How to eat and exercise to lose weight quickly after giving birth

After giving birth, how should women eat and exercise to ensure enough milk for breastfeeding and lose weight quickly? (Thuc, 27 years old, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

It takes the body 9 months to adapt to the weight gain and development of the fetus. Theoretically, it takes that much time to recover, including losing weight. However, with the advancement of postpartum rehabilitation, this process can be safely shortened to 6-10 weeks. Consult a doctor specializing in postpartum rehabilitation to choose the right weight loss solution to maintain good health.

There are two areas to focus on when it comes to losing weight after giving birth: diet and physical activity. During pregnancy, women often increase their intake to support the growth and development of the fetus. After giving birth, proper nutrition is still important, especially if you are breastfeeding.

To help promote healthy postpartum weight loss, eat plenty of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose lean meats from a variety of sources. Limit sweets and salt. Control the ratio of nutritional ingredients appropriately.

Increase physical activity in your daily routine. In the past, women were often asked to wait at least 6-8 weeks after giving birth before starting to exercise. Nowadays, with scientific advances, postpartum women can do high-intensity exercise to get back in shape.

Postpartum weight loss should be approached carefully, as your body needs time to recover after giving birth. Breastfeeding can help you lose the weight you gained during pregnancy.

Rehabilitation exercises can be started as early as a few hours after giving birth, helping to strengthen the pelvic floor, prevent urinary incontinence and back pain later on, avoid prolapse of the genitals, and avoid pain and pelvic distortion.

Gentle exercise can be started when you feel ready, usually 10-14 days after your postpartum period has ended. Weight-loss exercises should generally wait until after the postpartum period, about 12 weeks.

If you do rehabilitation early and well after giving birth, it will help your body recover quickly and you can start weight loss exercises sooner.

Dr. Calvin Q Trinh
Director of Rehabilitation Center, Phuong Chau International Hospital

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