Your spouse will have put on weight gain during the pregnancy. While this is normal, many women worry about this increase in their weight following delivery.
These are important things your spouse needs to know if she is trying to lose weight:
&bullWeight gain may be normal: It is important for your spouse to determine whether the weight she has gained is within normal limits. Pregnancy weight gain of anywhere between 15 to 30 pounds is absolutely normal and she need not worry about it. However, if she weighs over 30 pounds more than before she became pregnant, she may need to consider losing some of it.
&bullWeight loss needs to be gradual: There is no truth in the popular belief that successful weight loss program has to be speedy. Actually post-pregnancy weight gain may take up to years to reverse and is dependent on many factors.
&bull'Quick fix' methods do not work: Doctors do not generally recommend any quick techniques or drastic diets to lose weight following pregnancy.
Your spouse can effectively lose weight by:
&bullStaying away from any 'fad' diets likely to harm herself and, if she is breastfeeding, the baby
&bullCombining a healthy diet plan with a sensible exercise routine
&bullAiming for a reasonable loss that she can maintain, rather than a drastic loss that is short-lived
&bullConsulting a dietician if her own efforts do not show results
Returning to normal
During pregnancy, your spouse's body went through tremendous changes. Now that she has given birth, she will experience more changes as her body returns to its normal state.
These are some of the changes that the new mom is likely to experience:
&bullIncrease in temperature up to 100.4 F for about 24 hours after delivery
&bullWeight loss of about10 to 12 lbs. immediately after the birth, followed by another five pounds soon after.
&bullDischarge from the vagina
&bullShrinking of the uterus as it returns to its original position
&bullGradual closing of the cervix
&bullRecommencement of the ovulation cycle
&bullGradual fading away of stretch marks on the belly
&bullGradual toning of the firmness of the abdomen as it returns to its pre-pregnancy state
&bullIncrease in breast size along with lactation
&bullIncreased sensations of hunger and thirst
&bullSymptoms of flatus, or gas in the stomach and intestines, especially in case of a cesarean delivery
&bullReduced sensation of the need to urinate and/or urinary incontinence
&bullSymptoms of a chill- quite normal unless accompanied by fever
&bullIncreased sweating, especially at night, as accumulated waste matter is discharged from the body
&bullPains caused by intermittent uterine contractions
&bullReduction in the swelling of legs or ankles
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