9 Months Up, 9 Months Down

I have a confession. I gained five pounds too many during pregnancy. Okay, that's a lie. I gained more like ten pounds too many during pregnancy. And if I'm totally honest, the number was probably more like twelve. But not fifteen. Fifteen just sounds ridiculous and overindulgent and irresponsible. All adjectives I refuse to use to describe my weight gain during the time I was growing a human.

I mean, don't get me wrong, my OB didn't have to forklift in a livestock scale or anything. In fact, the doctor never addressed it, so it must not have been too terrible. But, I had this number in my head. You know - this totally appropriate, healthy, and respectable number that I could actually say out loud one day as I joined in with other women swapping war stories about our pregnancies. As the months wore on though, the gap between what the scale said and "the number" was getting smaller and smaller and I was...not. I'm not sure when I just quit caring. I think it was somewhere around the end of month eight. I had passed the glucose screening test and was healthy by all other accounts. It was unbelievably hot outside and the thought of going to the gym to work out in front of other people was both outrageously funny and tear-jerking.

So, I trudged on (and I do mean trudged) and delivered a healthy 8 lb 6 oz baby (without an epidural, lest you dare forget) ten days early. Do I think my baby suffered because of my 10ish extra pounds? Not a bit. Do I think she weighed too much as a result? Nope. Do I think exercising more would have better prepared me for an easier delivery? No. I think that's a big fat lie some stupid exercise video company made up. I could have been running five miles a day and I don't think it would have made a lick of difference in those moments. Sure, giving birth does involve cardio, but there aren't too many other aspects of the birthing process you can train for. I'll avoid getting too graphic, but really, I don't remember using my quads, biceps, calves, etc. much during the process.

Here is the thing no one told me, though. It's AFTER you have the baby that it matters. That's when you need to be in good health so you can manage on little sleep. That's when you need your strength and energy the most to help you carry around the baby and the carrier and the diaper bag and your purse and the camera bag. That's when you don't have the time to do work out much, so it would help if you didn't have much to work off.

I think my recovery time was pretty normal. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I took it easy for six weeks and then was able to pick up with a pretty decent physical activity level. However, other than the first few glorious weeks of weight-dropping, the loss is S-L-O-W. And I can't help but think that I'd be done by now and back to pre-pregnancy weight if I hadn't gained those extra 10ish pounds. Of course, they say as long as you're nursing, your body usually won't let go of the last five or so. But still, I'd love to be down to the last five instead of where I am.

And speaking of nursing, the whole "you-can-eat-whatever-you-want" thing? More lies. Nursing only burns about 500 calories a day. That's less than a small DQ blizzard, people. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just stating the facts.

The other thing is that while I'm nursing, I can't afford to go crazy and drop the weight like I've done in the past. I have another person that is relying on my nutritional intake and I have to be careful so that my supply isn't adversely effected. Everything I've read says I should be losing about a pound per week. Ugg. Yes, I know - I should only be taking about that much off per week anyway. But, I'm a "get 'er done" kinda girl. Every time I've lost major weight in my life, I've always buckled down and gotten it over with quickly...and kept it off for a long time, so no lectures on "but you'll just gain it back!" Now I'm having to pace myself, which is frustrating.

So, the one piece of advice I have in the midst of these ramblings: You CAN believe them when they say "Nine months up, nine months down." And I personally think that should be extended for as long as you're nursing. I'm not even at month four yet, so I'll get there. Eventually.

Ah, patience...why don't you come wrapped in a shiny colorful wrapper that I can just pop in my mouth and savor?