Are you concerned about your postpartum weight loss or do you want to start a postpartum exercise regimen? Water aerobics is a great way to get postpartum exercise while you are busy with a new baby. The AmazingBaby Water Carrier allows you to participate in postpartum fitness classes or just allows you to get exercise on your own with your baby and lose weight in the meantime. Mommy and Me Splash & Burn water aerobics classes have started at a fitness center in Atlanta, Georgia, and more Mommy and Me classes will be starting across the United States in the near future using this unique piece of postpartum fitness gear. This form of postpartum exercise relieves the stress and pressure on your body and allows you to burn fat more efficiently. Water aerobics allows you to exercise without adding unneccesary stress on your joints.

Motherhood is exciting but it can also be a source of misery. If one is not well prepared, they can easily find themselves at a psychiatric facility.
Many new mothers do not realise that they are suffering from postpartum depression, commonly referred as baby blues.

In this condition, the woman suffers from extremely low moods after pregnancy. She may feel sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed.
She may also cry a lot and lack energy or motivation. She also suffers from insomnia (lack of sleep) and lacks appetite. The woman often feels worthless and lonely in spite of being surrounded by friends and family.
Other signs of depression may be fear of hurting the baby or oneself and lacking interest in the baby.

The condition is worse in young mothers, and if hospital staff or other people are insensitive in the way they handle them, it exacerbates the woman’s feeling of worthlessness.

There are many factors that affect weight loss after pregnancy. Normal weight gain can be anywhere from 15 pounds for someone who was overweight at the beginning of the pregnancy, to 30 pounds for someone who was weight appropriate for their height. If you gained more than that it might take a bit longer to shed those extra pounds.

The weight one gains during a pregnancy is not just how much the baby weighs. The uterus increases by 2.5 pounds and the breasts by 3. There is an increased blood volume of 4 pounds, nutritional reserves for the growing baby may be 4-7 pounds, the baby at delivery is an average size of 7 pounds, the placenta weighs in around 1 pound and the amniotic fluid is around 2.0 pounds.

The majority of women experience the most rapid weight loss during the first two to three weeks after delivery. The body then shifts from losing pregnancy weight to fat store weight.
There are other factors that may be affecting your ability to lose weight. If you had any complication during the pregnancy that affected your ability to stay active, it may be more difficult for you to lose weight. A common complication after pregnancy is inflammation of the thyroid gland. If it is severe it can make it difficult to lose weight.

Another factor that affects weight loss is sleep deprivation. Postpartum is all about sleep deprivation. The University of Chicago has been conducting studies on sleep since 1953. Initially they focused on the brain, but since 1999 their focus has been on describing the metabolic and hormonal consequences of partial sleep loss.

One of their most significant findings is that even partial sleep deprivation alters the levels of two very important hormones. These hormones are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is made in the stomach and stimulates appetite. Leptin, produced by fat cells, tells the brain when we have eaten enough.

Low Back Program Exercises- part 1

Exercise 1: Knee to Chest
Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or firm surface.Action: Clasp your hands behind the thigh and pull it towards your chest. Keep the opposite leg flat on the surface of the table Maintain the position for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat

Exercise 2: Pelvic Tilt
Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or firm surface. Your feet are flat on the surface and the knees are bent.Action: Push the small of your back into the floor by pulling the lower abdominal muscles up and in. Hold your back flat while breathing easily in and out. Hold for five seconds. Do not hold breath.

Exercise 3: Hip Rolling
Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or firm surface. Both knees bent, feet flat on the table.Action: Cross your arms over your chest. Turn your head (trunk) to the right as you turn both knees to the left. Allow your knees to relax and go down without forcing. Bring knees back up, head to center. reverse directions.

Exercise 4: Pelvic Lift
Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or flat surface. Your feet are flat on the surface and your knees are bent. Keep your legs together Cross your arms over your chest.Action: Tilt your pelvis and push your low back to the floor as in the previous exercise, then slowly lift your buttocks off the floor as far as possible without straining. Maintain this position for 5 seconds. Lower your buttocks to the floor Do not hold breath.

Exercise 5: Lower Abdominal Exercises
Starting Position: Lie on your back on a table or firm surface. Knees bent and feet flat on the table. Flatten your back to the floor by pulling your abdominal muscles up and in.Action:
Bring one knee toward your chest. Hold this position for ____ seconds. Lower your leg to the starting position. Then repeat on your opposite knee.
Bring one knee toward your chest. Straighten the knee Hold for ____ seconds Slowly lower the leg to the starting position. Repeat on opposite leg.
Raise your leg keeping your knee straight. Hold for ____ seconds. Slowly lower the leg to the floor. Repeat on the opposite leg. Maintain your pelvic tilt and keep your resting leg relaxed at all times. Do not hold your breath.
Do Not Cause Pain.

One good way to lose some of your pregnancy weight is to breastfeed! Always pair breastfeeding with other forms of post partum weight loss. One of the reasons your body puts on weight during pregnancy is to help store the caloric energy it takes to breastfeed your baby-about 200 to 500 extra calories per day. Therefore take advantage of losing calories the way your body naturally intended-breastfeeding!

There are many benefits to exercising after your pregnancy. It will help you lose those extra pounds put on during pregnancy, alleviate post-partum depression and, unlike dieting, it won't interfere with your breastfeeding.

It's important that you ease your way into exercising again. Wait six weeks after a vaginal birth and eight weeks after a c-section to start exercising. It is recommended that you engage in low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming or yoga. Come up with a personal exercise program - something you can stick to -and enroll the company of a friend or new mother.
Start slow: 10-minute exercises should be tried first and then increased when you feel more confident. Keep a 30-minute limit on your exercise time and cease immediately if you start to feel dizzy or short of breath.

Weight gain during pregnancy

The average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 35 pounds. During the birth, new moms shed about 12.5 to 14 pounds, leaving about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to be lost during the postpartum period. In addition, some new moms may gain an extra 10-12 pounds during pregnancy, due to various medical conditions, in which case there will be more postpartum weight for them to lose in order to regain their pre-pregnancy figure.

Exercise is the KeyThe best way to lose weight after pregnancy is by exercising. Many new mothers are told that they need to take care of the baby first and then they can take care of themselves later. However, this is probably not such a great idea. As any new mother knows, taking care of the baby will take an enormous amount of time and energy and you may feel that there is not enough time left over for exercise.

The Benefits of ExerciseA recent study has shown that women who begin to exercise right after delivery tend to lose more weight in the first six weeks than mothers who do not exercise then. Only about 35% of women exercise after giving birth. It is well known that physical well-being impacts a great deal on psychological well-being.

Post-partum women are known to be especially vulnerable to depression. Exercise will not only help women lose the weight they gained during their pregnancy, it will also help them to avoid or minimize post-partum depression. Some women are concerned that exercise may somehow impact their ability to breast-feed. This study did not find any evidence to support this.

Finding the TimeHaving trouble finding the time to exercise? Set aside a certain time every other day when someone else watches the baby. Use this time to exercise, without worrying about needing to change the baby's diaper or do the laundry. You may feel that you just want to take a nap during this time. However, keep in mind that exercising regularly will actually give you more energy than you would have if you did not exercise.

firm up!

Firm Up: Postpartum Tummy Tighteners
By the editors of Parenting magazine
Nine months of pregnancy can give you not only a bouncing baby, but a bulging belly as well. Even if your weight is back to normal, stretched and weakened abdominal muscles can leave you with a paunch. What's more, for most women the stretching is accompanied by diastasis recti, a painless separation of the central abdominal muscle (which runs vertically from rib cage to pubic bone) that occurs as the belly expands during pregnancy, says Raul Artal, M.D., chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
In most cases, the gap will close up within a few months of delivery, but without exercise ab muscles will remain weak, which can lead to lower-back pain. But if you start doing regular situps, you could actually slow the healing process, says Catherine Cram, an exercise physiologist specializing in postpartum fitness in Middleton, WI. Also, standard situps don't target the lower abs, which is where most of the stretching and weakening occurs during pregnancy. To gently and gradually tone up a postbaby belly, try these lower-ab exercises, designed by Shirley Sahrmann, Ph.D., a physical therapist at the Washington University School of Medicine. Because you progress through the moves as you feel ready, these exercises are ideal for postpartum ab work. And they're so effective you may want to make them a permanent part of your fitness routine. "When these exercises are done properly, abdominal strength and tone may return in postpartum women in four to eight weeks," says Cram. "And they help get rid of the 'pooch' below your belly button without putting stress on your lower back."
Begin doing these moves as soon after giving birth as you're physically able. If you had a C-section or pregnancy complications, or have a wide diastasis, check with your doctor before working out.
Step-by-Step Ab Toners
Starting position: Lie on your back, knees bent, arms out at sides; let back curve naturally. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply; pull navel in toward the spine as you exhale. To prevent injury, do not arch your back during the exercises. When breathing feels comfortable, add exercise

1. All exercises start from this position; work up to each gradually.
1. Without holding your breath, tighten lower abdominal muscles and slide one leg down the floor until it's flat, then slide it back up to a bent position. Relax ab muscles. Repeat with other leg. Continue, alternating legs. When you can do 20 slides on each leg, move to exercise 2.
2a. Pull lower abs in and raise one bent leg until calf is parallel to floor. 2b. Then extend leg straight out without touching floor. Pause, then return to starting position and relax abs. Repeat 5 times without pausing for each leg. When you can do 20 times on each side, proceed to exercise 3.
3a. Inhale, exhale, and pull abs in, keeping them taut. Raise one bent leg, then the other, so calves are parallel to floor. 3b. Bring first leg back to floor, then raise it again. Repeat with second leg. When you can do 10 reps on each side, go to exercise 4.
4. Pull in abs and lift both legs, as in 3a. Then, extend one leg straight out, without touching floor. Switch leg positions. Repeat "bicycle" so each leg is extended 10 times. Work up to 20 reps on each leg.

Eat smart, Drink water, Workout!!

EAT SMART. What do BROCCOLI, BANANAS, and WHOLE GRAIN BREAD have in common? According to author Theresa Francis-Cheung, these are nutrient-rich foods that can "eliminate hunger, erase water weight, and speed up your body's fat-burning power." WHAT I DID: I made a copy of these foods to help slim me down my postpartum body and stuck it on my fridge. You've gotta read more about it in Chapter 22 of Pregnancy Weight Management.

DRINK WATER BEFORE and AFTER exercise to prevent dehydration. Read about the importance of drinking water. Drinking water helped me lose weight after pregnancy because it helped flush out excess water weight. WHAT I DID: Wash out an empty 64 oz. apple juice container, fill up with water in the AM, and empty it by the end of the day.

TAKE TIMEOUT TO WORKOUT

How to squeeze in a workout after the baby: Exercise with your baby. Join a gym with childcare. Put the baby in the swing while you sweat. Exercise while baby naps.

"Postpartum Weight Gain Facts You Need To Know"

You need to know what your dealing with so you can effectively.....For women, the biggest "weight gain triggers" are major life changes. Many women gain a little weight after graduating from high school or college. Marriage is another major life change that can tack on a few more pounds.

By far, the biggest change for most women is the birth of their children. Here is some postpartum weight gain information you need to know that most other websites won't tell you...

For most women, the range for weight gain during a healthy pregnancy is anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds. This may be adjusted according to personal cirucumstances, such as medical conditions.
Once the baby is born, it is natural to lose 10-15 pounds immediately. This is a good start, but often, not nearly the amount that was gained during the pregnancy.

If you breastfeed, you can look forward to at least minimal weightloss during this time. A little more will come in the weeks after you have stopped breastfeeding. Even this weightloss will be very limited.
It is no secret that weight gain is unhealthy. Nor is it a surprise that weight gain can lead to much more serious complications than not fitting into your favorite outfit. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, circulatory disorders, and so many more health problems are associated with obesity.

But really, whats the main problem here? You feel horrible. You start to think you are ugly and unnatractive. This weight takes a toll on your self-esteem.

You even wonder when your husband or boyfriend is going to start looking for someone younger, prettier, thinner.

Ok, Here's everything you ever need to know about you postpartum weight gain and your treatment options...

Wise Advice

Really wise advice!

Get the GREEN LIGHT from your doctor before resuming your workout program. Click here to see why waiting is wise.
BE REALISTIC! It took U nine months to put on those pounds. So cut yourself some slack. WHAT I DID: It took me 11 months to back to my pre-pregnancy weight after both deliveries. And guess what? When the scale finally returned to my pre-pregnancy weight - it wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be. Which leads to the final after pregnancy fitness tip...
RELAX! . Don't forget - your body has just done something incredible. Life is too short to be obsessed about your new mommy figure. My health and my baby's health are far more important than what the scale says. Besides, you've got enough to worry about - for about the next 18 years.

Weight loss guidelines for new moms

The fastest, most effective way to lose weight and regain your figure is to make it part of an overall program, involving diet, exercise and general lifestyle changes. Here are a few sensible guidelines.
Look after your body

Your body has just undergone enormous strain. In addition, your new arrival means you are going to need all the energy you can get. So make sure you eat properly and maintain your health.
Eat properly

The American Medical Association has stressed the importance of eating a diet that is nutritionally sound: i.e. a diet low in fat (not fat-free), nutrient-dense (i.e., full of vitamins and minerals) and high in fiber. This applies to all new moms, regardless of weight. The two biggest mistakes you can make is (a) Start eating junk food, or (b) Go on a crash diet. Either action is guaranteed to make you fat and unhealthy.
Find out about food

Contact your doctor or local clinic. Educate yourself about nutrition, rather than weight loss.