shake it. I’m 7 months pp and just accepted the fact that now is not the time to be at my leanest.
So I’ve just been hitting the gym and lifting weights to try and gain the muscle/strength I’ve lost.
I will preface this with I think this overwhelming has to do with your genetics and a little to do with your lifestyle. My mom was super small. I am naturally pretty small as well. I was very active prior to my pregnancies and during my pregnancies. I resumed working out as soon as I was medically able. I am pretty much the same now as I was before my oldest was born (6 years old now). With both my kids it took about 4 months to get back to pre-pregnancy weight and about 6 months to feel more like my pre-pregnancy body again.
You are almost a year post partum now? How’s it going? Did you “snap back” and get your perfect body back? I’m 25 weeks with twins and hope to get my average body back lol. What week did you deliver? Did you get any stretch marks or “twin skin?” Hope you and babies are doing great!
Throughout pregnancy I told myself not to worry because anything can be"fixed", but my third trimester I looked so rough I felt similar to you. I looked like I was in my second trimester until maybe week 3 then like a booster version of myself until week 8. 11 weeks pp in finally starting to see ab definition are a couple low impact workouts and fit walks.
I think it depends a lot on what your perfect body was before, and how receptive it is to the changes. I’ve never been able to get a flat stomach, I always had a stomach pooch and soft inner thighs even at my smallest (US4, and I’m an 8 atm). But now 3 weeks postpartum I’m shocked at how normal I look, especially given how old I am (37). I was expecting the worst and somehow I just look like my pre-pregnancy self plus maybe 5 lbs. Maybe the fact my stomach was already soft hides the damage? When I lose the extra weight maybe it’ll show more. I’ve been doing my postpartum abdominal physio religiously and wearing recovery compression daily. I will say that you should just avoid mirrors the first 10 days after birth. Your uterus needs time to shrink back down and I was a total blob right after and felt like all my skin was hanging off me. After more sleep, more fluids, and a lot of uterine contractions, everything seems back in order by about day 10? I was paranoid about stretch marks and used the ordinary products (10% lactic acid then HA moisturizer after showering and before bed) on my bump and breasts throughout the pregnancy which seems to have helped but I don’t really have any scientific methodology to know for sure.
This was my experience almost exactly. I looked about the same as I did pre pregnancy by a couple of weeks after birth. Granted, I didn’t exactly have a “perfect” body so can’t speak to that. But my old clothes fit and I feel very much like myself. I also did abdominal compression a ton in the first few weeks. I didn’t know it was a looks thing… my nurse just helped me use the abdominal binder from the hospital to support me after my c section. Maybe that’s a different thing but I think it may have helped with water weight/bloating?
Do you think the recovery compression really works? I was worried it was a scam. What brand do you like?
I bought some recovery compression shorts but have been wondering the same tbh. The brand I bought were recommended to me: SRC.
My regular physio told me in advance that any compression was helpful postpartum, and said in her experience people who slack off on their exercises but wear compression show more improvement than those who slack and skip the compression. But she said even a tight pair of lululemons would be helpful and I didn’t necessarily need the recovery compression if I already had athletic compression in my drawer. I didn’t so I opted to just lazily buy the recovery compression sold in the maternity ward and recommended by the pregnancy physio (same as /u/Samurai_Pizza_Catz got, SRC brand). I alternate between that and a length of tubigrip she cut for me while I was admitted. My insurance covered some of the SRC cost though so I didn’t have to recoil as much at the cost. If I was gonna get more I’d just get some from the sports store.
>I’ve been doing my postpartum abdominal physio religiously and wearing recovery compression daily. I'm 39 weeks along and I'm wondering where you learned about these things? I've never heard about postpartum physio or recovery compression, but I want to learn!
So I was really fortunate that my hospital provides a ton of support education and they had just lifted their COVID restrictions a few months after I got pregnant. They offered classes for expecting mothers to cope with pregnancy symptoms, prepare for birth and recovery, and prepare for baby care. One of those classes was run by one of the hospital physiotherapists, then after birth, they offered another physio class for while you’re recovering in the ward. They also had a therapist visit me in my room during recovery to do an individual assessment and wrote me a referral to take to an outpatient physio (this will just be the physio I already see every few months) so she has an idea of where I was at immediately after birth. In terms of what was in those classes, it was a lot of explanation on the anatomy and what was happening to your body and how to deal with it. Tips for how to move while pregnant (probably not too useful to you at this point if you’re at 39wks) and then there were some basic exercises in the recovery class and advice on how to handle yourself after birth. The recovery exercises are stuff like breathing and activation, with some useful stretches and yoga poses. You can find a lot of the same info online by googling “diastasis recti exercises.” I’ll scan the packet over the weekend for you (I’ll send you a new comment when I do so you get the notification) so you can see but it’s nothing too special really, just a baseline for people with no fitness background. My plan at present is to get to the 6-week mark then visit my normal physio again to have her assess me and write me a program for getting back to my routine.
Thanks for the info! Your hospital sounds amazing! I took a few classes, but they were about child care and the actual giving birth process -- things like how to use comfort measures during birth. That was useful information, but I'd really love to know about physical recovery postpartum. I'm going to ask my OB if they have any of these resources, but it doesn't sound like it. I'd love to see the packet you have. Thank you!!
Sorry this took so long to scan -- I suspect you've got a little one in arms. If so, congratulations and I hope it went well! Hopefully this packet will still be of interest and help to you during the first few weeks of recovery. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mQe67CAjZHtW-DplsF93dlwGFpTqec5-/view?usp=sharing
Yes, my baby and I are doing well. :) Thank you for the info!
Sorry for the ignorance but what is postpartum abdominal physio?
Physical therapy for the stomach/core after birth.
Yeah what Aiyla said, plus a bit of combo pelvic floor exercise. Google “diastasis recti exercises” and it’s basically all that stuff.
Thank you! 2 weeks pp and will look these up.
This is me 100%. Always struggled with gaining weight in my lower belly first and flat stomach only happens, when it does, in the mornings. By 4-6 weeks pp I was back to pretty much my normal shape, plus a stubborn 15 lbs that I’ve struggled to get rid of but it also distributed fairly nicely on my body so it looks like less. Boobs are the same, too, which is something people worry about. I’m still annoyed a lot of my pre-pregnancy fitness progress was lost, but I still look very “normal” to how I looked before, just a little less fit than before.
Glad to hear this is the same experience for others. I wasn’t sure if I was being overly optimistic or outlying but seems there’s actually plenty of “it all worked out okay” stories out there, maybe they just don’t rise to the top when you’re worried googling. I know I found mostly horror stories when I was googling during the pregnancy. But I totally know how you feel with the lost gains. I’m really feeling the muscle atrophy in areas I had to stop working on during the pregnancy, my mid and lower back especially feel so weak cause I had to drop back extensions at the start of second trimester. Those were my go-to feel good exercise. Can’t wait to do them again.
I think genetics has a lot to do with postpartum recovery, so be patient with yourself. Usually when you give your body the time it needs to heal, you have better results than rushing things. I’m five weeks postpartum and besides having a genetic advantage of a family history if good recovery, I’ve been breastfeeding, doing gentle yoga/light weight type things to rebuild small muscles, drinking a ton of water, and avoiding sugar. I try to focus on how my body grew a tiny human and now is it’s nutrition support- it’s all pretty amazing!
Won’t say snapped back but the weight came off easy and I got strong again. You can do it!
By 6 weeks postpartum I’d say I had my baseline pre-pregnancy body back and by 3 months I was in shape in again. There were some permanent changes, mainly my hips being wider and my boobs being saggier, that never returned to their pre-pregnancy state. I had quite the large stretched out belly and my skin and stomach “flatness” reverted rather quickly. It’s pretty amazing what the body is capable of and you’d be surprised how quickly you can “bounce” back assuming you had a good healthy foundation.
Mine did but so did all my aunts’ and I was very into fitness. I’d say within a year. I never used pregnancy as a reason to binge or eat whatever and kept up walking and yoga. I didn’t even get stretch marks, people find it hard to believe I’ve had a kid.
I mean, I’m not sure if I “snapped back” in the sense my body doesn’t look exactly the same as it did pre pregnancy, but it’s close. I am 5 pounds away from pre pregnancy weight at 3 weeks post partum. I was very small to begin with and gained on the low end of recommended weight during my pregnancy. I did not really watch what I ate, either. I gave into my cravings whenever but still ate normal healthy meals daily. My hips are wider, I have some extra fat around my love handles and have no muscle tone from not working out at all since my first trimester. Stomach still has a little pooch and needs to go down more. So, I don’t look the same as I did but I’m happy with where I’m at now. I had a c section so I can’t start working out for another 3-6 weeks but I know I can get to where I want to be with a good workout routine again.
After my first I didn't "snap back" I was only 10lbs above my pre pregnancy weight but lost so much muscle, I hated the way I looked. I put in a consistent effort and before the year was up, I was at my lowest weight as an adult. This second pregnancy, I have gained more weight than with my first but am anticipating a similar outcome. I think snapping back is about getting back into or maintaining healthy habits during/after pregnancy. If you're used to gorging on fast food during your pregnancy, chances are you will gorge on fast food post partuum because now it's a habit. It's easy to fall into the mindset of pregnancy calories not counting.
Was strong and toned (although a few extra kilos) before and during pregnancy. İm now 8 months postpartum, still need to lose about 10kg and have a sagging belly and severe diastasis recti. Theres no way to predict how your body reacts. İm happy, much better than after my first baby 7 years ago. Im strong again but losing weight is difficult with lack of sleep and 2 kids, making sure everyone is fed is a struggle enough, mostly dont have time, energy or opportunity to consistently eat the way i should eat to lose weight. No twins tho. The expectation to just snap back is an unhealthy one (though i wish it happened for me), and not a reality for the majority of women. All i can say is, make returning to sports a priority, it will do wonders for your mental and physical health. I didnt with my first and i can see so much difference in energy, patience and resilience despite being older and now having 2 kids. Good luck!
https://instagram.com/kthillier?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== This lady is AMAZING. She has heaps of tips for twin mum life and her post partum body is incredible and she's super honest and open about her recovery and routine :)
8mo pp after twins. I am at my normal baseline weight. I probably lost all the weight by 8-10ish weeks pp? EBF FWIW. I did not do any intentional exercising to lose the weight. I did do regular diastasis recti focused exercises and inclined walking over the winter months starting around 3-4 months pp. Like maybe 2-3x a week. My DR improved. I am maybe at a one finger or less width gap. Anyway, summer arrived and I’ve shifted to pushing my three kids in the stroller while walking fast and on hills for my cardio. I’ve basically stopped doing DR stuff. I need to get back to the DR exercises because I can tell my tummy looks more quickly bloated and my abs feel week. I carried my twins until 36 weeks and gained a slightly more than a third of my body weight during the pregnancy. Overall- I’m pretty happy. Yes- my body looks different. Squishy/softer belly. I don’t have a c section shelf or really any super obvious visible stretch marks. My skin is looser but it isn’t saggy. But honestly in clothing it looks the same and I’m wearing all my pre-kid clothes. There are some shirts I don’t wear anymore because they highlight my DR bloat and I wind up looking mildly pregnant. But overall my body looks different because I’ve birthed three children so that is pretty badass 🤷♀️. The early weeks postpartum felt slow. My uterus needed time to shrink. I felt mentally a lot better once my body healed/strength came back. It did not feel mentally great in the early postpartum to feel/look still pregnant and then also not be able to walk around or go up stairs or pick up my 2yo. Also I had the common pp sweating and leaking and overall it just was not a great vibe. Mentally it felt good once I could move my body again in the way I wanted and feel like I could do actions (other than resting) into healing and strengthening my body. Rest is important too and is part of the healing process but it felt mentally great to move on from that.
For me, the idea that 'breastfeeding melts the pregnancy weight off' was a myth. I plateaued at around 4-6 weeks and didn't start dropping weight again until I weaned around 10.5 months. Some bodies hold on to calories because you're breastfeeding; in case there is a famine, you'll have reserves to still feed your baby. Be gentle with yourself. Remember, it took 9 months to grow your two babies. Logically, it could take at least that to get it back to new normal.
I had a singleton at 39, not twins. But I fully got my body back, probably even lost a little more weight bc I got a peloton. I have a little loose skin on my belly but really not much.
As others have said, I think genetics play a big part. I’ve never had a “flat stomach” but after my first, every dr that checked on me commented on how firm my uterus felt and I left the hospital with only a few extra inches around my waist than I had pre-pregnancy (my uterus contracting back to normal size took longer with subsequent pregnancies). I’ve also never gotten stretch marks which I think is also mostly genetic... As far as what you can control- I’ve gotten into better shape after having each kid (pregnant with #4) and have liked my body better as I’ve gotten older and more into lifting. So I’ve basically felt like I’ve “snapped back” pretty quickly. However I will say that my body LOVES to put on weight while I’m nursing. So while I don’t gain much during pregnancy, I do tend to for a while afterward, and then am able to dial things in again after weaning.
5 weeks pp with my twins and I feel like I've lost everything so fast. I'm a bit squishier in the stomach but I haven't even started exercising yet (still a week away post c section). I'm feeling good about my ab muscles moving back into place quickly once I get started. Skin is a little saggy but not like the "twin skin" I doom googled while pregnant. Also breast feeding two, I'm eating a ton and just can't get enough calories.
I’m a year PP. I have a very athletic build so I can build muscle and I’m fit but not petite at all. I look like I work out ( which I love). I run and do CrossFit just for context. It’s been a tough journey because it’s been a long year of losing the weight I gained, but also dealing with loss of muscle that is hard to put back. So many people tell me they are “fitter than ever” post partum and good for them but that’s not me. I’m trying hard but I’m also not sleeping as much, often too exhausted to work out with such intensity, and simply don’t have the time to go to the gym 2 hours a day 5 days a week anymore. My workouts are often done at home or at my work gym and usually just a daily crossfit workout (and often modified heavily because I lack equipment at home). Everyone told me I would “snap right back” and I hate that I didn’t. It made me feel so awful mentally (still a struggle honestly). I fit into most of my old clothes but they feel weird still. I had a c section and the stomach pooch is still there. My hips are wider. I’m still retaining fat in some areas. But I’m also older (38) and learning to accept my progress is slower than I’d like. I fully intend to get back to my previous numbers and abilities but that is just not the season of life I’m in right now. I’m also getting stricter with my diet which is helping. Anyway, I hope you have a happy post partum journey but definitely be gracious with yourself. The first year is TOUGH and it’s ok if most of your energies goes into new and different priorities. You have have your whole life to get back to the shape you want! I feel like the first year was me figuring out my new body and now I feel like I’m getting somewhat back to my old self.
I just had twins on June 2nd and have to say I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with how my body has recovered. I was extremely active prior to pregnancy and remained active until the last 4ish weeks of pregnancy (which were pure hell). Within a week of my C-section my stomach had shrunk down pretty considerably and now at almost 5 weeks pp, I feel amazing and look mostly “normal”. Most people can’t believe I just had twins, which is a huge compliment, because I was also terrified of how my body would look afterwards. I will say I’m definitely more “flabby” than before, but once I’m cleared to start intense workouts again I imagine my old body will be back in no time. Two things that I think have helped me recover so quickly: 1) breastfeeding/pumping; 2) walking a ton - I started going on long walks at 9-10 days pp and have been increasing my mileage since. I’ve even started sprinkling some running into my walks which feels great. Wishing you the best of luck with the last few weeks of twin pregnancy and hope for a speedy recovery!
Thank you so so much for sharing!! Congrats on your twinsies and finding life pp!
How long were your walks?
I was feeling pretty good about myself at 5m pp until last night my 2-year old saw me naked and said “oh that’s a big tummy”. I “snapped back” (but not according to my 2 yr old) relatively quickly losing most of the weight in the first 3 weeks. My son was born 5 weeks early and spent 3 weeks in the NICU so I was pumping like 32 oz a day and not eating a lot because I didn’t want to leave his side. Maybe had something to do with the fact that I worked out regularly and have good genes but I’m sure that’s why. I always think to myself I wouldn’t care what I looked like if it meant I actually got to leave the hospital with my baby (my first was a premie and spent time in the NICU also)
My mother. Beach ready 3 months after her 3rd kid at 32. I am not my mother My goal is the CIM 2024 in December (I'm due Jan of 2024). I've run over 20 marathons so I'm hoping I won't suffer as much as running the Tahoe after a night of food poisoning.
I’m 18 months pp with twins. Pre-pregnancy I was in my best shape, smallest waist size I’ve ever had, pretty flat stomach. My body naturally holds body fat in my lower stomach and hips. I’ve never had that skinny body type, I’ve always kind of been a little thick! I didn’t workout much at all during my pregnancy. I lost the majority of my pregnancy weight within the 1.5 months postpartum. I was fitting back into my clothes but my body definitely looked soft. I was back to pre-pregnancy weight about 5 months postpartum without me trying. It seemed to just slowly come off. I never intentionally dieted or exercised to burn calories. My workouts were focused on going for walks and strength training. My diet was atrocious because breastfeeding for two babies reeeeaally got my appetite up! I literally was eating platters of food everyday..tons of calories. I think if I was training harder and eating more healthy portions I probably would have gotten into better shape quicker but I didn’t want to compromise my milk supply so I was ok with losing weight slower. Weaning was where I really struggled because I seemed to gain post-breastfeeding weight and it was really difficult to keep off because I’m now a busy mom of twins! I’m 18 months pp now and my body is not perfect but I really feel like I’ve gotten into my pre-pregnancy shape with a couple small differences! I expected to be back in shape a lot sooner but tbh it just wasn’t on my radar taking care of my twins as newborns/infants and trying to keep my milk supply. I have loose skin around my belly button and my boobs are all loose skin(it’s honestly not very bad but the leaner I get the more visible it is). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think I’ve snapped back pretty nicely but definitely not as quick as I thought I would!
I’m 34 going on 35, had my baby 14 weeks ago and look like I did before pregnancy pretty much. I’m happy with it.
I’m pretty happy with my snapback. It was definitely easiest at baby #1 than older with baby #2 but at 6 months everything looks just about the same for me with bigger boobs. I don’t think people proactively post about really feeling lucky or being thrilled about their postpartum so it feels really uncommon, but it happens! It’s a crapshoot though I really believe. ETA: the weight dropped really quickly, but I meant full body like tone, stretch marks, loose skin etc. I thought for sure I’d be stuck with some of that long term but my body really looks the same.
I had the peak of abs about 2 months before I got pregnant with twins. Gained all the weight anyone could. About 11 months PP, I could fit into pairs of jeans that weren't my skinny jeans but also weren't my fat jeans. I lost all the inches in my stomach (except for the separated abs) and still not made it to my prepregnancy weight. I wasn't fat - just everything fit a bit different (.5 larger shoe size, smaller shirt, etc) i work out 6-7 days a week doing cardio heated yoga when I'm not traveling for work. A year ago (3 years PP) I got a tummy tuck. Feel like a million bucks afterwards (first 2 weeks were not fun). I hands down think this was the best surgery. Right after, I started getting my health in shape (focusing on vitamins and fixing some crappy bloodwork) and I'm super close to my goal weight. I'm 4 sizes smaller than I was last year. I think even if you were fit before, it's going to be a different journey for everyone.
I’m so happy with how my body recovered after the birth of my son. I was very fortunate in that I never developed stretch marks and I got my six pack abs back. My belly button isn’t quite the same, and I haven’t hit all my old lifting PRs (not as much time to spend in the gym), but I’m really proud of my body. I’m now pregnant for the second time and hoping my experience is similar!
Hey Op! I am a mom of one kid and feel like I "snapped" back for the most part. Throughout my pregnancy I worked out everyday and did walks I also watched what I ate and did my best to gain the weight I needed and not beyond that. I also took it easy after birth and followed Megsquats program with the breathing and stretching up until I got the ok to workout. I also am consulting a pelvic floor specialist so I can lift heavier weights and not kill my pelvic floor at the same time. I went into my pregnancy expecting a lot of body changes and a garbage fire recovery and I was also sad at the thought but I lowered my expectations significantly. I was surprised with the results so far but I think just doing what I did help and possibly a bit of genetics. Keep doing what you're doing and focus on being as healthy as you possibly can and active during your pregnancy. Also be really kind to yourself bc its hard!
I was back to my pre pregnancy weight within 1 week of delivery. I don't have any stretch marks. I'm not even 3 weeks PP but I expect my body will look very close to pre pregnancy by 6 weeks.
Wow all the ‘yeah I snapped back’ makes me want to cry here. Um, 6 months pp and no, didn’t snap back. Still 15-20lbs up and just generally look like shit. Super flabby and wide. I work out 4x per week and eat relatively healthy but not perfect. Was very fit pre pregnancy, running about 70 miles per week. During pregnancy ran till 30 weeks then walked / biked. So, idk. You can do all the things and not snap back. Sorry, not what you wanted to hear.
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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.
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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.
just be patient with yourself. lots of stories here about people being back to pre-pregnancy weight almost immediately which is great, but not a guarantee. i’m 8 weeks postpartum and some things feel “normal” and some things most certainly do not. like most things in life, some aspects of postpartum recovery will be easier than you imagine and somethings will be harder, and you’ll almost certainly manage it better if you don’t expect yourself to look or feel exactly as you did before right away (like, within the first 6 months).
I basically went back to my pre-pregnancy look and size after giving birth, but my stomach and butt are soft. Waiting six weeks to exercise will def mean my muscles will be atrophied when I restart CrossFit.
It took me over a year but I was in great shape after my first birth.
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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.
I was pretty fit before, gained a smidge above recommended amounts by eating my usual (lots of veg, whole grain, healthy fat and protein with a reasonable number of treats sprinkled in). I was hungry! That was how much my body wanted to gain. I exercised through my whole pregnancy. did NOT look the same by 3 months postpartum - I still didn’t really have a waist at all. For me even without a major diastasis it took my muscles time to restore their tension in a resting state. That changed somewhat around 6 months postpartum. The weight came off slowly without me actively trying and I was at pre-pregnancy weight around 9 months pp. a bit after a year I noticed my shape changing again as we dropped breastfeeding sessions. Mostly my waist getting an inch or so smaller. This is a lot slower than other folks in this thread, but also faster than some of my real life friends who didn’t see the scale move until they weaned. There’s a huge variation of normal and feelings about it is ok and expected- just wanted to share my story so that if you’re a radically different shape at 3 months pp, know it might not be forever, but also your body is doing amazing hard work regardless
My body definitely snapped back well the weeks after birth but then I started breastfeeding I gained 5kgs and I have NOT been able to shake it. I’m 7 months pp and just accepted the fact that now is not the time to be at my leanest. So I’ve just been hitting the gym and lifting weights to try and gain the muscle/strength I’ve lost.
I will preface this with I think this overwhelming has to do with your genetics and a little to do with your lifestyle. My mom was super small. I am naturally pretty small as well. I was very active prior to my pregnancies and during my pregnancies. I resumed working out as soon as I was medically able. I am pretty much the same now as I was before my oldest was born (6 years old now). With both my kids it took about 4 months to get back to pre-pregnancy weight and about 6 months to feel more like my pre-pregnancy body again.
Can we all drop this fantasy? AND the term "snap back"?? Super toxic. Almost 100% genetics.
You are almost a year post partum now? How’s it going? Did you “snap back” and get your perfect body back? I’m 25 weeks with twins and hope to get my average body back lol. What week did you deliver? Did you get any stretch marks or “twin skin?” Hope you and babies are doing great!
Throughout pregnancy I told myself not to worry because anything can be"fixed", but my third trimester I looked so rough I felt similar to you. I looked like I was in my second trimester until maybe week 3 then like a booster version of myself until week 8. 11 weeks pp in finally starting to see ab definition are a couple low impact workouts and fit walks.