I am totally in a "lets prepare everything" stage via computer and paperwork. Although, I haven't really started nesting as far as my house goes yet but do feel it coming...

Anyone do anything right after delivery that they are glad that they did? Up your water intake, eat certain foods to accelerate or jumpstart weight loss? I remember with prior postpartum days that if I kept drinking water I could use my body's natural detox time to my ultimate benefit. Any other ideas??

I have posted this in the LA wt loss forum too since that is the wt loss regimen I am most familiar with. I thought I would ask here as well since we are either pregnant or nursing...

TIA

My thoughts would to be to focus on sleeping and walking. Not at the same time though.

Personally, when I'm not rested properly I can't do anything right. I make bad food choices, I can't stay on top of things, and I can't work up the energy to exercise. In the early postpartum period especially, sleep is everything. I had to force myself to ignore the dirty house and take naps and for us co-sleeping resulted in me getting the most hours of sleep possible.

I'm a huge fan of walking as a postpartum exercise because it's low impact, it's easy to start out really slowly, and you can take baby with you so you can go any time. I also love baby carriers for walking (I'm obsessed with wraps and Ergos!) and there are tons of styles so pretty much everyone can find something that works for them. There are also lots of great jogging strollers on the market. I got mine nice and cheap at a garage sale and it was barely used.

The other thing that pops into mind food-wise is to keep lots of healthy snacks on hand. If you're like most other new moms you'll barely have two free minutes in a row to make something to eat so keep things like cut up fruit and veggies or crackers and low-fat cheese around. Plan to eat one-handed a lot.

Hope that helps and have a great time meeting your little one!!!

Honestly, I didn't do a whole lot during the 6 week postpartum period-nothing too strenuous until I received the okay from my doctor at my 6 week postpartum visit. I did, however, make sure that I slept when the baby slept, and that I drank lots of water (I was nursing), and that I tried to eat healthy snacks as much as possible. Nursing always made me feel like I was starving, so I tried to munch on fruit and things like that, instead of junk.

I DID start walking a couple of weeks postpartum-small amounts, at a gentle pace. I didn't start back up with strength training, or anything more strenuous than that, however, for a few weeks.

My newest babe is only 5 days old, but I'm already trying to figure out what my plan is going to be once I get the all clear from my midwife at 6 weeks.

Keeping healthy snacks on hand is definitely proving to be important. I'm nursing (and my toddler is also still nursing) and when I get hungry, it hits really quickly. It would be so easy just to grab a graham cracker or handful of goldfish or whatever my kids are snacking on at the time, but I knw that would be bad. Having some snack size veggies already cut up has been great, every time I walked through the kitchen today I grabbed a handful of cherry tomatoes or a carrot. I need to find some more to add to that, but I'm dairy-free so cheese sticks are out.

I am almost 6 wks pp (Sunday). And I noticed with my first I lost a lot more baby weight quicker than with this one. Once all the water weight was gone, I had lost 20 lb. But I gained about 10 of that back... So now I am down 16 lb from when I delivered Lincoln.

I think getting out and walking with the kid(s) is a great idea, plus it clears your head and makes you less fuzzy. I know for me that was easy (being fuzzy). I also think trying to let yourself recover is important, eat what you want and try to find some "easy" to prepare foods that are healthy too. Make some healthy meals that you can freeze. My mom made my fave soup and froze it for me. It was nice-and I still have some left.

One thing that I didn't know about though was that bike riding is not ok for 2-3 mo pp. Of course that is one of my ways I work out in the gym, so I am changing it up a bit. So check with your OB/MW about that so you know.

Hello all,
I had my baby 4 weeks ago, I am nursing her. I try my best to go for a walk everyday. I don't go very far, just a nice 20 minute walk, maybe a little bit longer, it all depends on how I am feeling that day. And I try to drink as much water in a day as I can...not only does that help keep up the milk supply, it also flushes me out.The day I had the baby I was convinced that I did not want to look pregnant anymore , I just wanted to start losing weight and being healthy...for the sake of the baby and for my long term health. Over the last 2 and a bit years I had put on 80 pounds, and I want to get rid of that so that I can be there for my child.
I find that it is so easy to sit on the couch all day, and I know that that is not going to help me get back into shape. I have been blessed with a baby that sleeps really well at night, so I don't really nap during the day, maybe for an hour just for rejuvination. So in the time when she is napping I do chores...laundry, tidying the kitchen...anything to get me moving. I don't wear myself out...a little bit of stuff here and there. It makes me feel like i have accomplished something to contribute to the family, as well as to my health. I feel more tired the days that I do nothing.
So my advice is...drink lots of water, and just do little things around the house to start...walk upstairs and get the laundry...sweep the kitchen floor. And go for a nice little walk once a day...gets you outside and a bit of exercise and it also gets your little one out.

Great thread idea. I'm still a couple of months out but I'm very focussed on my the weight right now (I know, it's for a good 'cause but I HATE how much I've gained).

Anyway my plan for PP is to start walking with the baby in a wrap as soon as I feel up to it. To eat a high protein small meal everytime the baby nurses (unless it's less than 2 hours) - I always struggle to eat often enough & this seems like an easy reminder. To start the New Rules of Lifting for Women as soon as I feel up to returning to the gym.