2 month P-D-B (Post Delivery Body)
It’s still crazy to believe it’s been 2 months already… everyone says that time flies, and it really does.
I was thinking that by my 2 month post-delivery body update, I’d be able to show you all a swimsuit pic with things 100% back to normal, but not quite there yet 😉
Here’s what my body looks like 2 months after delivery:
And here are the “before” pics- I was 4 weeks pregnant, but I’ll count it as a before 😉
I gained 34 lbs while I was pregnant,
and was about 5 lbs above my usual weight when we conceived.
Even though I’m not back to where I was pre-pregnancy, I feel good. The delivery itself helped me drop most of the weight (I lost 24 lbs in 4 days) and can attribute the rest of the weight loss to eating well and breastfeeding. I’m not back in a full fitness routine, and when I workout, I still take it pretty easy. It’s more of unwinding time, so I’m not sure that it’s had a huge effect on how I’ve recovered. Binding also helped.
You may think I’m crazy, but for the past 8 weeks during the day (I take them off in the early evening), I’ve been wearing a Belly Bandit and Hip Shrinker. I didn’t know if they’d be a scam, but figured it was worth a whirl. The Belly Bandit helps the uterus contract more quickly and the hip shrinker takes advantage of the relaxin in the body to encourage hips to go back into place. My hips are more narrow than they were, and I truly believe that the Belly Bandit helped my waist come back a little. If anything, it helped me remember how to keep my core engaged –I was used to letting everything hang out for 9 months. Binding is actually very common and something that many women would do after childbirth back in the day. While I was still pregnant, I asked my nana what she thought about binding and she said “everyone used to do that after childbirth.” She made it seem like no big deal, so I went for it and was glad I did.
Here are some of the misconceptions I had about bouncing back post delivery:
Diet changes: Pre-pregnancy, I thought that losing weight after a baby would be fairly simple- I’d just do what I originally did to lose weight back in the day: watch my portion sizes and choose healthy options. While I was pregnant, I learned that it isn’t the case when you’re breastfeeding- your body isn’t your own and still belongs to the baby, so I was prepared to get in extra calories and healthy fats to help build and maintain my milk supply. To me, nothing is worth decreasing milk supply –especially when you only have one working boob- so I often eat more than I did while I was pregnant.
Breastfeeding: Many people will say that breastfeeding helped the pounds melt off, but others will tell you that they can’t lose the last 5-10 el bees until they finish breastfeeding. I can definitely see how breastfeeding makes the body store excess fat. While most of my clothes fit, I still feel smushier, and even though I’m close to my pre-preg weight –haven’t weighed myself in a few weeks and we don’t own a scale- my muscle density is much lower.
Fitness: Taking care of a newborn is a workout in itself (!) but I’ve been really excited to be able to make it back to the gym. I definitely wasn’t able to jump back into my old routine- I’ve had to take it easy and am building my endurance back up. Once a week nana will come over so I can go to training at work for an hour, and at night, Tom will stay home with snoozing Livi so I can get a little workout in. I’m still not into a routine (some weeks I’ll do two workouts, others I’ll get in four or five) and most of the time I make it to the gym, I’ll use it as unwinding time. I’ll be back to my high energy ways soon enough, and most days are very snuggly and lazy over here.
Some post-birth souvenirs:
-The stretch marks on my belly, which I mentioned in the last post. They’re there, I don’t know if they’ll go away, and I’m proud of them. I look down at them and they remind me that I was able to carry and deliver a healthy baby, which makes my heart soar.
-Linea nigra: the dark line still runs down my stomach and is even darker now. I just tell myself it looks like a shadow from crazy ab definition 😉
-I’m sufficiently lopsided. Will it go back to normal when I’m done breastfeeding? Or do I need to invest in a chicken cutlet for my bra? Haha
Before we considered having children, I always wondered if I’d be anxious about losing the baby weight, especially since I lost a significant amount of weight in the past and had been in maintenance mode for so long. When the time came, I was thrilled with everything I gained during pregnancy –it meant Livi was growing- and after the birth, getting my body back was so low on the priority list- enjoying and getting to know my baby was #1. I figured that by eating well and working out throughout my pregnancy, my body would do what it needed to do, and I was right.
After Liv was born, I said I didn’t have a plan to get back in shape. This didn’t mean I was going to throw my healthy lifestyle to the wayside, but rather keep up with my healthy eats and fitness to the best of my ability and let my body go back into place. I figured that going back to work would be the last little boost I needed and I’d soak up my maternity leave with Livi instead of at the gym.
The entire process of being pregnant and having a baby gave me a different outlook on my body. I used to be really hard on myself, and look back on pictures and think I should have given myself a break. So for now, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing: eating well, working out when I get the chance, and loving on my baby <3
More:
-How my workouts changed in the first, second and third trimesters
–Changing eats and third trimester eats
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Great post, thank you for sharing! You are doing great nourishing your precious baby!
That’s really interesting about the binding. I’d never heard of it before. Regardless of whether you’re back at your pre-baby weight, you look fantastic!!
Wait….I can’t tell which pics are before or after….You look fantastic!! 😀
I love your attitude and approach to it! And you look absolutely amazing! It will come back and our bodies are completely different post-pregnancy. It took nine months to grow that baby and it will take a while to get back to what post-pregnancy normal will be. I’m proud to say I’m far fitter now than I ever was before I had my children. Maybe not thinner. But definitely fitter. And yes, I have lots of those beautiful stretch marks. 😉 I know so many new moms will be encouraged by you.
you looked like you were stealing a basketball. 🙂
First of all, you look wonderful. Second of all, it’s clear that your priorities are/were in order, which is awesome and inspiring to hear. I know a lot of people who would be stressed about gaining the weight and not losing it, but it’s nice to hear you saying that baby comes first!
Are you thinking of doing Turbofire or Insanity soon?
i’m hoping to start turbofire again next week if i can figure out how to do it during naptimes
You look amazing 🙂 As always.
You. Look. Amazing. End of story.
Ms. Gina, you look awesome!!! If I didn’t already know that you had a baby 2 months ago I would never guess by the way you look.
You look amazing. I really think the glow of pregnancy has stayed with you. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. I appreciate you sharing your body after baby post 🙂 I agree with you that when I look back on pictures, I think wow – I was really hard on myself. Enjoy these early months. The days are long, but the years are short. My boys are 9 and 7 now. I feel like they were infants yesterday…
You’re incredible! Such a healthy and positive perspective. I’ve often thought about what it might be like to have children, what changes my body would undergo, and I think that at the end of the day, it would be pretty amazing. I feel like I’ve learned from you that child-bearing is a beautiful thing!
Thanks for continuing to share your journey 🙂
thank you, lovely!
hope you’re doing well and that we can see you at a blog event again sometime soon 🙂
xoxo
Hi Gina-
I am 36 weeks and looking into ordering some binding items as well… how soon after the baby did you start wearing? Also , would you recommend them?
it was about 5 days after we got home, and yes, i would definitely recommend them
Great inspiration! Thanks! I am pregnant for the 7th time in 6 years. I lost 3 to miscarriages, so this’ll be my 4th and final baby. Unfortunately, I am unable to exercise this pregnancy due to some complications. Also, I cannot jump right back into my dietary and exercise routine post partum because I tend to lose my milk supply if I do. However, I do look forward to doing the work to get my body back after baby. It is really nice to see other mothers doing so and not just giving in to the lie that we have to carry around this extra baby weight after each pregnancy. When I got preggers with this baby, I weighed the same as I did when I got preggers with my 1st!
thank you, and congratulations to you on your family <3
You look amazing – not only because you are fit but because you are so obviously happy. Congratulations on having such a great perspective and on your darling girl!
You look great! I’m 19 weeks pregnant, and I’ve learned so much from reading this blog. Your attitude about pregnancy, health, and fitness are an inspiration to me!
thank you, and congratulations on your pregnancy!
Your post pregnancy body is better than mine has ever been, so to me you look awesome. 😛
You look amazing! I hope I look like good after having a baby. Thanks for writing about the Belly Bandit. When the time comes for me, I will totally get one. Sounds like it couldn’t hurt!
that’s what i figured, too! i used to bamboo one- it’s softer than the original
what is a ‘hip shrinker’? Can you post a link?
Now, I really liked you before this, Gina. 😉 No kidding, though. You look fabtabulous!
Oh, and thanks for the info on the binding! I’ve been looking into it after I heard about it a week ago. My 3rd baby (6th pregnancy) made my ab muscles split and then I had a post-partum hernia. Boy, I needed to bind then! Spread the word! Post-partum binding…what’s old is new again!
amen!
You look wonderful! I’m glad you commented on the binding…I am thinking of doing it after I have my baby and didn’t know if it was just a sham or not. I will for sure do the belly bandit but wasn’t sure about the hip one. Was it hard to move around with the hip binder? I was thinking I would sleep in it if so…
p.s. when you said you were lopsided I totally scrolled up to see for myself lol
haha!
they said it only works if you wear it during the day while you’re up and about, and while it was a little uncomfortable, most of the time i didn’t notice it
I totally appreciate your outlook on yor Post Baby Body. I think it is awesome that your plan is to just be as healthy as possible, for your daughter and for yourself.
You look awesome girl! Thanks for sharing. And I totally agree about not stepping on the scale all the time. Breastfeeding does make me feel like I’m not going to get “tight” again until I wean but I have no problem with that right now. It’s all for a good cause 🙂
your post-baby bod is kinda ridiculous- very inspiring <3
You look absolutely fabulous!
You look fabulous!! I love the pregnancy-belly pic thrown in there – it’s SO hard to believe that was only 2 months ago! Although the time has flown, that’s a huuuuuge change in your body in such a relatively short amount of time. That’s really interesting about binding – I hadn’t heard of it before, actually. I would totally trust my grandma about something like that, like you asked your nana – I actually just mentioned to my grandma that I’ve heard/ read a lot about drinking water with lemon first thing in the morning and I wasn’t sure if it was a fad or actually beneficial, and she said her mom used to drink water with lemon every morning and she lived to be 93 🙂 We’re lucky to have wise women around to look up to, I think!
i totally agree! i always know i can ask my nana about anything and she’ll tell me what’s up
for example: kombucha. she said her mom always had a version of kombucha (they called it teswin) fermenting in the kitchen
This makes me laugh so hard. My grandmother is 100% Albanian and she thinks that with every sneeze she will die. It doesn’t help that she has been in the hospital twice with heart problems and her best friend has cancer. But when it comes to cooking, I never doubt her. She also makes a mean ice cream sunday!
You look totally awesome and I wouldn’t change a thing!!
I love your outlook on post baby weight loss and I love how well you take care of yourself! You seem like an amazing mom ( I shouldn’t even say “seem” because you can totally tell from your posts that you are definitely a wonderful mama! ) and Olivia is a very lucky baybee 🙂 Thanks for being such an inspiration for not only health and fitness, but also as a wife, friend and mother!!!! 🙂
thank you for the kind words and for reading <3
xoxo
its so good to hear the real deal when it comes to post baby weight and body awareness. Thank you for sharing! I saved some posts for when we have kiddos. Great info Gina!
You are so beautiful inside and out…end of story! Keep enjoying that sweet baby.
After our daughter was born I took it easy for about 2 months and then got back into running. I ran a 10k when she was 4 months old and it gave me the push to be active again. It was easy to not work out – I had to take care of a baby…not myself. The reality is, is that you have to take care of yourself. Around the 9 month mark, I got more active again – it was great. Now, our daughter is almost 21 months and I feel the fittest that I have been in a long time, I feel healthy and love working out 4-5 days a week.
I am constantly looking for prenatal fitness/activities – partly because of the work I do and the groups that I work with – specifically a mom and baby’s group this spring.
Thanks for sharing.
i couldn’t agree more. you need to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others <3
Gina you look amazing!! you are such a great role model for so many. love your attitude about everything. always nice to hear how you are doing, and so happy you are (and the rest of the family) are doing well!
i would probably be anxious to lose the pounds too, i think most girls do. it is just natural for us to get back “to normal” but change is good. so taking it slow and with a positive attitude is key 😉 well at least that is what i would be telling myself – take it slow, enjoy every moment
thank you, lovely! would you mind texting me your address? i texted you, but think your # may have changed? i have a thank you note to send your way
love you girls!
Gina, I love your posts! I am expecting a baby and love reading about your “PDB.” I know you love fitness and have seen that you use Beachbody workout programs (TurboFire). Has anyone talked to you, or have you ever thought about….becoming a Team Beachbody coach??? I really think it would be PERFECT for you!
thank you! i’ve thought about it, but it isn’t something i’m interested in right now. thanks for checking with me, though!
You look beautiful, Gina! Let’s hope I can look like that post-baby – my due date is in less than 2 months 😀
thank you, samantha! i’m so excited for you!
You look amazing. It is so refreshing to read a blog of a new mom who isn’t stressing out about losing the pregnancy weight and is being healthy. I have read many blogs with moms doing extreme things to try to lose the weight and feeling awful about their new bodies. You are doing a great job balancing everything 🙂
You look great! I love your outlook on everything and I’m sure you’ll be back in the full swing of things soon enough. Keep up the good work, you’re doing amazing!
You look great! Positive outlooks are the key to success – I love it!
You look great !! And I love your outlook and approach to everything (:
you definately look great!! you should be very proud of yourself:) goes to show that working out while pregnant really helps. honestly don’t worry about stretch marks, I bet 98% of the population has them from gaining/losing/growing.
The entire process of being pregnant and having a baby gave me a different outlook on my body. = Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Once you realize you grew a human inside you, you really don’t care quite as much after said human has come out, if you’re having a little wiggle or jiggle here or there quite as much as you once did. Or that’s how I feel at least. Our bodies grow humans. ‘Nuff said 🙂
you. look. amazeballs! If I look like that in August I will be one happy lady. 🙂
You look fantastic! It’s important to have really good nutrition for your milk supply and I think you’re doing a fantastic job!
You look great for just having a baby 2 months ago!
I have a question for you. Did you use stretch mark creams with this pregnancy and if you did, were you consistent with it? The reason I’m asking is that I am 5 weeks pregnant with my fourth and was thinking about trying creams. I didn’t use any with my first three, but got a few stretch marks with my third. Ive read that prevention is the key, so I was wondering if the creams really work and worth the money. Do you have any imput? I’m sure diet is probably important too…eating healthy fats and food that will nourish your skin.
I know I sure worry about stretch marks and I don’t mind the few I have, but I’ve seen pictures of woman with horrible marks and I would like to prevent it if possible.
hey girl! thank you!
yes, i used something on my belly, back, hips and boobs the entire pregnancy. the loccitane supple skin oil was great and i also used a lotion bar from the local farmer’s market with shea butter, cocoa butter and different oils. i didn’t get stretch marks during at all (except for on my breasts) during the pregnancy and now have them on my belly. my mom got stretch marks too from her births and i guess it is related to genetics
I just love this post. Your optimistic and postive perspective on life is so refreshing.
Thank you.
you look great!! definitely have bigger boobs haha which isn’t terrible. its nice to see that it IS possible to lose the baby weight.
I love your positive outlook on your post-birth souvenirs — a reminder to ALL to love our beautiful bodies, thank you!
Gina, you look fantastic! I got tears in my eyes when I read this:
“The stretch marks on my belly, which I mentioned in the last post. They’re there, I don’t know if they’ll go away, and I’m proud of them. I look down at them and they remind me that I was able to carry and deliver a healthy baby, which makes my heart soar.”
You should be so proud of yourself!
<3
Love this post! My daughter was born on 1/16 and I’m still working through the same issues. It’s nice to read someone else’s perspective!
Honestly, you look absolutely amazing. I’m nowhere near having children, but following your pregnancy posts inspired me to eat healthy. You did it the right way! Congrats!
Gina,
First of all WOW. you look incredible. but you looked so great up until the birth, I can’t say I’m surprised.
I actually came to ask you something I’ve been wondering awhile, unrelated to babies. I have a smaller chest than you, but find that I really need supportive sports bras during hard workouts, and sometimes even double them up. I noticed in both pics above you are wearing spaghetti strap tops with no bra, is this not a workout outfit? or is there a built-in bra in that tank? & working out aside- how do your boobs look so amazing unsupported like that? incredible genes or a secret workout tank I need to purchase ASAP? I’ve always wondered this because of your pic on the left << & really could use some workout gear advice to support the ladies & maybe make them not look like squished pancakes compressed under several sports bras 😉
xox
thanks girl!
that tank is the lululemon power y and i wear a bra underneath if i’m going to work out. the build-in bra is pretty tight (and has cup inserts) which keeps everything in place nicely, but not enough support for activity. i love the ta ta tamer, but they don’t make it in my (new) size. as far as when i’m not working out, i invest in good bras 🙂
Gina, can I just tell you what an inspiration you are (without sounding like a total goob?) I have loved reading every second of your pregnancy journey, even though I don’t have kids, and I been endlessly impressed with your attitude of treating your body right & letting it do the rest. You look so great for having a baby 2 months ago- hell you look better then some who haven’t ever had a child. I love that a fitness professional is able to not put pressure on herself & let her body find its way back to where it needs to be, giving it little pushes with healthy food & activity. Annnddd you’re hilarious which helps us non-babied folks enjoy all your posts too. You look great…whatever you are doing works!!