Here's my dilemma - I've always been a "tiny" person. I'm not very tall (5'6"...ish), and before I got pregnant, I weighed in at 118lbs. That was before the first pregnancy. I had a miscarriage before I had Sprout. I gained a bit of weight in the 12 weeks I was pregnant with the first one, so when I conceived 2 months after my D&C, I was still carrying extra luggage around (134lbs). The day I delivered, I weighed 176.4lbs (after I was told this, I just about passed out...). Sprout weighed 7lbs 6oz at birth, and I had a ton of retained fluid and my dual placentas adding to the weight. I came home almost 15lbs less! Whew, enough with the poundage. Anyways, I was never really concerned with my weight gain or postpartum loss. I figured that I had enough on my plate trying to adjust to being a new mother without putting pressure on myself to get into my pre-pregnancy jeans.
**Side note: I still don't fit into my pre-prego jeans. I don't think I ever will again. Even though I'm getting down in the weight department, my body shape has drastically changed. I now have hips, which I didn't have before, and I don't think they're going anywhere. Not that I'm complaining, I like my new body...with clothes on. The right clothes.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, food. Weight gain/loss. Okay, I know how crucial it is to take in enough calories when you're breastfeeding, but it's really difficult! Those of you with children will be able to relate, I'm sure. Baby goes through growth spurts almost constantly, it seems, for the first six weeks, and needs to be nursed every 1.5 - 3 hours. Factor in basic housework (dishes, laundry, floors, bathrooms, vacuuming, etc.), diaper changes, naps, showering (usually the last thing to happen), keeping up with financial tracking and bill paying, entertaining visitors (not there for you), and maintaining some sort of relationship with your spouse, and food kind of gets lost in the mix. I really tried, and the husband was a huge help. Before leaving for work, he'd bring me peanut butter toast or cereal so I'd at least have something to tide me over until I could find time to scarf down a snack or two. My diet for the first 2 - 3 months consisted of the following:
Breakfast - Cereal or Toast (two pieces)
Lunch - Nonexistent. Sometimes an apple or yogourt, if I was lucky.
Supper - Whatever husband made when he got home. Lots of soup. Didn't eat until 8pm.
Snacks - What snacks?
Eating an extra 500 - 600 calories? I don't think so. The weight began to fall off faster than I realized, and I continued to not take care of myself. I think my wake-up call came at my mom's group when we had a visit from a dietician, who I spoke to privately after the class. When I had to stop eating dairy, most of my quick meals (pasta with alfredo sauce, creamy soups, etc.) and snacks disappeared from the menu, leaving me wandering amidst a fridge and pantry both stocked with forbidden foods. My biggest issue was the pumping thing. I've already explained how time consuming it was/is, and I won't again. I'll just reiterate the fact that between pumping, feeding, sterilizing, freezing, washing, and baby, I barely had time to throw myself together and put clothes on in the morning. Food, unfortunately, was not the priority. The dietician informed me that I was not only depleting my precious calcium stores - I was also dropping "good" weight. After I stopped the dairy, I lost an additional six pounds , which brought me down to 128lbs - a whopping 48.4lbs less than the day I delivered. In four months. That is a ton of weight to lose in a short period of time, and I'm still feeling the effects.
I'm going to be the bitch who complains about losing weight postnatally, I guess. I am still struggling to make sure I get enough calories in during the day. I also have mom brain, and forget to take my supplements all of the time. I haven't started exercising yet, because I am afraid that I will break my poor, malnourished body! My saving grace? My husband, and friends. The girls and I get together now one day per week to mass cook meals for an entire week of dinners, which is amazing. I have asked my husband to constantly remind me to have a snack, or keep something to eat with me in my purse or diaper bag if I'm going to go out, and he's been pretty good about it. I just have to be more aware of myself and my health. It will benefit everyone in the long run, I'm sure. More energy to play with Sprout (and husband), less irritability, clearer thinking...they all sound appealing. The Squawkbox is squeaking in her room again...no time for blogging. It's long enough anyways. If anyone has any good dinner recipes with NO dairy in them, post them in the comments please! I'm desperate to find new go-to meals when we're in a pinch that don't involve milk and/or cheese. Thanks for indulging my need to blog about BMS (Busy Mommy Syndrome - my new eating disorder).
Hold your horses, Sprout.
xoxoxo
Mommy
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