Neither left nor right has focused adequately on maternal health.
~ Nicholas D. Kristof
Our daughter, Erica, had a baby six months ago.
Nudged by a health challenge in 2018, she had already implemented great dietary and lifestyle habits.
During pregnancy, Erica gained 43 pounds. Some may think that was excessive, but she was underweight pre-conception.
Because she is tall, she carried the weight well, mostly on her belly and chest, as expected in pregnancy.
Releasing maternity weight postpartum
In the past, I have provided personal training and coaching to new moms who aspired to release lingering maternity weight. It was relatively easy to help them achieve their goals.
I knew that the increased physical demands of a newborn and nursing would be enough to return most to pre-pregnancy weight. But, I was happy to find a forum to share wisdom.
On a personal note, after delivering Erica, I quickly became underweight from the busyness. Often, I could not even find the time to feed myself.
A new mom is not sitting around. There is too much to do. Mobility and natural weight-bearing exercise increase substantially.
Building in the formal workouts makes sense when the new mom quickly returns to a sedentary job, outsources the physical labour and household chores and/or cannot nurse.
Sadly, most cannot afford the time or cost of coaches and trainers. But, there is hope.
What does Erica do?
Erica eats three nutrient-dense meals per day and has managed to release all the weight without “working out”.
Mindset matters. Energy flows where attention goes.
To this day, she has never expressed concern about her weight. She feels comfortable in her skin.
She does not snack, which requires much discipline for most because we tend to crave food to numb the stress of a crying baby.
For Erica, not snacking has required less willpower lately because she started using an aligner to repair slight crowding in her lower front teeth. When the aligner is in, she cannot eat.
Most interesting to me is the fact that she has no stretch marks despite having grown a massive belly and mammary glands. Her muscle tone is also impressive. And, despite hormonal fluctuations, her complexion and mood have been great.
The collagen-rich homemade bone broths, high intake of vitamin C, omega 3, and MCT-rich foods must have helped create incredibly resilient skin and body tissue.
Erica also joined mom's groups that bring active, like-minded, life-long learners together.
Sometimes we must change our identity to create a better version of ourselves
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
~ Jim Rohn
For sustainable weight release, one has to commit to changing eating habits for life. Dieting yields only temporary results.
Sometimes we must change who we are - create a new identity - to permanently release the weight. In essence, there is a death of the old self and a rebirth of the new self. The birth of a baby presents an opportunity for transformation.
Occasionally, a change in environment and relationships to remove the cues that trigger habits that are not serving one well is required.
Learned self-limiting thoughts and beliefs must be identified and let go to surrender the weight.
Although health comes in different shapes and sizes, naturally expressed (not cosmetically enhanced) external appearance is a reflection of internal wellness.
Closing thoughts
What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.
~ Mother Teresa
Active daily living, exclusively nursing for six months and not snacking, facilitated the release of maternity weight for Erica.
Vitamin C, omega 3, collagen and MCT-rich foods helped prevent stretch marks and maintain muscle tone, a healthy complexion and mood.
New moms need good coaching, or the wisdom of an elder, to facilitate recovery from the physical demands of pregnancy and birth experience.
Maternal health and well-being are the first steps in creating a healthy population.
A peaceful home starts with a healthy mother.
We need more maternal mentors, accessible educational and active mom's groups, and policy-makers who prioritize long-term health solutions over myopic short-term medical interventions.
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