The report from the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care stated that gaining weight in pregnancy was normal and necessary, because the body needs to support and nourish the unborn baby.
The Institute revealed how extreme and immediate weight loss attempts after delivering a baby can have a negative impact on breastfeeding.
According to experts the body needs time to recuperate, hence shedding off the weight should take time. The best measure would be to follow a balanced diet, coupled with moderate exercise.
Advise offered by experts
Doctors advise new moms to take at least three to six months before trying to lose weight gained during pregnancy. The women should instead follow a sensible diet and build up slowly to more strenuous exercise.
Rushing to lose weight should be discouraged as it can be stressful, particularly when the woman needs the strength to look after her baby.
The sensible option would be to follow a slow but sustained weight loss plan, since post delivery a women needs a good diet with adequate energy intake to breast feed well. Hence restrictions in the amount of food they eat, simply to lose weight, should be avoided.
The Institute’s Director, Professor Peter Sawicki, said: “Often, the extra effort women have to make to look after a new baby and breastfeed after giving birth means the kilos just melt away without effort. But for about half of all women, the weight will not go away as quickly.”
Balanced and healthy diet vital
Earlier studies have shown that if women become overweight during pregnancy, they will encounter weight problems if they have not returned to a normal weight within a year of having a baby.
Professor Sawicki said that women need to eat well for themselves and their baby during pregnancy. They need to watch their diets by eating sensibly and not overeating to avoid trouble losing weight after giving birth.
“Avoiding weight problems after birth means already being careful about balanced and healthy eating during pregnancy,” said Professor Peter Sawicki. “It is not a good idea to ‘eat for two’ in pregnancy and forget about your weight until after the baby is born if you are at all overweight – or prone to being overweight – already.”
The Institute’s report is published in Informed Health Online.
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