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MeMaw
06-04-2003, 11:18 AM
Hi all,

My baby is 14 months and we're still nursing. OK, I know this sounds shallow, but I'm so sick of none of my good (pre-pregnancy) clothes fitting anymore--it's one of the big reasons I want to wean. I'm still hanging onto extra weight (20 pounds) and just the size of my boobs alone makes it impossible to wear any of my old tops. I do not want to buy a whole new wardrobe in a bigger size--I feel like that would be caving in and resigning myself to being this weight. Also, I'm just beginning to think about when we want to try for Baby #2, and I do not want to go into it already 20 pounds overweight.

So, I've got two questions--first, is it true that you hang onto some baby fat while nursing, and when you wean, it's easier to lose it? (I know, probably not 20 pounds worth, but any would be helpful!) Does your appetite get smaller too?

Second, do your boobs shrink back to their normal size after weaning (albeit a bit saggier), and if so, how long does it take for this to occur?

Also, can somebody help me with the acronyms--dd, dh, LOL, etc. I love this message board, but feel out of the loop--thanks!!

chrissyhowie
06-04-2003, 11:39 AM
I can't help you much with your weaning questions (DD (dear daughter!)is my first and only 4 months) but here's a link to see a thread about the abbreviations:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dcforum/DCForumID30/1696.html

Once you get used to the acronyms, they are very helpful! Some of them I haven't figured out yet either!

HTH (hope that helps:)),

Rachels
06-04-2003, 11:50 AM
Which ones? We can translate for you.

I do know that breasts return to a smaller size once you wean. I have heard that some women also do lose the weight at that point, although I don't think it's a given. There are also hormonal shifts with pregnancy that can affect the thyroid, which can affect weight gain, so it might be worth asking your doctor about thyroid stuff.

As for the clothes, I don't know. You said you don't want to resign yourself to being this weight, but you ARE this weight. You got there by creating a human being, which is no small thing and something to be proud of. You might feel better in clothes that fit you well, even if they're bigger than the clothes you used to wear. Just a thought...

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

Karenn
06-04-2003, 12:10 PM
Hi,
I know how you feel! I don't fit in many of my pre-preg. clothes either! I'm still nursing too, so I don't know what will happen when I wean. But, I did want to say, a couple of weeks ago at DH's encouragement, I finally broke down and bought some clothes that fit me from my favorite store. (Not a whole new wardrobe, but more than just a couple of things.) I'd been buying cheap stuff on sale or from Target because I didn't want to invest in clothes that I (hopefully) won't be wearing very long. Well, I have to say that I'm very glad I spent the money. I feel SOOO much better! I'm not sure that I have actually lost any weight, but I feel like I have because the clothes fit me right, and they're much more my style than what I'd been picking up along the way.

So, I know I didn't answer your questions, and I even gave you unsolicited information- sorry! But, I did want to commiserate! Hopefully someone will have good news for us on the weaning thing!

trumansmom
06-04-2003, 12:24 PM
I hate to be discouraging, but I lost all my baby weight plus 5 pounds while nursing, and gained 10 pounds the first month after we weaned. I've actually found it harder to lose since my metabolism dropped dramatically after weaning, but my appetite did not!

Also, my breasts did not return to their original size. I did go down one size from the height of nursing, but I'm still 2 cup sizes larger than pre-pregnancy.

Hopefully others have more positive answers for you! I think alot of it is based on the individual.

Good luck!
Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01

brubeck
06-04-2003, 12:28 PM
I am in exactly your position right now, and was 2 years ago with my daughter! Everyone's body reacts differently to nursing and mine seems to be like yours: much bigger breasts and an extra 20 pounds or so.

I set myself a nursing deadline for each of my children, and determined to diet when that period was over. I did have to buy some clothes for myself because not only was I big, but my usual wardrobe is one piece dresses that are impossible to nurse in. However I got these interim clothes cheaply and I'm wearing the heck out of every one. It's boring, but I have the light at the end of the tunnel of my nursing deadline. Essentially knowing it will end and setting a date made/makes me feel much better about the extra pounds. As long as you are determined to diet after nursing you can feel confident that it will eventually come off.

With my daughter I had 20 extra pounds and when I stopped nursing 10 of those pounds melted off in a couple of weeks. My breasts also got smaller (and flabbier) in that time. I think I retained an extra quarter to half cup in size. The remaining 10 pounds was extra pregnancy weight and I had to diet it off for the following 8 weeks. But I did manage to get it all off within 2 months of stopping nursing and I was back to my pre-pregnancy size and wearing all of my old clothes again. I tell you it never felt so good!

So while I can understand how you feel, you can't let it overwhelm you while you are still nursing. Set yourself a time goal and when you have nursed that long then you can get rid of the weight. Just hold that in your mind if you can. Good luck!

Edited to add:

MAKE SURE you lose those extra pounds before you get pregnant again! Any extra weight you have when conceiving #2 is most likely to become permanent weight.

stillplayswithbarbies
06-04-2003, 12:40 PM
I don't know that it is ever "easier" to lose weight. Why not go ahead and diet now and lose it while nursing? You are burning more calories while nursing than when not nursing, so take advantage of that now.

Some people gain weight when they wean because their appetite does not go down and/or they are in the habit of eating more.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel 2/27/91
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03

sparkeze
06-04-2003, 01:07 PM
I would highly recommend getting a couple things in your current size that you love, it's not really resigning yourself to your current weight. It's just that I've felt that it's too depressing to not only have extra pounds, but nothing to wear either! And when you're depressed you eat more, and the vicious cycle continues!

I agree that it's an individual thing. I know some people who lost their pregnancy weight and more while nursing, and some people who were left with a few extra pounds. I know one mom who didn't nurse her first and was left with an extra 20 lbs, took that through her next pregnancy and when she nursed her second she was back to her pre-first pregnancy weight. I think it depends on the individual's metabolism, eating habits, exercise habits, etc - not entirely about nursing.

I have lost all my pregnancy weight while nursing, but I have been exercising (somewhat) and trying to satiate my enormous appetite with healthier/lowfat foods. If you haven't been paying close attention to your eating/exercise habits you may find that you'll have an easier time losing while nursing. Hmm, that was confusing. Rephrase: if you nurse in addition to dieting/exercise you might lose weight more easily than if you wean and do it. But of course everyone is different! In my case I felt like nursing was keeping some fat on but then when I looked long and hard at my eating habits I realized that I was eating whatever all the time with the excuse that I was nursing. I had kind of gotten into that habit whie pregnant, eating whatever I wanted.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer! HTH!

josephsmom
06-05-2003, 11:42 AM
I hear you, Jeanne. I started out with very large breasts. They didn't grow much at all during pregnancy, but increased by a cup size while I was nursing. I weaned DS over 7 months ago, and my breasts haven't decreased in size. Also, I was overweight before becoming pregnant, gained only 22 pounds in pregnancy, lost it all very quickly, but began gaining when I weaned. I've got to get to work!

Helene
mommy to Joseph 12/29/01

ginalc
06-05-2003, 01:04 PM
I gain 20 lbs just THINKING about getting pregnant! :)

Well, at least by 6 weeks into a new pregnancy I've usually gained that much. I have a horrible time with nausea during pregnancy and I gain tons of weight quickly.

What sort of exercise do you do now? Walking a little each day or biking will help get you in better shape before another pregnancy. Trust me, it doesn't get any easier once you've got 2 babies to take care of! Walking really helps me lose those extra baby pounds. (I usually gain 50-60 lbs) My physical therapist told me that it takes your body a full 3 years to recover from a single pregnancy. Sorry to share that little tidbit.

And from reading these posts, you know that we're not alone! :)

gina, mom to 3

MeMaw
06-05-2003, 06:45 PM
Thanks for all of your responses. You guys are so nice!! Weight has always been a tough issue for me. The year before I got pregnant I lost 30 pounds, and felt the best I ever have. It was the result of eating much healthier, watching portion control, and joining the Y including lifting weights. So I know what I need to do to be successful, it's just that this time around the logistics make it so much harder. I'm a SAHM (yea! I used my first acronym!) and my husband works a ton of hours, including weekends and some travel. My dd is really a pretty high needs baby, so I find that I just don't have the time to cook the great healthy meals like I used to. After I put her to bed and get the house picked up, I'm honestly so exhausted, I just want to keel over. DD and I do walk a lot everyday, but I just don't think it's enough to get my metabolism cranking. The clothes thing really brings me down, because when I lost the weight a couple years ago, I felt so good, swore I would never need my "fat clothes" again, and gave them all away. I then bought the best wardrobe I've ever owned, and so much of it I've barely gotten to wear. Sigh.

I believe that it takes 3 years to recover. I look at other women whose kids are close together and I'm in awe. Although I've been thinking about getting pregnant again soon (mostly because of my age), my body is screaming NO!!! Not to mention going through the whole sleep deprivation thing.... Anyway, thanks for listening...I think mostly I just needed to vent a little!!

And thanks for the link to the thread on acronyms--it answered all of my questions!!