anyone *not* lose weight with breastfeeding??

[mommyp]

I agree with PP. 3 weeks is too early to worry about this. Go easy on yourself, you just had a baby and you are still adjusting! I also carried my weight like a basketball all in front of me. I lost most of the weight by about 7-8 months, but I am one of the ones Beth wrote about, I carried the last 10 lbs until DD completely weaned at 16 mo. After that, I was able to lose it. I agree as well, get a couple pairs of pants that fit you now (or go in a couple weeks). It does feel better to wear non-maternity stuff even when it's not your normal size. I didn't really fit into any of my regular pants until DD was 1.5. Seriously.

[Snow mom]

The really early weight loss is water retention going away. If you weren't retaining a lot it's not surprising you didn't have the initial large loss. It's not fat that people are losing at a rate of a pound per day so I wouldn't worry about that. Also, 3 weeks is such a short time period. I think it's much too early to be stressed over the weight loss. Lastly, nursing isn't a silver bullet for everyone. I stopped weighing myself, but am fairly certain I'm not to my pre-pregnancy weight after 14 months of nursing.

[cono0507]

You're just 3 wks post-partum? Your body is still trying to figure out what the heck just happened, and you and your baby are most likely just settling into a good BF routine- so take it easy on yourself and give it a bit more time.

What she said.
At 3 weeks post partum your abdominal organs are still all displaced. Your uterus isn't back to it's pre-baby size until at least 6 weeks. You also still likely have extra fluid on board that your body will continue to get rid of.
I was back in my old clothes at around 6 months post partum with my first and about 7 pounds under the pre-baby weight around 9 months. It will come, with time.
Hang in there!

[cuca_]

Since you did not have swelling then you don't have water weight to lose, which is the most common way to lose a bunch of weight immediately PP (like those friends that lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks?...probably 10 lbs at birth, like you, and then 10 lbs of water weight). Really, the saying '9 months on, 9 months off' is really accurate from what I have seen. Yes, there are exceptions, but I would not even worry about it until then.

I do not retain fluids/swell during pregnancy, which is great, but it also means that every pound gained is harder to lose.

Definitely give yourself some time!

[AnnieW625]

I didn't notice the first sign of weight loss after the hospital till around the time DD was 4-6 weeks old. I started WW when DD was about a month old so that might have helped kick start things again, but the weight took a really long time to come off and I didn't lose it at all. I hovered right around 7 to 10lbs heavier than I was when I got pregnant. I also didn't lose another 3 to 5lbs until after I had stopped breast feeding so I kind of hear you with the breast feeding thing. A lot of it is genetics too so look at a picture of your mom at 6 mos. post partum and that's pretty close to what you may look like.

I also started walking a few days after I gave birth and was really glad I did. DD's pediatrician suggested it and it was the best advice I ever got. This time I'll do the same take some leasurely walks for a couple of weeks and then I plan to start Stroller Strides around the time DD is a month to 6 weeks old. You can only do what you feel comfortable with, and also remember that the longer it takes to lose the weight the longer it will stay off (that's a big thing at Weight Watchers!)

Good luck!

[kdeunc]

I did not lose the last 10-15 pounds until I completely weaned at 13 months with DD. I have several friends who also were "weight-holders" not losers with breastfeeding. Everyone is different. Congratulations on your little one!

[ThreeofUs]

ITA with pp's. Cut yourself a break. You just had a child; in body time it was a *very* short time ago. Your body is just gearing up to the high metabolic level it needs to sustain nursing. And you don't need to be dieting right now - it will interrupt your body's processes (that take at least a month, more like 6 months) to get breast feeding stabilized. Start dieting too soon and you'll find your milk supply drops *fast*.

And it's also true that the weight lost during the first month is almost allll water-based. One reason I've heard for this is that your body ensures that you and your baby can draw on an energy supply while you're still healing from birth, so it doesn't start burning fat until later.

Either way, I'm sure you look lovely. Enjoy your babymoon and worry about the weight if it's still there in a few months. (Though I'm betting you'll see the weight start to drop off soon.)

GL!

[bubbaray]

Well, I did lose drastic amounts of weight with BFg -- BUT before you shoot me, I gained INSANE amounts of water with both girls. Like, unhealthy amounts that put me on bedrest with DD#1 for 6w.

AND, while I lost the baby weight rapidly (b/c it was all water) I GAINED WEIGHT after about the 6m mark, even though I was BFg.

IME, the weight issue takes at least a year to settle out, I know many people who gained weight in the later stages of BFg.

[sewarsh]

one of close friends didn't lose hardly any weight until she was done BF her DD at 6 months. then she had DS and had to stop with him at 3 weeks for medical purposes. anyways, lost all her weight right after that.

must be a bummer. i dont think you're vain. just human. hang in there. i'm sure ohter posters said this, but what you are providing your DC now will far outweigh being a little chunkier than you'd like in the long run

p.s. watch what you eat AFTER you stop BF. i gained 5 lbs with BOTH kids after stopped BF.

[alexsmommy]

I agree, 3 weeks PP is WAAAAAAAY too early to know whether or not you will lose the baby weight from nursing. I know that by the time I went back to work at 3 months my work clothes fit fine/slightly loose and I attribute that to nursing - but that was 3 months out. Give your body time to adjust/heal - you literally just had a baby.