The “Bounce Back”...How I *REALLY* Feel About Postpartum Weight Loss

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[@ember3449]

I'm not pregnant, I've never had a child. But your message at the end about why I feel this desperation to lose weight, and is it connected to my identity really resonated with me. I used to be incredibly active. Defined six pack, shoulders, arms, legs, everything was popping. I didn't go to the gym, but I worked on a farm. After falling ill for several years, I lost all that muscle definition and turned into a little stick. Then, after getting better, I went back to my normal weight, but none of it was muscle. I look totally different. Not fat, not overweight, but... different. Like a totally different person. What I am capable of doing with my body is totally different. It's been years, and I still haven't come to terms with it yet. I have to work with my body and what it is capable of, and it's not the way it used to be.

[@asana_awakening]

Me child free but totally interested in all your content: 👁️👄👁️

[@pink0910]

This is me lol.

[@manga4774]

same

[@mariaelenabartesaghi6322]

😂 I am in menopause and interested!

[@Lwa_mau]

Sameeeee

[@irisnava581]

Same! For the day that I will need it lol 😅

[@unitybeing]

I had my first baby a month ago. It was also a positive home birth experience and physically i've recovered super well, although i havent lost all the weight yet. I would want to but... Life is so stressful now. Sleeping so poorly and rarely getting any me time, i do miss my old life and old self a lot. The identity thing you said is definitely something i'm figuring out. Every day at some point i miss the good care free moments of my life before baby :') days that i could spent how i want to in the moment and not having to be constantly available for another being. Life with a baby is so hard and i don't feel like i' m "me" anymore. The me is dying because i cant take care of its needs. I'm just taking care of the baby. I love my baby soooo much 😭 but it's hard to constantly sacrifice yourself. And i feel bad when i'm not able to be the best mom when im super exhausted. Sleep deprivation is the worst. I'm tired and this new life feels overwhelming. 😭

[@haleylikescheese]

You addressed this topic so well and so authentically. I haven't watched you that long, so I didn't know about your weight journey. But it put my story into words. I had an ex, and we were together 5 years. He was a narcissist who, by the end of the relationship, had made it so I didn't know who I was anymore. So I started running. With every mile, I told myself I needed to be strong enough to leave him. I needed to be physically strong enough and mentally strong enough. I ended up losing 30 pounds and was amazed at how I felt like me again. I literally ran back to myself.

[@lindakayaz]

Gained 38 lbs and lost it all and more in nine weeks. Breast-fed and took daily walks with baby. Transitioning to being a mother is hard. The body weight gain and loss is the least of it.

[@missakialexandria]

When did you start walks? How far/ long were your walks at first? How far/long were your walks at the end of the 9 weeks?

[@matydonatova7305]

I had to walk my dog basically after 7 days home. Hated it but it was the best. Mentally and physically. Even short stroll around block is enough. You get outside, get some air to your lungs, some different views. And btw listen to your body. It will tell you how much you can do. Don't set expectations... That frustrated me when I did that.

[@aaliyahmaldonado1718]

Did it effect your milk supply?

[@matydonatova7305]

I did not notice any change.

[@lindakayaz]

@@missakialexandria My baby was born in early February in the midwest, so too cold to take walks until maybe April. I really can't remember but I think the breastfeeding was the major reason I lost the weight so quickly. Getting out on daily and sometimes twice a day walks was good for both of us. If the baby fell asleep while on the walk, I would sit on the porch and try to read.

[@JasmineWay]

33 weeks pregnant here and you are definitely my role model in fitness and healthy living. Love your postpartum contents! ❤

[@CalleyKohlhagen]

Watching this as a soon-to-be mom is so insightful. I love hearing your insights both to mental hurdles and the physical ones. Thank you for your honesty & openness! 💕

[@mrsverovalera]

You addressed this SO well. ❤ I recently had my 3rd and this was an awesome reminder to stay focused on working on this newer version of myself and not focusing on the old me.

[@laurie896]

Hi. Just wanted to let everyone know that getting your body back isn't everything... I have 3 kids and lost the weight extremely fast however with each one I suffered such extreme postpartum anxiety that I was unable to enjoy that precious newborn stage. I would have given anything to not feel that horrible , even holding on to the weight. Postpartum anxiety was the most awful and uncomfortable times of my whole life.

[@kaitlincrane_]

I also had terrible post partum anxiety with my daughter, it prevented me from enjoying that newborn stage too!

[@biancapolenzani5888]

I have post-partum anxiety right now and it's a tough moment (she is two months). I can relate, I can't enjoy anything, and I am feeling horrible about it

[@kaitlincrane_]

@@biancapolenzani5888 Honestly, the only thing that really helped me was time. I hope you are able to feel calmer soon, I started to feel significantly better around maybe 4-6 months.

[@lizzyedge2749]

I think you addressed the weight loss topic very well. I would love to see a science based video as well. I’m not expecting or a mom but I enjoy all the info! Also I’m so happy you showed your engineering ring in a few videos back. I had no idea we get that so I signed up for the ring ceremony.(graduating ME in 1.5 weeks)

[@ruthkrueger2264]

Thanks so much for an honest talk about these topics! I’m someone who doesn’t hold on to weight, so I go back to a “normal” size quickly after birth. But it’s not normal for me, and it has so much to do with the image in your head of who you were, and when it doesn’t match the mirror then the disconnect with your body and brain happens. I’ve definitely felt like I can’t express how I’m feeling about body image because I don’t have as hard a time losing weight, but my body is still different! And dealing with a loss of identity is hard, no matter how it looks on the outside. And the mental part is a whole ‘nother ball game. Ive struggled with anxiety, and to have everyone say you look great while inside you’re actually struggling makes it harder to reach out for help.

[@itsjustjade.]

Post partum has DEFINITELY been difficult. I ballooned from a dress size 2 to a size 10 and it’s been really hard to look at myself sometimes because it feels like I ‘let myself go’. Even though I ate healthy and exercised as much as I could tolerate in pregnancy. Even though no one is pressuring me to lose weight, I guess the feeling of being disconnected from my body won’t go away. Id love a guide on how to lose weight after pregnancy since I was pretty unlucky in the weight gain department 😅

[@smolsquirrel]

I feel that. Gained 50lbs during pregnancy and upon birth etc went down only 15lbs. Entered this pregnancy at 150lbs but entered my first at 120lbs. Brutal but I'm trying to build muscle and healthier habits and not pay attention to the scale as much and go more on how I feel

[@maikolosav]

It's so nice that no-one is pressuring you to look a certain way! Take your time and when you feel ready, invest some time and effort to it and you'll feel better. It needs a lot of mental strength to stick to a diet so if you can't do it by yourself there's also the option of going to a dietitian. That worked for me because I just couldn't convince myself 😅

[@sgjdsyevkfhao]

First 3 months of pregnancy you need 0 extra kcal second trimester of pregnancy you need 140 extra kcals and 3 trimester you need 450 extra kcals a day. Breastfeeding burns 450 to 500 extra kcal a day. Hormones or pregnancy dosent make you gain weigth but exces food does therefore as she said you will not lose weigth by not changing anything, if you mantain you weigth now you can simply cut back and you will loose it, simle as that, i belive in you you can do it and it is better to count how much you eat in a week to get an agerage daily intake then start by cutting of 100 kcal, and then the nect week 100 more and so on dont eat 1000 kcal (or more)less than you need a day ex because you will just be too hungry and not move and exersize so you wont loose much weigth anyway dont eat less than 500 kcal than you need a day, you could eat just300 or 400 kcal less a day you will loose weigth slower but it will be easier to maintain and one day you will look back and realise how much progress you made and you now can stop cutting back.

[@jillianlee274]

Don’t listen to the ridiculous calorie mathematician who replied to you 😂 I was very careful with counting calories and staying active during pregnancy (was in fantastic shape before), still gained 60lbs and 4 months postpartum have 30 left to lose. I calorie count to make sure I’m eating enough to breastfeed and workout daily - The weight isn’t budging. It’s hormones and sleep deprivation and mental stress and if I could trade my baby for my old body I absolutely wouldn’t! She’s worth every pound. You’ll be “yourself” again after this season is over. ❤

[@adrianacrespo2203]

I’m 6 months postpartum and I’d love a video on how to gain more functional strength and flexibility. Having a baby has me in some positions I never used to be in (bending into a crib, pulling a car seat out of the car, getting up and down from the floor with a baby in my arms, etc). That would be super useful to me because I personally am much more stressed out about the idea of not being able to keep up with my daughter and husband than I am about getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Weight loss is definitely a goal of mine, but it’s a means to an end, not the end itself if that makes sense. Thank you! Sending you and baby the most positive vibes!! 💛

[@netahochman4956]

Hey Abby, I don’t usually comment on youtube but I had to here. I’ve been watching your videos for the past few months during my pregnancy journey and you’ve been my inspiration to keep working out even though society is discouraging about it. After having my baby I was struggling mentally to let go of my old self and get to know my new identity. I think we’re alike in different ways and I identify with the struggles you’ve shared, like keeping a routine with a baby or working out postpartum. I want to thank you for all the solutions you propose and the mental support you provide. It really helps me cope with this sudden change in my life. ❤

[@jackiecone3229]

Your postpartum journey is your own, and I'm glad you've had an overall positive postpartum recovery. I just also want to add that you can do everything "correct" -- eating healthy, exercise, etc. -- as you did and still struggle to lose postpartum weight. I just want women who see this to know it's more than ok if it takes more time than weeks! It can take months or years. Be kind to yourselves, friends.

[@alainaalfaro314]

Your points are well spoken, and your realness is incredibly appreciated.

[@TGYtco]

My babies are teens now, but I LOVED everything you said here. I think every new mom needs this. I also agree with your view on body positivity. Yes, we need to absolutely love ourselves at every weight, but wanting to be healthier and feel better is so, so important!

[@alejandragallegos934]

wow, I needed this video and pep-talk! I really appreciate you opening up!

[@ingridalice9707]

Thank you so much for talking about this, especially your point about ideas of body and identity. As someone who sees fitness as a whole to be a big part of my life/lifestyle while also being at the age where most start to have kids this has been on my mind. I feel I've invested a lot of time and energy into making my body preform the way I want it to and find the lack of transparency on body changes with pregnancy is concerning. Thank you so much for sharing in such an open way, it really is an area that is glossed over and with feelings difficult to explain to those who don't train regularly/have the similar fitness expectations/the sacrifice having a child would mean for this progression. Its almost as if you show concern for how it will impact your body, its as seen as being selfish or vain because the joy of motherhood should somehow make you overlook that, which isn't fair. The more conversations about physical recovery, it seems, the better women would be overall, something perhaps the medical field should be involved with (like some countries what provide after birth care to rebuild and support recovery) so as you say, they could feel more at home in their bodies afterwards. I would love to watch an evidence based video on how to lose weight after having a baby, hope you decide to make it.

[@emilycuthbertson2230]

You have honestly been a huge motivation for me during my PP i am about 11 months PP currently and i had PPD after baby number 2 i found your content again and remembered how much i loved your videos 6 months now i have been working hard and definitely feeling so much happier with myself ! thank you ❤

[@RaraLouis]

I wanted to say thank you for this video. I have a two year old and a nine month old, I still struggle with letting go of the old version of me before baby’s. I’ve been wanting to work more on my mental health, but also like tone and be more fit. You are truly a inspiration and always the realist. Thanks Abby ❤.

[@maikolosav]

Mental health should be a top priority. It's all in the mind!! If you can have access to a mental health professional, take advantage of that. It'll change the way you think about so many aspects of life 🤗 Take care of yourself and your babies!

[@tiannalewww7546]

1 month post partum and I had no clue what to do or how to begin. I stumbled upon your channel and am so grateful I did. This is my second video I’m watching and have already received so much empowerment and information. Thanks so much.

[@ss-fc3kn]

I trust and admire you so much, I gained a bit of weight (though still in the realm of normal gain) during pregnancy which initially I was fine with but I started receiving a lot of comments about my weight. I’m past a year postpartum and I still haven’t “bounced back” and it’s been hard to mentally recover from those comments. I want to lose the extra pounds but I am trying to just accept my body as it is as I’m still nourishing my baby with my body, the workouts I do is to feel better, not to look better

[@veronicanunez7816]

I relate soooo much to what you said about your weight loss after gaining 40 pounds during a hard time. Same thing happened to me. I’m 5’3 on a good day and have always fluctuated between 103-107lbs. I went through an extremely difficult time that left me suffering from extreme depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I had gained 41 pounds in total but was able to go back to my original weight of 107lbs during lockdown. Like you said I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror and physically felt horrible. My joints hurt, felt fatigued and tired all the time. So losing that weight was absolutely necessary for my physical and mental health and I’m so grateful and proud of myself to have been able to do it in a healthy way. I finally feel like myself and have been able to maintain the same weight for over a year now.

[@Bon-A]

I am currently postpartum myself & just wanted to say I love the way you covered these topics ❤

[@hollyl5702]

My pregnancy journey: I gained 33 lbs over 9 months. I was sick and exhausted for about half of the first trimester and mostly slept. I exercised everyday during my second and third trimester. I did gain weight in my hips, rear and thighs as well as a belly (didn't look pregnant from the back though lol). I breastfed and lost that weight gradually over the next 9 months. I was way too overwhelmed with having a newborn and emergent family health issues that happened right around the same time to think about exercising or "bouncing back". In fact I didn't expect to ever be able to fit into my clothes again and had donated a fair number of them. My body positivity was actually the best during my pregnancy because for the first time I was proudest of my body for what it did/could do than for how it looked.

[@AndreaMagarino]

Did you lose weight from the get go with breastfeeding or months into it? I gained 80 lb, lost 30 in the first 2 weeks, 10 more with diet and now I’ve plateaued. I’m 4 months PP and EBF. 😢

[@ethxo6734]

I’m 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I’ve gained almost 50lbs despite working out 5x a week for most of my pregnancy. Yes I’m not working out as intensely but I wasn’t expecting to gain 50lbs. 😓 And you’re right it does feel like losing my identity, my sense of self. I ended up getting pregnancy arthiritis and it caused my hands to hurt when I’d even grip a weight. I felt so defeated at that point. The one thing I thought I could always fall back on, I could no longer do. But I’m hopeful that a lot of these symptoms will subside post partum and that I’ll be able to lose the weight.

[@sammmslife4260]

I have had to do the same through pregnancy, putting up boundaries to protect my mental health and energy. I knew knowing my weight (unless a health issue arose) would not be helpful. That has been such a great decision for me. Very good video!

[@JessicaOrban3606]

14:00 Such a real thing. I had a mom-to-be ceremony, and it helped so much. It was a group of friends that celebrated the coming birth of a new mother. It was so lovely and beautiful, and really helped me integrate the process of coming into this new part of myself.

[@brainybee]

Just when I thought you couldn’t get better, you add exactly what I will need after baby. I’m so happy for you!

[@wildrfitness]

you are incredibly articulate and this video was so well done. thank you for making it

[@IngenuityCanvas]

I had twins (boy and a girl) born at 36 weeks on the dot, Thanksgiving day. I was super depressed and eating about 500 calories a day from weeks 9-13 and one morning it was just GONE, like a switch was flipped. I suddenly woke up hungry and super motivated. I was obese when I got pregnant and by 10 days post partum (via c-section) I was 54lbs lighter than my highest weight reached in pregnancy which was crazy because I only gained 6lbs all pregnancy. This means I was losing weight while pregnant because I was eating soooo healthy. All I craved was fresh food like salad, sushi (cooked), and sandwiches (cooked ham). I stayed away from soda, did not like coffee at all (I'm a coffee lover), and oddly enough started liking McDonalds again. Breast feeding has been difficult because I struggled a lot with my supply due to pcos and being hospitalized for postpartum preeclampsia after having the healthiest twin pregnancy. I am lucky to be alive, went to the ER for abdominal pain thinking I had probably hurt myself that day because babies had a doctor appointment and the car seats were too big for our pick up truck that we were slanted forward and it was extremely uncomfortable and painful. When I arrived to the ER they took my blood pressure and I was hospitalized immediately, meds were not working and they were worried about stroke, heart attack, and seizures so I was put on magnesium for 24 hrs and that's horrible because you are not allowed to get out of the bed, not even to use the restroom. Anyway, this complicated my supply because I missed my babies so much and felt like my body and I were failing them. When I was discharged I had to pump a lot in between feedings to get my supply which made me soooo soooo HUNGRY! I am sure some of the weight has come back, but that's ok. Once my son gets his tongue tie surgery (idiot pediatrician missed it despite me telling her for months) I will breastfeed him exclusively for two months and then stop. I think 7 months of twin nursing is more than enough for me. P.s. I also had that jelly belly and not having it anymore is what makes me think I gained weight, but perhaps my muscles are just back in place.

[@meaganherigstad908]

I have followed you for years and that one comment of losing the weight to get back to the body or getting back to your old identity truly was so spot on. As a mother of 3 (youngest being 2) I know I struggle with the lack of identity because the only identity I feel I have is that I am a mom.

[@alliewoodard5864]

32 weeks here and already feeling the pressure to "bounce back" as many people I see these days comment on how "huge" I am right now - thanks guys. I've also gained a lot in my arms and as you mentioned, lost my butt. Appreciate your thoughts here and also appreciate the reminder that them mental game is more important than the physical. We'll get through this mommas!

[@victorialouise2943]

You’re such an inspiration! Love it!!

[@sophiasouthern]

Thank you for explaining the boundary thing, and explaining that it can be a temporary boundary!! I’m 5 days PP, and thoughts do seep in about getting my body back (for my own sake). You’re right, now is not the time to focus on it ☺️

[@mn16111]

Thank you for your video! So glad you pointed out that there was a difference is missing your old body versus your old identify.

[@SpunkyStuff]

I always enjoy your perspective.

[@stephjose9401]

Watching you at 4 weeks PP while walking on the treadmill. I am still 20 lbs over my Pre-pregnancy weight, but this is helping me to desire strength and health over just getting back to my pre baby weight. Thanks!

[@OtterlyPink]

Postpartum has been so so so difficult for me. I'm nearly 2 years out and probably in the worst headspace mentally ever in my life. I was shortly recovered from an ED just before falling pregnant, loved my pregnant body and then fell apart 6 weeks PP. I went to the gym for 6 months last year and started to relapse, pulled myself together for a while but since January this year I've been in a terrible place. Verging on the edge of relapsing because the only way I've ever lost weight before is semi starvation. I've done so much nutrition research, courses and have a lot of knowledge. I KNOW it's so bad for my body.. but my brain is in such a bad place. It's been so hard but I'm not giving up, I want to go back to running (which I have always been inspired by you to do) and get back into eating healthy, normal meals without starving/restriction and binging. Solidarity to all other women going through similar struggles.. I never imagined postpartum would be this hard. ❤

[@carolinejudith1718]

I gained 66 lbs by the end of my pregnancy and am now 3 weeks PP. I lost about half of it by now, but the thing that is so hard to get over is feeling uncomfortable in every piece of clothing I own. I don't want to shop for clothes because I don't know what I'm going to look like in a few weeks, I'm breastfeeding and need access to that, and overall I just feel so sluggish in everything I own now. I don't even care about the number, I just want to feel strong and confident again. I know it'll come in time. C section recovery is also so rough.

[@alphafish4756]

This inspires and motivates me to get serious about fitness so I can have more control over my body and for a good post partum recovery whenever I get pregnant

[@samanthamazurek8977]

Hey Abby thanks for sharing your journey. Currently 6months pregnant. I’ve done my best to embrace my new pregnant body. I try to remind myself that if I’m gaining weight and growing, that means baby is growing.

[@mikaylatruax7424]

Would be so interested in the evidence based video!!!! Love hearing about your journey, especially as we welcome our first baby in October ! 🫶

[@DangerouslyActive]

Good to hear from you on yt

[@smolsquirrel]

I would definitely appreciate a science backed video for postpartum weight loss including caveats, like hormone issues etc and how to go about navigating finding out that's a cause etc. I had an induction at 42 followed by a cesarean after 16h of pitocin hell and if that weren't enough, my baby was sick and no one knew what was wrong for over two months. Turns out it was neonatal lupus and now with this pregnancy I'm being followed by high risk, and may have an autoimmune disease that's still undiagnosed (been trying to find out for many years already). The trauma, lack of sleep, bodily changes, back pain, the dysmorphic perception of myself and even D-MER for breastfeeding... It's amazing I'm still nursing after 22 months and while 22w pregnant to boot. But even now I feel like I was beaten up and bloodied and left to limp around in pain and trauma in a large children's hospital shell shocked and crestfallen when we were told it could be marrow failure... She's all healthy now but we never got counseling, we never got that sacred recovery, and baby didn't come home for almost a month. It's no way to spend a postpartum period especially after a cesarean. I pray it doesn't happen again. It was supposed to be a home birth the first time and now midwives won't give me the time of day even if I ever do become lower risk. To let go of autonomy for my babies is really. Fucking. Hard.

[@bcowbrou]

I’m loving mom and baby fitness classes! They are such a great way to get some movement in, have an outing and meet other mamas. Obviously some times it is cost prohibitive, but I have also found free swim classes with the library :)

[@jenlovesslim80]

My story is so similar to yours-I rapidly gained around 40 pounds six years ago after starting birth control, was so unhappy mentally. Worked hard for 3 years to lose the weight and get into shape. Then an unplanned pregnancy. I worked out my whole pregnancy and walked a ton but made a HUGE baby and gained lots of weight. I lost most right after birth but am not the same weight or shape I was. I think it is an identity thing. It's so hard not recognizing yourself in the mirror. I just want to feel comfortable in my body again.

[@ShronkyKonk]

Girrrl that got real. I’m pregnant with number 2 currently and I’m massive compared to what I was with my first. I’m so scared for the body change and postpartum, I’m doing my best to wrap my head around it now. Thanks for the video ❤️

[@torigross7081]

Postpartum has been so so so hard for me. I really appreciate this video! I really wish my recovery and pregnancy journey could have been more like yours (minus the finding out at 6 months! That’s crazy) but it wasn’t. I found out I was pregnant with twins and for that reason it was a high risk pregnancy. I was allowed to do some light activity but I was depressed about not being able to be in the gym 6 days a week and lift like I used to. I also struggled with severe hip pain beginning in the second trimester to where it was excruciating to walk for any real distance at all. I actually didn’t put on too much weight during pregnancy that wasn’t the babies. I had a C-section and they were born premature and stayed in the nicu for 3 weeks. I was pumping and had a crazy appetite (I had basically none during pregnancy) so I actually ended up gaining like 20 pounds after that I still haven’t lost. Having twins is so much (it’s amazing) and so hard. I have zero help so I’m doing it all alone and I’ve struggled mentally and physically. In the beginning I got so little sleep I started seeing things. The journey hasn’t been easy at all. You are right though part of the reason I so desperately want to go back beyond just wanting to recognize myself in the mirror is that I miss the old me. I love this new version of myself but I don’t know her and even though I love my twins and my life now I miss my old life too and how uncomplicated it was. Thanks for creating a safe space to talk about these things 🩵

[@JoKaier]

It’s so much more than loosing the weight or going back to the previous clothing size. I’m genetically blessed and have worked out my entire life, I gained 9.5kg in my first pregnancy and lost everything in 1 week, doing absolutely nothing as I was recovering from a traumatic emergency c-section. In fact, I didn’t exercise at all for 6 weeks, took 14 weeks to go back to running (and only after being assessed by a pelvic physio) and eventually to lifting weights. Everyone told me how amazing I looked 1-2 weeks after my baby was born and I just felt so weak, thin and fragile, even depressed. It took me MONTHS to feel remotely back to my own body and 18 months in total to feel like I was fully back to a very strong and fit state, mentally & physically.

[@cher3120]

The initial 'here have your baby and go home' was difficult. My husband had a lot of input with helping with nighttime feeds which I am so grateful for. But if I am honest, I was angry at this new life that had taken my sleep, my vagina, my butt and my nipples away from me. Pregnancy had felt like a prison to me with various conditions that came along with it, feeling very anxious about being aware that it was moving or not etc, and when I gave birth I was so relieved. They asked me if I would like to do skin to skin and I confidently said no thanks, and went into theatre to be sewn back up, because I did not feel this "overwhelming love" just relief to finally be "free". As mentioned the days and weeks following were difficult, things weren't healing as they should, I struggled with my feelings and I still had to take care of a baby by myself during the day while my husband worked (whilst working towards moving house-which I do not recommend by the way). I gained a stone in weight after I gave birth, not so much during pregnancy. Pure hunger to just put anything in my mouth to help with energy lost through sleep loss and expressing milk. It wasn't until about 6 months when I felt I could start exercising again with my vagina healed, haemorrhoids healed and SPD mostly subsided. But when I did it felt amazing to start moving my body again. It was as if I could finally take in a deep breath. Thankfully the love for my baby didn't take as long to arise and I can confidently say now that I would do it again to have him.

[@DeedsReadz]

I had the same experience with not feeling an overwhelming love like everyone always tells you you’ll have. You’re told the moment you push your baby out, you won’t be able to handle the amount of love you feel for your baby, but to me, it felt so uncomfortable and scary. I felt like my baby was a stranger or not really my baby. And because I felt this, I thought I was somehow a horrible mother who was very much not normal. Why don’t people talk about this very normal and common experience that new mothers have? It would’ve helped me so much to know that what I was feeling was common and that it didn’t mean I was a bad mother. It takes some time to get to know your baby and feel like you’re actually a mother and not just some person taking care of a baby. I hate that people aren’t honest and real with new mothers and about just how difficult of a transition it is to become a mom. I have always wanted to be a mom and our pregnancy was very much planned and wanted, motherhood was my biggest goal in life honestly. So it was very surprising for me to find myself feeling that way. Hopefully more people can be honest and unashamed enough to talk about their experience transitioning into motherhood so that new mothers don’t have to feel the shame and guilt that I felt.

[@missloretta]

Yeah motherhood was a kick in the face for me. 😂 I was not ready. Now I am so so grateful to have kids, but that transition is 😱😱🤯🤯😵‍💫😵‍💫😫

[@thayerwilliams905]

@DeeDeeDeal I understand this perfectly. Pregnancy absolutely felt like a prison. A painful one that took everything I felt like I had away from me. When he was born, they asked if I wanted to hold him, and I immediately said no, it's his dad's turn. His dad was the happiest human on the planet that day, followed by my mom. I was one of the unhappiest. I'd struggled through a horrendous pregnancy, an equally horrendous birth, and then everyone was happy to "forget " about me in comparison to the baby, except the nurse pushing on my uterus (ie, causing me more pain) every however many minutes for however many hours. I had unbelievable pp anxiety. I couldn't recognize it at the time. It was 18 months later when it hit me and I said, oh, I guess it's not normal to be convinced the baby you got handed to take home wasn't the same baby you were pregnant with. It seriously took that long. I was in the hospital for 4 days, and the entire time, I felt like I was failing in every sense of the word at being a mom. I was so sleep deprived in the hospital I was hallucinating by day 3. And I couldn't tell. One of the nights he woke up around 3 am and I managed to pick him up and look at him, and I started crying because this baby was just a stranger but I was "stuck" with him - and he was stuck with me. And I couldn't think of anything worse that could happen to him than that. But I promised him that even though I had no idea what to do, I was going to do my best. Please have patience with me because I promise I'm going to try my best. I'm tearing up now just thinking about that night, while my now 4 y old is jumping on his trampoline next to me. It was so hard. It was unbelievably hard. I'm not sure where it started to get easier when I started to feel bonded to him. He's my favorite person now, and vice versa. He's such a mama's boy it's ridiculous. I can leave the house for 3 minutes to check the mail and get tackled with a big hug the second I come back and a loud "mama, you're back!! I was looking everywhere for you!!". He makes me laugh all day. He's still a snuggler, and I love it. He's smart, he's sweet, he likes to make people laugh, and he's going to be an amazing athlete. But in the beginning, he was just a stranger who caused me a lot of pain and destroyed my already limited ability to sleep. And I was terrified to tell anyone anything I was feeling in case they took him away or commited me. Or arrested me. It was so terrifying and so lonely. And I'm scared of it happening like that again with the sibling in a year or 2 now that we're getting our ducks in a row to try for one. And yeah, I wish more moms shared the dark sides of this. The closest I got was moms who were people who just liked to complain all the time, including about their kids. And that's not the same thing at all.

[@JoeBidensdirtydiaper]

@@DeedsReadzbecause it’s not normal to literally turn down skin to skin with your new born child, literally one of the first bonding moments. OP is a cold hearted woman who chose herself over her baby

[@JoeBidensdirtydiaper]

You turned down skin to skin with your newborn 😢poor child with an ice queen for a mother

[@brittnyZ]

I have the joy of developing body dysmorphia during postpartum depression. I was a fitness, yoga and dance instructor for over 12 years but the Relaxin Hormone was too early and too strong causing very early SPD and the very nasty piriformis syndrome. I was all but on bed rest for my entire pregnancy, lost all of my muscle and all of my coordination. Today at 3 months postpartum I am 15 lb over my pre-pregnancy weight and can only bear to walk 15 minutes at a time because my hips are still so messed up. Postpartum is HARD. It shakes your very being. I always appreciate your honesty in your videos, more women need to have these kinds of discussions together. I have already referred others pregnant women to your videos. We need to continue to band together as a community. Women who have not gone through this don't seem to understand me, and it breaks my heart. They either tell me I look fine and "oh just stop it" or they are surprised I'm - still - 15 lb up. SMH society is not built for empathy around postpartum.

[@kaitlincrane_]

We discovered that I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. Fast forward to delivery, after my baby was delivered I was given the okay to eat normally again without having tests completed. I only gained about 30 pounds during pregnancy, and returned to my pre-pregnancy weight very soon after giving birth to my daughter. This was mostly derived from controlling that diabetes through diet and exercise, which I continued for a while despite being considered “healthy” again. Fast forward to now, ten pounds heavier, and having returned to my old eating habits, I had been finally retested to make sure my gestational diabetes was gone, and turns out it returned/never left. I have since returned to my pre-pregnancy weight again, and feel better than ever. I love running, and have been training for about 10 months now trying to place in my local 5ks. Nowhere near the end of that goal, but having lots of fun along the way. My daughter is almost two now, and I can’t wait to include her more when she’s older (she likes to pick flowers when we go on walks 🤣)

[@Trd23614]

I really appreciate your discussion about questioning why new mothers feel so inclined to "bounce back." Even though I don't have children myself, I found this perspective helpful and makes me consider how I want to feel when I do choose to have children one day

[@jada43226]

Battling the stress along with sugar addiction was a lot. I’ve finally gotten it under control almost 18 months postpartum. It’s so hard but worth it. Take it a day at a time.

[@purplelilly98]

Great video, Abby ❤️

[@RuLu0303]

Thank you for sharing it helps to know other people stories I definitely can relate. My baby is six months and I’m still working on losing my belly. I have mainly done walks with baby. Being a new mom takes a lot and I haven’t been able to go to the gym. But I love being a mom and my body will be back eventually I hope.

[@MrsNadia888]

On another note Abby: How is the rosemary oil working for your hair? Are you using just straight rosemary or a blend? My husband and I planned our pregnancy and it has not been easy for me, but everyday I'm grateful and thankful to my husband and have seriously mental prepared before getting pregnant that my body will change, even though I work out! I'm frustrated, yes, b.c I can't workout right now since I lost 10lbs and am just really sick, but like everyone keeps saying: "every pregnancy is different" and that's very true with Abbys situation considering she found out she was pregnant at 6 months!!!

[@Stefanie-zc5ee]

I appreciate all of your pregnancy and postpartum related videos. I’ve been watching your videos for years. I am an expecting mother going into my third trimester and would love to see some do’s and don’ts. Emphasis on the don’ts. In the Latin American community, new mothers are told to use corsets, waist bands or wrapping postpartum. Literally my whole family keep reminding me of this. I don’t know whether this is safe, science backed, etc. please help!

[@jerraldeanbeukes866]

I'm a new mommy, my baby is 7 weeks now, I really really want to get back in gym, gym was a huge part of my personality just before I fell pregnant and like you said it's like you lose a part of who you were, I feel when I talk to people about me body they don't get it, and like you said it's the understanding that they don't want to talk about it because it's not affirming "body positivity" and I should just accept how I look now. But I'm a young mom, I'm 22, everyone my age has these rocking bods and I did as well and now I'm sitting with stretch marks galore and a huge soft belly and its hectic. So now how do I start the healthy process of getting back to my old body without hurting my milk supply

[@thayerwilliams905]

Im 5'1. Ive stayed around a very athletic build of 135 from 18-30. I worked out constantly. I felt fully justified in thinking id be the pregnant person working out through the whole pregnancy, with no problems and minimal weight gain. I thought wirst case scenario I'd MAYBE get up to 176. Then i got pregnant. It was very soon after leaving an incredibly toxic and dangerous long term relationship. I wasnt working because I'd just been fired, from the new job i got after leaving my old life (ex was the boss). I was having crippling anxiety/panic attacks, a dozen nightmares every night, chronic fatigue and had been living with several types of chronic nerve pain for 13 years already - but now i wasnt distracting myself from it. I was crying almost constantly, and had stopped menstruating before leaving that relationship and 6 months later I'd had half a period. (Way early, 2 days light bleeding. Nothing like my clockwork schedule before). There was one day i wasnt careful with my new bf, because my body was showing all the signs I'd be menstruating that night. But it never came. And ive only had 1 kid so far, so i dont know if the difficulties were as extreme as they were purely because i was physically still recovering from 13 years on continuous trauma also, or if it would have been bad anyway. But. I was still working out, but all of a sudden my heart rate would shoot through the ceiling so fast after i started i would get dizzy and start to black out and faint. I fell several times trying to push through. I didnt even know i was pregnant yet. And id already dropped the intensity of my regular workouts down to half because I'd have massive crying breakdowns if i pushed any harder. Now all of a sudden warm ups id been doing since 13 were too much. Every time, 3 minutes in, cold chills, cold sweats, numbness in my lips hands and feet, heart rate going from 120s to high 170s, spots coming in so fast I'd loose all vision in under a minute, vertigo, headache and uterine cramps from hell, and then id start to loose consciousness. Over and over. I tried mixing things up, dropped the intensity again, started going fewer days a week, finally gave up and started just trying a moderate walking pace and stretching. Nothing helped. Even going up and down our staircase at home even once would trigger the same thing. I started having to stop halfway and wait a few minutes before i could finish the stairs. All this before i even knew i was pregnant. Then the vertigo started happening anytime i stood up. I almost fell into the frozen foods one day getting groceries. I felt like i had the worst flu infection of my entire life but no medicine helped. The grocery incident is when we got a pregnancy test. And it was positive. And i cried so hard and told him i couldn't go through with it because i couldn't even take care of myself yet. He begged me to continue and said if he needed to, he'd take full responsibility for raising it and i could walk away with no hard feelings. I was TERRIFIED I'd be the mom who killed her newborn in a state of postpartum psychosis. Im not kidding when i say even before the pregnancy my brain was completely broken. I struggled to put more than 2 sentences together without loosing my train of thought. The entire pregnancy was the same. I could barely do any movement without feeling like my heart would explode or like I'd pass out. I was extremely nauseated the entire time. I was on 3 different meds just for nausea and still could barely eat. Id spend hours every day on the floor in front of the toilet because any second i might through up. It was brutal. Then i started getting numbness in my right foot. Started with the toes then worked its way up. Then i started getting this stabbing pain in my low back anytime i moved that leg. By the time i asked my ob about it i couldn't feel anything below that knee and any movement on my right side felt like my bones were breaking. He sent me to a chiropractor who said my SI joint was too loose because it had too much relaxin in it. Said sometimes that just happens - the pregnant body sends too much relaxin to one place. He adjusted it and i slept like a baby that night. But the pain kept coming back so the rest of the pregnancy i got adjusted 2 days a week. They and my ob both said as soon as my baby was born the nausea and si problems would go away almost immediately. So then, we finally made it to labor. Full term, healthy baby the whole time. I was falling apart but the baby had been completely fine. My water breaks, and 22 hours of labor later, im finally fully dialated and in active labor. The epidural had only worked on 1 side this whole time. It took hours to get anyone to believe me and the anesthesiologist treated me like a piece of dirt on his shoe every time he came in to give my next dose of pain meds in my iv to try and make up for the side the epidural wasnt helping. But now its pushing time, and nothing is helping. Every contraction was so painful i couldn't breathe, at all. Id be feeling like i was about to die of suffocation by the time each one ended, but in between contractions i had back labor so bad it felt like my spine was being sawed apart. 2 hours later he hadnt moved down at ALL. So we switched to a c section. And i thought great, we're through the worst of it. Everyone says even with a c section the recovery is easy compared to pregnancy and labor. But no. It got infected and i spent an extra 4 days in the hospital. I tried to breastfeed and it was terrible. My body never made much, and the letdown would trigger extreme nausea every time. The left side of my incision felt like someone had stabbed me with a butcher knife snd left it in, any time i moved a muscle anywhere on the left side of my body. This lasted a YEAR. My ob kept saying it was a neuroma and they were normal but you couldn't treat them, they just had to go away on their own. Almost exactly a year after my son was born that spot turned into an incisional hernia the size of a gold ball. In 20 minutes. So then had surgery to fix that. And immediately after i woke up from surgery everything felt normal again. I knew the problem from the last year was gone. So by then, he's a year old, my mental health was much better, i finally could move without crying in pain, and im thinking finally after 2 years of forced immobility, FINALLY i can get back to normal. I'd gone from 135 pre-pregnancy to 207 at his birth and been stuck there. But now its finally going to get better right? No. I was now dealing with severe lichen sclerosus down there, triggered by the hormone changes. My skin was paper thin, tore open easily, and my inner labia had completely fused to my outer labia. I was finally working with a great dr to address the now 14 years of chronic nerve pain. Between the 2, i went through another 2.5 years of dozens of chsnging medications to find the plan that worked for my conditions and had side effects i could live with. We'd also moved 3 times since he'd been born. Every time i got started being active again, a new medication would make me sick, or We'd be moving. My bf also had several surgeries too and i was scared to get too sore because i was the only able bodied caretaker parent, for both of them. Its been a massive game of whackamole for 5 years now. And its still going. And im still 206ish. Ive been living with feeling like im in someone elses body for 5 years now. Some things are better, some arent. And i dont recognize myself. I used to be able to do incredible things. Now I'm just....whatever i am now. I keep hoping things will calm down enough i can get back to my old normal again, preferably before we try for a sinling in a few years. But who knows. All i know is i fully believed things would be different, starting with how pregnancy went for me. But we have a good family, we love our son, and we finally got a house so no more moving anytime soon. Once we finish the last surgeries and pay off some debt we can start building the life we want instead of just surviving the life we've got. And i wish I'd heard more stories about people who didnt bounce back right away when i was younger so i could have had more realistic expectations 😅

[@clarissacasagrande315]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@whitneyinthesun]

Idk how I’m barely seeing this lol. But I think I’ve told you before, you have been and always will be my favorite gym influencer! You are just so real and so authentically you no matter what anyone says or thinks and I love that! I love this video and as a first time mom who is pregnant with my second, I’m definitely motivated to stick to healthy eating with this pregnancy. I’ve always been a huge fitness person for over 15 years because of also being a bigger person back then. And I thought because I was training so hard during the pregnancy I didn’t have to worry too much about my eating. But I gained way too much weight and it was really hard to lose after. Breastfeeding also made me gain weight and not lose it and I had a really tough delivery, emergency c-section and it took a lot longer for me to get back to the gym just because my daughter was in the nicu for so long as well and I didn’t want to be away from her. But I was thankful that I got my body “back” once I started getting back into my gym routine. And now I’m not so worried about my after body with this one since I was able to bounce back once I was consistent! But I would LOVE a video on what you did to keep a healthy pregnancy! Unless you already have that video and I just need to go check haha. Also, I will note that I took up running about 6-8 months pp and I feel like that helped a whole lot with my body too! And I love seeing you get more into running as well! I didn’t run at all with my last pregnancy and I believe we were actually pregnant around the same time lol! So I’m going to try to do at least some light jogging to see if this helps out with my weight gain! Because I got huge in my legs and arms with my last🤣 sorry for the long post that’s probably pointless by this point lollll. But just wanted to say you’re the best!💘

[@claudiaraborn1298]

Hi! I don’t think posting content online regarding weight loss is inappropriate in any way. In fact, it shows that you love your body and only want to improve it. I can definitely relate to those feelings of wanting your old self back. I have been there and there is nothing wrong wanting that body and working hard to achieve it. That said, I also just had a baby, and those feelings have creeped back up again. I was one of those moms that was not able to lose the weight post pardum for a number of reasons, but I am interested to see and hear how to safely lose the weight post pardum. So, yes please, post video! So, I’m team Abby here ❤

[@IAmAsiaLove]

I would really like to see you do a video on postpartum weight loss 😄

[@Michelle-kg6bm]

Hi. Never had a child, but I did have a health issue come up totally out of the blue that left me 70lbs heavier in less than a year. To make it worse, I had already gone from 300+lbs down to 170ish (+ or - 10 was a normal fluctuation range for me). My identity was totally that badass who had overhauled her food and fitness to get in the best shape of her life, then poof, it was all gone. None of my old tricks worked because there was (and still is) a larger blood and hormone issue going on. It has been SO HARD to live in this larger body that constantly aches, can't catch its breath, can't wear favorite clothes, etc. I am working with doctors to try to get my system under control and lose weight. While I understand the negativity around bounceback culture when saying things like, "Get back to your pre-baby (or illness) body in 2 months!," I don't think it's at all inappropriate to talk about safe, healthy weight loss and/or wanting one's body back. Granted, my body will never be the same as it was (hello new superhighway of stretch marks!), but I know that and it's totally ok to want to work back toward a more fit body that can walk without pain, wear clothes off the rack, run an 8 minute mile, etc. Silencing each other is not supporting each other or showing body positivity. Encouraging each other to reach for our goals in healthy ways (no crash diets or weight cutting like boxers or MMA fighters) is. Thank you for talking about how you feel and the struggles of identity transformation ❤

[@ConniieBearrr]

I can hundred percent relate! Don't think weight loss should be taboo topic! I gained 60lbs during my pregnancy, it wasnt horrible but it wasn't amazing of an experience! I've worked hard at slowly loosing weight, and repairing my relationship with food. And healing my body! I just wish to feel comfortable in my body again!❤

[@jenthamslonnar9311]

I am nearly six months pregnant at the moment. And the disconnect between my slim self-image and my real heavy pregnancy body is wild! I'm already looking forward to get back to feeling strong and fit and slim again. Yes, I like my bump. But my body does not feel like MY body at the moment. I miss myself

[@sabrinabrucato4502]

What research / books / prep did u do to prepare for birth & postpartum?

[@HedgehogsDream]

I just had my baby 6 weeks ago. You were a big inspiration to me. I worked out through pregnancy (been doing Fitness Blender through 1st and 2nd trimester and Pregnancy and Postpartum TV workouts in the 3rd) until the last day, birth was easy (1st child, a 4,1 kg big boy, no tears (perinneal massage works!)) and recovery is going great. Can't wait to start working out again. It would be great to see more content about postpartum from you!

[@CourtneyReks-to9jk]

Hi Abby! I absolutely love your content. I have a very similar story/timeline to you and the birth of your baby girl! I had very irregular cycles growing up, most likely due to being a competitive swimmer, and those continued through starting to train for triathlon. I was not having a cycle when I conceived January 2022. I was taking routine pregnancy tests so unlike your story I caught it a bit sooner ;). Baby boy was born October 2022 and I was very fortunate to be able to resume tri training by the end of the year. Baby boy is exclusively on breastmilk which I know can affect your cycle but I’m starting to get a little concerned about it not coming back. I’m worried that my exercise is continually affecting the problem. Have you had your period return?

[@lizpleszkoch403]

I love your outfit! Where did you get that jacket/top?

[@rhiannondelarosa8675]

Yes, i want that science based postpartum weight loss video!!!!!

[@coast2coastdogs]

not currently pregnant but hope to be one day and I love thinking ahead and planning so vids like this are amazing ❤

[@veronicaelise5120]

I have 2 kids and I gained a fair amount of weight both pregnancies but I also was able to lose it pretty quickly postpartum as well. It did take effort, but it wasn’t incredibly difficult for me. After my first pregnancy though I dealt with excruciating pelvic pain for a long time postpartum. So severe that at 4 months PP I couldn’t even manage to stand up in place for more than a few seconds at a time. The pain gradually decreased but never went away. Now I’m 5 months PP with my second and dealing with joint hyper mobility in my pelvis due to breastfeeding hormones. I’ve done tons of physical therapy during and after both pregnancies which has been helpful, but it’s a rough journey. I really just want to be pain free and to be able to be a runner again. Even so, my life is much better after having kids than it was before. They’re worth all the pain I’ve dealt with.

[@mariamtj]

I am currently going through this. I was very active before getting pregnant. I ate very healthy throughout my pregnancy but from the middle of the 2nd trimester I developed severe pelvic pain to the point I could not move around at all in my third trimester. I couldn't do the recommended exercises for pelvic pain. The midwives told me it would go away after birth but it has not and I cant walk more than 10 min without feeling a lot of pain. Im 9 weeks postpartum and have started manual physio for my pelvis issue. I was steadily gaining weight during my pregnancy but in the last month I ballooned due to the inactivity I think. I gained 23kg total and lost 8 without trying after giving birth. I can't look in the mirror at the size of my hips and not being able to exercise makes me feel worse that i can't speed the weight loss up. It irritates me hearing the "it took you 9 months to gain it, it will take time to lose it" because I really gained most of the weight in the last month :(. I want to do a serious diet but I'm scared to do it with breastfeeding.

[@ksto8884]

I am currently pregnant with my first and my body is already changing in ways where I feel weaker and my joints are looser and it has led to (more) pain. I feel like there's way too much focus on women's weight and weight loss postpartum, whereas I am so much more focused (maybe similar to your feelings) on trying to become pain-free or as pain-free as possible. I think it's valid for women to want to lose the pregnancy weight, and I won't tell women (or myself!) to just love your body no matter what! Because that's hard. But I will say that I care so much more about what my body can DO rather than what my body looks like. Pain sucks, and if I have to take longer than the average woman to "go back to normal" then I won't rush it. Especially with breastfeeding as you mentioned, it can take longer for your joints to tighten back up.

[@sarahrushton8154]

Yesssss please I would like a video on weight loss while breastfeeding! I weigh almost as much as I did when I was in my third trimester as the cravings were way worse at the beginning of breastfeeding. Now, my supply has tapered off (I was making enough for triplets and only have a singleton) but now I feel like my stomach is getting fatter than ever 😭 my weight gain has tapered off as I am now focused on eating more nourishing foods and I don’t have as many cravings but at 5 months PP after c section, I just don’t feel like myself. When I look in the mirror, it’s not me 😭

[@reneeirena]

36.5 weeks. My body is definitely telling me to slow down so I haven't been able to work out the way I want to. I'm more afraid of everything to come postpartum than I am of birth itself. I've lost a lot of strength and I can't wait to feel like myself again, but I don't know how that's going to happen or when I'm ever going to have the time.

[@arielb8688]

Ive lost more weight than I would’ve wanted to actually after having my second baby about 3 months ago and it has really made me realize that weight has nothing to do with your appearance because my stomach is still lose and flabby and my arms and legs aren’t tight or toned but I’ve lost all the baby weight and then some so according to society I should be happy with my body because I lost weight but truthfully I’m struggling to gain more weight and tone my body after having had my son.

[@redrope022]

My physical therapist said that the way our posture changes to accommodate our imbalance with a bigger belly, we end up not using our glutes as much. I asked about it because after having baby I was taking walks and holding him in the carrier and my butt muscles hurt so freaking bad, as if I had never worked them out a day in my life. So basically you hadn’t been using them for months the way you used to and now they need build back up.

[@nano3014]

2nd time mom.. I am definitely not one of those women who snap back. Sometimes even doing all the right things pre and during pregnancy doesn't necessarily matter. For me, once I weaned my children, I was better able to focus on weight-loss.

[@krystaweber1419]

The body positivity conversation is exhausting. If you feel good being in a "bigger body", an "average body" or a "smaller body", it should be about what makes you feel mentally and physically good. Wherever that is, its your choice. If the journey to get there involves weight loss or weight gain, that's valid.

[@TheElleification]

Yes!! Would love a science based video on weight loss postpartum. I know it will probably be long... there's pp with no breastfeeding, pp with breastfeeding, and pp with weaning. I was losing weight while breastfeeding, but now I'm weaning and see that's I'm slowly gaining weight again.

[@Bon-A]

Also yes please put together a video on how to safely loose weight after having a baby ❤❤❤

[@jemimadrews8993]

An evidence-based video on postpartum weight loss would be amazing!

[@biancapolenzani5888]

I have a similar experience. I was scared, because usually I don't lose weight easily, and I gained 13kg (normal, but not the 9kg that I hoped). However, I lost the most part in about 3 weeks. I trained with your programmes 3-4 times a week and walked 15km at least 5 times a week until the day before the c-section though. However, I would be interested in some videos and exercises to regain the core, with which I am still fighting one month post partum. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@alphafish4756]

Congrats!! How has your post partum recovery been so far? Are you back into fitness?

[@biancapolenzani5888]

@@alphafish4756 Yes! Although not to my main sport activity (climbing) because my doctor says I need to regain some core strength before going back to climb (and I agree), so we schedule the first indoor session for the end of June 🤞🏾 However, now I am training almost every day with Team App and so far has been great 😃 PS. Fantastic profile picture ❤️❤️

[@nicolemendez3736]

thank you

[@GaaraSands16]

officially 6 weeks pp and got the green light from my obgyn to return to exercise. kinda overwhelmed and definitely feel the pressure now 😳 whereas before i had the excuse to take it easy, doctors orders 😅

[@MusicIsMyAeroplane09]

6 weeks is still super early and still superrrrr okay to continue to take it easy. listen to your body first and foremost ❤

[@Somebodyelse141]

I didn't pay close attention to my weight pre-pregnancy, but i was ttc, so my first visit with the obgyn was at 8 weeks, which is before any substantial weight gain. I gained about 30 pounds throughout my pregnancy. I probably would have gained more if i hadn't had hyperemesis. I felt so huge after giving birth! I was swollen for almost 2 weeks. I didn't get the insatiable appetite people talk about having when breastfeeding. My appetite was actually smaller than it was before i got pregnant. I don't know if I've lost all the baby weight, but i look about the same. My stomach is squishier than it's ever been, though! I've never been able to grab skin/fat on my belly like i can now

[@Nikki-qw5il]

This is all pretty easy things to incorporate when you don’t already have one. Watching this with a 4 year old and about to have number 2 makes me remember back to my first pregnancy and how much more time and thought I had to invest in the process. Lord help me haha

[@victoriamorin2874]

My pregnancy brought out a lot of food intolerances that I didn’t realize I had & they continued to stick around now after my pregnancy so I researched this book called the Eat Right for Your Blood Type Diet & it helped sooooo much with not only allowing my body to lose the extra weight gradually but also just feel better and healthier in general! I feel like a whole new person now and my body functions so much better than it ever did before

[@lelidomino]

I wish i fidnt look when they weighed me for my OB check ups. Evwn though they said it was normal I would always feel so ashamed whenever i saw the number go up. I would barely pay attention in the appointment because i was just trying to hold back tears until i could leave the office and i would cry for hours. It was horrible.

[@rach1759]

Anyone else lose the weight but still have the loose skin hang when you bend over or do a plank? 😢 So frustrating to have that reminder that you can't fix some things no matter how hard you work. I feel you mums hang in there. ❤

[@iw1459]

Thank you for sharing. I bought into the silly narrative of body positivity, but truthfully unhealthy is unhealthy. Watching your channel has made me realise people over 30 WHO LOOK GOOD work REALLY HARD to look that way. And that hard work should be RESPECTED. It shouldn't be shamed just because it makes others feel bad.

[@Discrete1998]

Mostly, I just want my clothes to fit well without buying a whole new wardrobe. I want to feel and be strong. My toddler loves my soft and jiggly belly, so that’s the least of my worries 😂😂

[@amyhatch3761]

You know what would be kind of fun an interesting? Weighing yourself like the day before you go into labour, then weighing yourself a day or two after giving birth, holding the baby. Would be interesting to know if a full term pregnant woman weighs more or less than a postpartum woman + newborn. I would guess you would weigh less because the placenta and amniotic fluid is gone? But I have no idea! I might do this if/when I get pregnant.

[@carlit5190]

I think the most difficult thing with getting your body back postpartum is the reactions and comments you get from friends and family about trying to make a change to your body. My friends and family love me so much but as soon as we are in a situation of eating and I take a smaller portion or steer towards something more healthy they say “girl you look great no need to worry!” Here’s the thing…I know I look good for what my body has been through! I’m in my third trimester with my third baby and my oldest child is 3! So my 3 kids are pretty close! ( none of my children were accidental, they are my pride and joy 🥰and my husband and I want a big family) Im young (22) and I naturally have a tall lean athletic body that I choose to tone when I have the energy for it. And I always get great results in a short period of time when I tone and eat healthier, I can see my abs rather than just having a flat belly before doing toning exercises. I kinda look at it like this… everyone wakes up everyday and chooses how they want to look, like their hair style their outfit and shoes so why can’t you choose how you want your body to look too without getting comments?! Nobody is going to say you shouldn’t wear that outfit because it looks ugly but someone might say you shouldn’t try to change your body. Maybe people comments stem from jealousy of how good you already look or maybe they wish they had the motivation to make a change in their body if they don’t feel good in theirs! Overall if the changes you are making aren’t affecting your body or your baby in a negative way I think you should not feel guilty about doing it, no matter how soon you choose to start taking steps to change it. I know it’s encouraged to not work out a lot before 6weeks postpartum but you can still go on a walk and choose to eat healthier, those things make big changes too!

[@cbcoope752]

It took 9 months for your body to change during pregnancy, why would anyone expect you to get it "back" any quicker?

[@TazWyoming]

Hi

[@sofia-su5ni]

I have a genuine question: how did you not realize you were pregnant until 6months? Didn't you think after the second month that your period skipped too much?