Body After Baby: Get Your Zs!
Did you catch that? It's not news to me, but Reuters is reporting (and reminding many of us already in the know) that new moms should pay more attention to their sleep habits if they are to watch those extra pounds slip away. Harvard Medical School has presented research showing that women who sleep five hours or less a day when their babies are six months old are three times more likely than more rested mothers to have kept the extra weight on at the one-year mark.
Full disclosure: I'm not a woman and can't imagine what it's like to 1) be pregnant, and 2) lose that baby fat. But I am keenly aware of the frustrations that many women go through as they juggle motherhood and post-natal weight issues.
One of the rumors that frequently travels in women's circles is the notion that if you don't lose the extra weight from pregnancy within a year of giving birth, you're doomed to keep it forever (or at least have serious trouble getting rid of it). I don't think that's backed by science, but I bet there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to show for it. Wouldn't it be great if you could literally sleep those pounds off (and forget about focusing so much on changing your diet and doing more exercise)?
The caveat, of course, is finding the time to get those precious Zs with a new infant in your life. But here's something else to think about: because we know that obesity and weight gain go hand in hand with sleep deprivation, the better anyone sleeps, the more likely one is to lose weight and keep it off. This is true whether you're a lactating mother or a doting father. So start negotiating with your husband or significant other. Share with him this "news" about sleep being a secret path to ideal weight (which is also something to think about this holiday weekend as you stuff yourself with food and likely have extra time to sneak in a few more hours of sleep). Maybe you can find ways to co-parent more evenly and give each other a helping hand when sleep is at stake.
Or is that totally unrealistic?
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: pregnancy, childbirth, weight loss, sleep, Sleep Doctor
Full disclosure: I'm not a woman and can't imagine what it's like to 1) be pregnant, and 2) lose that baby fat. But I am keenly aware of the frustrations that many women go through as they juggle motherhood and post-natal weight issues.
One of the rumors that frequently travels in women's circles is the notion that if you don't lose the extra weight from pregnancy within a year of giving birth, you're doomed to keep it forever (or at least have serious trouble getting rid of it). I don't think that's backed by science, but I bet there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to show for it. Wouldn't it be great if you could literally sleep those pounds off (and forget about focusing so much on changing your diet and doing more exercise)?
The caveat, of course, is finding the time to get those precious Zs with a new infant in your life. But here's something else to think about: because we know that obesity and weight gain go hand in hand with sleep deprivation, the better anyone sleeps, the more likely one is to lose weight and keep it off. This is true whether you're a lactating mother or a doting father. So start negotiating with your husband or significant other. Share with him this "news" about sleep being a secret path to ideal weight (which is also something to think about this holiday weekend as you stuff yourself with food and likely have extra time to sneak in a few more hours of sleep). Maybe you can find ways to co-parent more evenly and give each other a helping hand when sleep is at stake.
Or is that totally unrealistic?
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: pregnancy, childbirth, weight loss, sleep, Sleep Doctor
3 Comments:
body after baby:
my body has completly changed... i need to know if i should be concerned.
1. i am 25 pounds lighter than when i became pregnant.
2. my once "C" cups are now "A" cups.
3. i only breast feed for 2 weeks max. but i can still squeeze out liquid?
4. my shoe size has gone down half a size.
sincerly,
24 yr old mother of a 2yr and 4yr old.
i actually have a question how soon after giving birth can you become preganat again.......
i have a 7yr old and a 3yr old. i have not lost any baby fat from my first child i have tried everything should i give up are keep tring? i wasnt to lose my jellybelly:)
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