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Pregnancy Pounds

Weight Gain During Pregnancy

By Thomas deHoop, M.D.

The goal of exercise should never be to curb weight gain, but to increase the overall feeling of well-being. Women who exercise during pregnancy report feeling much better with the changes their bodies go through during pregnancy. There is some evidence to suggest that these mothers (and their babies) tolerate the stress of labor better. Exercise should not be done with the intent to increase a level of fitness or obtain a personal best, but the goal should be to maintain fitness and a sense of well-being.

Not all of the weight gained during pregnancy is lost during and immediately after delivery. The average woman loses the majority of the weight gained after delivery (12 pounds) and in the two weeks following delivery (9 pounds). In the next six months, approximately 5 to 6 pounds are lost, resulting in a total weight gain of 3 pounds. This is very much dependent on the total amount gained, the level of activity after delivery and dietary changes, among others. Exercise in the postpartum period can usually begin about four weeks after a routine delivery and eight to 12 weeks after a cesarean delivery. The best indicator of when to resume exercise is how a woman feels physically. Exercise should be started slowly and increased as the body allows.

Despite the hectic lifestyle changes pregnancy and the postpartum period can bring, a woman should try to make time for herself to exercise or to do whatever is important to her in order to maintain a sense of physical and emotional well-being.

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