Question3 year daughter and 7 month old B/G twins - love all 3!
Very depressed about post pregnancy pooch. Late in the day I look 5 months pregnant. Yes, I have 20-25 pounds to lose.
But, the pooch is KILLING me. Breastfeeding twins about 3 times a day still. No period. VERY hormonally challenged about once a month. Cannot stay on a good eating or exercise plan. Any thoughts? I need help!
AnswerTwins stretch out the abs much more than a singleton and it takes longer to rebuild strength and good tone because the road is longer. On top of this, moms of twins are much busier, stressed, and sleep deprived than moms of singles. Adding to this you have a three year old to care for too. So what should you do?
First, give yourself a major break!!! All this will pass, your life will become less hectic as your kids grow and become more independent. You are experiencing what every twin mom goes through. Lots of moms of twins don't even come up for air before their babies turn one.
It's GREAT that you are still breastfeeding your twins. Give yourself major points for that.
It sounds like you are still in the "whirl-wind" phase of parenting twins, and that's why you're having trouble making good nutrition and exercise part of your lifestyle. So choose one just one area to start with. The key is organization and planning ahead.
For nutrition, plan out a selection of healthy, quick, meals and snacks for YOU. Always have these foods on your shopping list and at home. So often we forget about ourselves while parenting babies and small children. Then we find ourselves being reactive rather than proactive. If there's no good food choices for you at home, then you're left with poor choices to fall back on, right? And give yourself another break here. We ALL slip into this trap.
Once you get the food issue settled, then it's time to ramp-up your activity level. This will also take pre-planning and organization. You will need to carve out regular slots of time in your weekly schedule, that you treat with the same commitment as a doctor's appointment, for your own fitness activities.
Can you get help from friends, family members, or baby sitter so that you have time for yourself? Are there any slots of time where your older child is in day care and your twins are napping? Then go for a brisk fitness walk, or put on a postnatal exercise DVD for a quick workout. If you had a pre-pregnancy activity that you loved, like a salsa aerobics, then start doing it again, even if you can only start with once a week. Getting fit is a slow and steady process, and for you, restarting fitness activities, caring for your own body, is the key.
Because you are "still pregnant looking" this tells me that you need do postpartum abdominal reconditioning, especially exercises that work the deepest abdominal muscle, your Transverse Abdominis. This is how to get rid of the pouch, not crunches! For detail info on this, go to: http://befitmom.com/abdominal_reconditioning.html
Many of us have internalized the out-dated misconception that order to be a good mother that we have to put aside all of our own needs for the sake our families. When faced with the conflict between meeting the needs of others and taking care of ourselves, we often have the feeling that it would be selfish to fulfill own needs.
Effective, loving parenting requires strength, stamina, flexibility and seemingly unending energy. If we allow ourselves to emotionally and physically �run out of gas,� then we have nothing left to give to those we cherish most. So, slowly but surely take your diet and exercise needs off the back burner. You and your family will be better for it.
