Taking off unnecessary weight after pregnancy is a goal for many women who have gained extra fat. According to a study published in October 2013 in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, normalizing weight between each and every pregnancy has a significant importance beyond just looking and feeling better.
Researchers at Limburg Catholic University College in Belgium and the Netherlands compared prepregnancy weight with weight between two pregnancies in 7,97 women. They looked at the mother’s body mass index (BMI) before the first pregnancy and their BMIs between two subsequent pregnancies. Then they compared those who normalized their weight with those who stayed overweight or obese. Mothers who remained 2 or more BMI units heavier during the second pregnancy had more than twice the risk of Gestational diabetes with the second pregnancy, as women whose weight normalized between each pregnancy.
Body mass index is defined as body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, or weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared, multiplied by 703…
- BMI between 18.5 and 24.5 is considered ideal.
- BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 indicates overweight, and a
- BMI of 30.0 or greater defines obesity.
A useful tool for estimating the amount of excess weight is BMI prime. BMI prime is calculated by dividing the actual BMI by a BMI of 25…
- those whose BMI prime is between.74 and 1.00 are normal or slightly high.
- if the BMI prime is over 1.00, then the individual is overweight or obese.
- if, for instance, a person’s BMI prime is 1.25, then that individual is 25 percent over his or her ideal weight.
The Mayo Clinic in the United States recommends…
- women with a BMI below 18.5 gain 28 to 40 pounds, or 13 to 18 kilograms, during pregnancy.
- women who conceive while maintaining normal weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds, or 11 to 16 kilograms.
- overweight women should only gain 15 to 25 pounds, or 7 to 11 kilograms, and
- obese women should gain only 11 to 20 pounds, or 5 to 9 kilograms.
After giving birth, all women should normalize their BMI to between 18.5 and 24.9.
One good way to lose weight after pregnancy is to breastfeed. At six months after giving birth, mothers who breastfeed are likely to have lost 2.2 kilograms, or 4 pounds, more than mothers who use formula. A baby buggy designed for jogging can combine physical activity with mothering, giving baby a fun ride. The same exercises performed in gyms can be performed with baby. Forming a plank over baby while talking to him or her or picking him or her up over mother’s head is fun for baby and mother and good for building Mom’s muscles and burning fat.
