When will I wear my pre-pregnancy clothes?

“The first time, you are horrified. It’s all lovely when you are pregnant; but when you are not pregnant and you haven’t been for a couple of months and you are still carrying tons of extra weight and everything’s all hanging and sagging, you think, How is this ever going to go back? But it does. If you do a lot of working out.”
-Actress Gwyneth Paltrow on baby weight, as told to Harper’s Bazaar

When will I be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes? That is the question many moms-to-be and new moms wonder as they watch their bodies change in preparation for baby. Forget about celebrities who get paid millions of dollars to return to their skinny selves in record time, but when can us normal moms expect to be wearing our pre-pregnancy clothes?

The week or two after giving birth you will still look a few months pregnant. Although you will lose an average of 12 pounds with childbirth, the authors of What to Expect When You’re Expecting say that your enlarged uterus will take around 6 weeks to return to its normal size. You will also be carrying around 5 pounds of leftover fluids which will take around a week to completely flush out.

Did you gain the recommended 25 pounds of weight during pregnancy? If so, you will probably be able to wear your pre-pregnancy clothes in 6-9 months. If you gained 35 pounds or more, it can take you 10 months up to 2 years to return to your pre-pregnant self.

Enjoy your baby, eat a healthy diet and exercise (after getting the OK from your doctor) and you will be back to your normal self in no time. Your body may never be exactly what it was pre-baby, but having a baby is so worth it!

When did you start wearing your pre-pregnancy clothes?

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