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6 Weeks Postpartum! Round 2

Baby Chloe is 6 Weeks



Six weeks means I get the clearance to start exercising again!!! Wooooo hoooooo!!!! This seems all too familiar. It was just 2 years ago that I was recovering from my last pregnancy and C-section with Lyla. I have to admit it feels a little more challenging this time around trying to figure out how I'm going to prioritize my life to make sure I actually have the time and energy to workout. I guess now that I look back I had it pretty easy with 1 kid.  I do feel that using kettlebells and remaining strong during both pregnancies, using pregnancy workouts, allowed me to recover in record time.

While waiting to get the green light to use my kettlebells, I used walking as my outlet. I was given permission to start walking (for exercise) 2 weeks after surgery. Walking and the right nutrition has helped me over the past several weeks shrink down to a comfortable size. However, I am hungry around the clock from nursing, so I'm probably eating between 2500-3000 calories a day! My weight since coming home from the hospital has not really changed, but my size has changed, which is more important. The trick is small healthy meals very frequently.  Otherwise I can get in trouble!!




6 Weeks Postpartum with Chloe
Yes they are real!!! (It's amazing what breastfeeding does :D)

Due to breast feeding and little sleep I will have to keep my goals realistic and be patient. My body is going to want to hold on to some extra fat for the first 3-4 months of nursing. I will also have to eat the extra calories to be able to provide enough milk for my very hungry baby that seems to be growing fast. Here is a post I wrote about 2 years ago regarding Breastfeeding versus low body fat. It's amazing how between 3 to 6 months postpartum, most women start losing tons of hair. The same goes with body fat. The hormones finally start to regulate which allow the body to start going back to normal.

Short Term Goals: My focus for the next 8-12 weeks is gaining my strength back. The more strength and lean muscle I have the easier it will be to start shedding fat. I enjoy being strong! My other short term goal is to increase my stamina again. I will also be seeing a Muscle Activation Technique therapist to make sure my muscles are working properly. After major abdominal surgery, with a very stretched tummy from a large baby, muscles lose connection with the brain. It's important to make sure they are all functioning correctly for optimal recovery, to prevent my body from over compensating. The bodies ability to over compensate is the cause of lots of pain and injuries down the line.

Long Term Goals:
6 months out I will focus on several different components. Naturally I would like to be back between 110-112, with a body fat between 14-16%. I want my strength to be where it was pre pregnancy along with being extremely conditioned.

I am so happy to have both of my girls!! Lyla is now 26 months and she is such a good big sister!!




Let's see what happened 6 months later.   


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Comments

Lauren said…
I too, am concerned with getting back in shape after I have my second baby. I was fairly lean and athletic before my first pregnancy, but found that after I had my daughter Lily, I had to eat a TON to make enough milk for her. When I finally stopped nursing, I was in the habit of eating more (and worse) food, and never got back down to the size I wanted. And then I got prego again! So after this baby comes in June, I'm trying to figure out how I can eat enough to produce good milk, but not OVEReat and get myself into a rut like last time. Do you think maybe you could post something about what your current diet is? Or can you recommend any good books?

Thanks!

Chloe is adorable!!!
Adam & Susan said…
lauren, you look great!! (as do chloe and lyla) so proud of you. great to see your goals written out with manageable, and realistic, measures...you set a great example for expectant and non-expectant individuals alike how important it is to be deliberate about our nutrition, exercise and lifestyle priorities in order to meet our longer term goals! thank you for sharing!
susan
Unknown said…
6 weeks postpartum and you look fantastic! And you kids are adorable :-)
Lauren Brooks said…
Lauren,

Thank you! I will definitely post some info about what I am eating during the first 6-12 weeks of breast feeding. You will get back in shape after your pregnancy with the right training and nutrition. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy. Email me if you have any questions!!

Take care,

Lauren
Lauren Brooks said…
Hi Susan,

Thank you so much! I hope that other mothers can learn that they too can achieve their goals. It's all about being realistic and writing them down!! 8-)
Rainer said…
Hi, Lauren !

You look great. Unbelievable ! Yummy Mummy :-) By the way how´s your husband doing ? Still on diet ?

Best,
Rainer
Lauren Brooks said…
Melissa,

Thank you. I definitely have a long way to go in my opinion, but happy where I am starting from at 6 weeks. Looking forward to how I feel and look in 6 months. 8-)

Hope you are doing well!
Lauren Brooks said…
Hi Rainer,

My husband is doing much better than before, thanks for asking. We have kept him out of the ER so far this year, with healthier special eating. He is not on as strict of a diet right now than before, because his gut has healed tremendously. Although, he is starting to get comfortable again and that's what drives up back in the ER.

Thanks so much for the compliment.
Franz Snideman said…
Amazing! You look Great Lauren! Good luck with the training!
Lauren Brooks said…
Thanks Franz! The bigger challenge is finding the time. Short workouts under 20 minutes will be my best bet!!!
workout mommy said…
Lauren, you and your girls look FANTASTIC! It is tougher with two kids, but I have no doubt that you will meet all of your goals! :)
Anonymous said…
Lauren,

I have followed your blog for about a year now and I must say you motivate me. I am pregnant for the first time and just ordered your pregnancy workout dvd. I have been resting so much the first 7 weeks that I feel sluggish and stagnant. I am typically in the gym four days a week before pregnancy. ANyway thank you for the motivation to not let pregnancy = obesity. I was also wondering being the natralist you are why typ of prenatle vitamin care were you taking? Mine make me sick ad smell like metal this is my fourth shot at a different vitamin. Thanks Tommi
Lauren Brooks said…
Hi Tommi,

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Thanks so much for your very nice words!

With both pregnancies I did not take any Prenatal vitamins. I took a B vitamin, which has all the Folic Acid you need and I took Greens (which contains everything you need). Felt great on it! I still take them as well! If you want to read more about them they are on my website in my Nutrition store. I did not have morning sickness or any deficiencies for any of my pregnancies. Feel free to email me for more questions. Good luck with your pregnancy!!!
Anonymous said…
Lauren

you look great. and I know you will get your goals. your girls are gorgeous! Happy Training and thanks for posting those pics. I also wanted to tell you that I am now 4 lbs away from 129 lbs :) Thanks for all your help and inspiration these past few years. Rock on!

Regina
Lauren Brooks said…
Regina,

Thanks for stopping in. Happy Birthday by the way! That is wonderful to hear that you are almost at your goals. I know it wasn't easy but you are so close! Congratulations!
Anonymous said…
anytime Lauren!! thanks for the bday greetings!! :)
Anonymous said…
anytime Lauren!! thanks for the bday greetings!! :)
Pensguys said…
Hi, Lauren!

I just wanted to post and tell you how much I'm enjoying your video! My friend also bought Baby Bells and really likes that workout too (she's trying to get pregnant so she decided to try that workout the other day).

Can't wait to hear more from you! I've read all the kettlebell and nutrition info I can get my hands on. I'm looking forward to reaching some old AND new goals. :)

Penny
Momma to R&R said…
Lauren, you look amazing. I'm about oh, 29 months postpartum, but I am nowhere close to even looking like you do now!

The girls are adorable. Congrats!
Moxie said…
Hi lauren i came across your blog after googling 6 wks postpartum. Love your blog. You and kiddies look great. Q: what is your opinion about wearing hip slimming belts and/or abdominal belts. I felt that it seemed to redistribute the water weight but not sure if anything else....did you try any of the new bellybands,hip shrinkx etc..?
Lauren Brooks said…
Moxie,

Thank you! Never tried these before but don't feel that their is any evidence that says these works. Nothing beats healthy nutrition and smart training. Good luck!
Anonymous said…
i am glad i´ve found your blog as i am currently 35 weeks preggo! this is inspiring i hope to be lucky and look like this at 6 weeks pp! may i asked you how much weight you gained during pregnancy and how much you needed to loose to be at your ideal weight?
Marianna Arena said…
I have just recently discovered your articles on k-bells and pregnancy ("Performance Menue" from the link on your facebook page). Copmared to the post partum pictures from pregnancy no. 1 it seems you bounced back even faster the second time around (you have abs (!!!) in your 6 weeks picture here! How did you do it? Did you gain less weight or exercise more during pregnancy? Please, share your secrets!
Lauren Brooks said…
Marianna, I just saw your comment! The difference between this pregnancy is I did more training throughout my 2nd pregnancy. However, I also started my road to recovery a little earlier than my other C-section. If you ask most females recovering from C-sections the second time tends to be easier, because they know what to expect. They are also busy running after two, not one! I also knew what to eat and how to balance my time better this time through.

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