Some facts:
My pre-pregnancy weight before Merritt was significantly lighter than it was before Troy. During my pregnancy with Merritt, I gained just about the same number of pounds I did with Troy’s pregnancy, maybe three or four more. (NOT TELLING HOW MANY, mind you. A lady doesn’t talk about her weight, so I’m told. Although I am here, in a slightly roundabout way. Forgive me. I always promise never to mention it again. And I always do.) Which means my final pregnancy weight with Merritt was naturally less than my final weight with Troy. After I had Troy, I lost every shred of baby weight in three weeks. (And then that other weight over the course of the next year.) Why is it then, that at four weeks postpartum with Merritt, my scale tells me that I still have a sorry amount to go until I reach my pre-pregnancy weight from before I had Troy??
I know, that was confusing. But maybe your skills of reading comprehension as well as logic far surpass mine and you were able to decipher what I was attempting to say.
The point here is this:
When everyone kept telling me not to expect to lose all my baby weight in three weeks like I did with Troy, I didn’t really believe them.
Now I do.
Merritt has had a slight cold this past week, caught from his big brother. (The big brother who had two bad colds in his first six weeks of life, which I am certain completely took away his immune system forever. Please, if you are sick, don’t come within a fifty mile radius of Troy. He will catch whatever you have. Even if it’s not contagious.)
As I was browsing through some old entries posted on the locked journal I blogged on for the first year and a half before creating this blog, I came across this, written during Troy’s second very icky cold. (Of about a half a million. Among other illnesses. In twenty months.)
I’m hoping for Merritt’s sake that he has a better immune system than Troy does, and I’ve been QUITE content with the lack of severity in the little cold he’s had.
But now I wonder, for MY sake. . .
(Joking, joking. Clearing that up lest I get emails stating that I care more about my appearance than my son’s well-being. I don’t, just for the record.)
With three easy steps, you too can get in shape, just by having a baby with a cold!
Step 1–No time for pancakes, eggs and bacon when the baby needs to be held. Grab an apple for breakfast and you’re on your way!
Step 2–Nursing your baby every half hour provides comfort for him, a moment of rest for you, and keeps him from getting dehydrated. But, best of all, we all know nursing is one of the easiest ways to shed the pounds!
Step 3–Any fitness program cannot be complete without a special exercise! In an effort to lull your little one to sleep, get your daily exercise in by walking quickly up and down your home stairway fifty–count them!–fifty times!
So, to all the busy Moms with no time for much exercise, grab your baby, take a quick trip to a day-care-center or community park where germs abound, and start not-eating, nursing, and stair-stepping your way into shape!
Warnings: The founder of this program cannot guarantee that after walking up and down stairway fifty times the mother will be able to walk anywhere else in the house for the rest of the day, or that her baby will stay asleep once she sits down to rest. Additionally, the founder cannot guarantee that, unless she is Super-mom, the mother will look like a fitness model–complete with cute gym outfit and flawless face–after following this program. The lack of sleep and lack of showers for two days may take it’s toll on her appearance.
lol you’re so cute, ashleigh. i love how you write and share the day’s antics and your hardt concerns. ((( hugs )))
i lost all but 10 pounds of preg weight in 6 weeks, then it took me a year to lose the last 10.
i believe every pregnancy and ‘recovery’ is different and a woman shouldn’t necessarily compare one to the next toooo terribly closely. as long as you’re eating a healthy diet and getting exercise, the preg weight *will* come off in due time.
you’re a beautiful little whisp of a lady ~ ~ ~
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post partum – if you lose weight toooooo fast , well often that is a sign that gos along with post partum depression- BUT –
FYI
be careful what you snack on, eat etc. I found after having more than 1 I would eat while I was cooking because I KNEW I would have to nurse as soon as dinner was on the table- I think that was a huge factor in keeping weignt on post partum.
Also I couldnt do as much all the time- so that too became a factor. with 2 little ones, hiking them out in the cold for brisk walks wasnt always a possibillity.
And showers – well one alone was a luxury- often times though it meant setting up some blocks in the bathroom for older ones and a drowsy baby in the bouncy seat.
You are supermom- God made you and entrusted you with these 2 beautiful lives, and I am sure you couldnt imagine it any other way. When you get up and nurse at any given hour, when you read troy his favorite book even though you are beyond eexhaustion, when you blog and share your testimony with so many others, when you are faithfully the wife and mom God has called you to be- Ashleigh, you are supermom. Dont look at it through your eyes, look at it through Gods!
Praying for you!
<><
Jennifer
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My (pregnant with her 4th boy) friend Shannon just told me that her goal is always to get into her old jeans by 6 weeks postpartum. I thought THAT was fast.
Now you’ve dropped a “3 week” bomb – I had no idea the weight COULD come off that fast, really. I certainly don’t enjoy starving myself (as my scale will affirm) – but it would be nice to be back to my “normal” weight relatively quickly.
Hang in there – and remember that your body is much more than pounds, and you’re doing SO MUCH MORE with it. I have no doubt it will come soon. :)
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Katie, just because I lost the POUNDS in three weeks doesn’t mean my body was anything close to what it was before, lol!! It took at least six months before I could wear clothes that I’d worn before I got pregnant with Troy. And, for the record, I didn’t TRY to lose it that fast… it just happened while I ate chocolate and macaroni and cheese. ;) Seriously, though, I think more of my weight with Troy was water weight, and with Merritt, it, uh, wasn’t water. ;)
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I’m certainly not the one to ask about losing weight lol! But after having 4 babies – it’s for certain that my body was never the same again. But then I had 4 sweet children – not such a bad trade-off!
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Hi Ashleigh…I read your blog via my feed on LJ but I don’t usually comment since I have to travel over here. I remember that old post about the mommy fitness program! LOL
Perhaps your weight with Troy was water weight but maybe it was “real” weight this time. I forget, did you have high blood pressure either time?
Wesley is my sick boy so I can relate. Oh. My. Goodness. Savannah has been healthier although she is on antiobiotics for the first time now due to a sinus infenction (which is better than getting pnuemonia which Wes had last week from this same virus). We are a family with immune problems…between my autoimmune problems, Wes and Savannah’s food intolerances, the autism, etc. Do you have any concerns there for Troy?
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Hi Ashleigh-
The same scenario happened when I had my second boy, too. I wondered the same things you are wondering. I also snacked and didn’t eat as healthy with the second one as they were only 17 months apart.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are a wonderful Mommy and doing exactly what God has called you to do.
Lovingly,
Shari
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So having babies is the secret for Ferguson women to loose weight? I thought my mom was a phenomenon after she had Emalee. Man am I glad I’m part of the Ferguson clan :)
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Hmmm…I guess this is one of those programs where you really have to meet certain requirements before you can join? I.e., be a certain age, and be married — that sort of thing? :-) By the way, I gave you a Meme tag!
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You make it sound as if I can’t claim baby weight just because my youngest is almost 5 and 1/2!
Ashleigh…in all honesty…just enjoy those babies for right now. Rest when they do, eat nourishing food and the weight will come off in time.
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Man you put me to shame. I think it was the second or third day I was complaining that my legs were killing me from walking up and down. I still can remember the morning after Merritt was born waiting on you hand and foot, I stood at the bottom of the stair just looking at them thinking”I will never ever look at buying a house with stairs no way, no how.” Ha Ha Ha Sat. we are looking at a house with stairs. Why you ask cause my husband says hes always wanted stairs and thinks it will be fun!
About the weight. Lookie here little lady. You had Merritt at the wrong time, (not really Im just kidding) you should never have a baby right before Thanksgiving. Alright seriously though Ash that weight is going to come off your just going to have to work at it a little harder this time. Since we all know you didnt really have to work at it last time because it just fell off. This time your going to have to do extra. Its almost like this no two pregnancys are the same so then losing the baby weight wont be the same ethier. What it all boils down to and I know your not going to agree cause your a woman and lets face it none of us like to carry around extra weight, but you are so beautiful no matter how fast or slow that weight falls off! What an awesome example you have been for me! What a godly woman,wonderful wife, and loving mother you are! I pray that I can have your stamina when I have two kids like you do. I love you so much and cant wait to see you!
Love,
Tiffy or as Troy would say Fiffy!
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Ashleigh you are just too funny!!
I am unable to answer the question, it is a great mystery., but I can say that it was the same with getting into my pre-pregnancy clothes with my kids.
Here is a good one for ya (certain to at least make your mouth drop) I gained almost 70 pounds with my first… scary.. and about 16 with my second but looked exactly the same. And I had such an enormous belly, everyone and I mean everyone would either ask how many were in there or be in shock I wasn’t going to deliver at any minute when I actually had months to go!!
Did that make you feel better.. Nah, didn’t think so.
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I think IRL we’d laugh at the same things. ;) Maybe do a bit of simultaneous crying too…after a month or two of “telling the story” INSTEAD of crying. It is, after all the better option. For a while anyway…
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The pre pregnacy weight is not important. Find your ideal body weight where your body functions best. That may be different when you’re nursing, than when you’re not. Your body may need that extra “fat” to help produce milk. When I’m done nursing I’ve found I usually loose the last 5 lbs. within a week. The most important things right now are sufficient sleep, liquid, and adiquate nutrition. If you don’t have enough of those you will find it harder to keep up with everything else.
Last summer was the only time I reached my first pre pregnancy weight and then promptly got pregnant with L. I tried and tried to go back down after both Ch, and St. Your body knows what its doing. When you’re done feeding a baby, it may be easier and then you will have more time available for excercize.
VB
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Hang in there Ashleigh! I agree with VB and the others… you may hold extra “padding” due to nursing and where you are at with your hormones right now. Take care of yourself and those babies, eat healthy and get some exercise and the weight will stabilize in due time. The facts are giving birth changes us…in every area possible: physically & emotionally (you now have babies to protect and love on). Change often takes some adjusting to, so give yourself time.
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