Lose weight & tone up between each baby?

Hi everyone,

We are planning our second child in a few months. My weight is average, but my stomach is rather flabby. I was wondering if it's better for me to put in some work before getting pregnant for the second time or wait until we've finished having babies and do all the hard work then. I have heard about women not toning back up after their first and then having a lot of excess sagging skin. But then again I don't want to put in a whole lot of work just to have to do it again once bubs arrives.

I hope this makes sense ;)

I hear you!

I definitely lost weight between #1 and getting UTD with #2 but didn't do toning etc. I was too lazy and thought "oh well, my abs will just stretch again". I don't know the stroy about sagging skin but I do imagine that tighter abs would help with maintaining posture and back stability for longer.

If I was only a couple of months out from TTC, then I'd just try and be healthy; if it was a year or two, then it might be worth putting in more work. #2 will probably be our last and I plan to put the work in once I'm done with BFing

Oh and my little thing I'm telling myself is being pregnant is no reason to be lazy (morning sickness/throwing up is in my opinion but not being preg). I've just started working out again. I did step aerobics the other day and it made me feel great, I just had to do some of the easier options rather than the advanced to make sure I didn't strain anything.

Yeah, like Stacey, I've started exercising again (I'm nearly 6 months) partly cos I'm really not wanting to end up huge like I was last time and cos it helps with my back pain. But I'm doing it fairly low key - things like walking with DH and DS to do the fruit and vege on the weekend (50min), walking to get DS from DC some days (20min), trying to get to the zoo more (up to 2 hours of walking, albeit at toddler pace), deliberately buying things from the dairy so I have to walk there ....

I started running+doing WW when DS was 7 months and I was still BFing - my milk dropped a lot and BF didn't last much longer. So this time, I plan to try and do as much incidental exercise as I can and hopefully I won't have to be too dramatic!

Edited by Flissty

It wouldn't hurt, and the better shape you are in when you get pg, the easier it is to stay excercising and keep up your fitness throughout the pregnancy. I really wish I had been in better shape before getting pg - I had been dieting, but was a bit lazy on the excercise front. Plus, having all those muscles working from the start will help reduce back pain etc. I'd go for it, I don't think the work would be wasted!

I would try and lose weight and exercise in between .. I mean its not going to be detrimental to you and its less to lose post the next pregnancy.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Really motivated to get myself moving over the next few months now

A bit off topic... I've just noticed that I have a couple of lumps between my belly button and pubic bone. They are tiny, similar to pea size, underneath the skin - can't see them, but I can feel them. I'm off to the doc tomorrow to check them out. Does anyone else have these? I've done some research and they could be fat deposits or cysts. I'm really paranoid now!

Babe wrote: I pilates They're a regular part of my exercise and I'm sure they contributed to be being back in my normal jeans (sz8-10) within 48hrs of #1 and 24hrs of #2 being born. Being fit and toned is always the best way to approach pregnancy!

do you do the tables or just the exercises?

jazzy wrote: Babe wrote: I pilates They're a regular part of my exercise and I'm sure they contributed to be being back in my normal jeans (sz8-10) within 48hrs of #1 and 24hrs of #2 being born. Being fit and toned is always the best way to approach pregnancy! do you do the tables or just the exercises?

What d'u mean tables?? I have the Winsor basic and swiss ball DVDs.

In terms of the original question, I'm sure it's a great idea to try and lose all the baby weight between babies - I didn't though. The motivation just wasn't there, even though I did try and managed to lose a few kgs I was still well over pre-pregnancy weight when I got pregnant again. Knowing that I was just going to get fat again meant I could never really get serious about losing the weight!

Now that I've had my second I've surprisingly found it easier to lose weight this time around, probably because we're not planning any more kids, so no more excuses not the lose the weight! I still have a way to go, but compared to where I was 8 months post pregnancy first time around, I've lost more weight this time around.