Is the cheesy 80’s song by Europe playing in your head? It is mine! It’s hard to believe I’ve survived 9+ whole months and her due date is finally here! Of course, she’s stubborn and making us wait a bit longer. Aside from being super excited to meet the crazy baby girl that’s been blowing up my stomach for so long, I’m also excited to get my body back and feel like myself again!! There’s a lot of chatter on the baby boards about mother’s putting too much pressure on ourselves to look good quickly after baby, and possibly not getting enough calories to breast-feed. I certainly plan to increase my calorie intake to allot plenty for milk production, but i’m most excited for the exhilaration that comes from exercise that I’ve been missing terribly for 9 months. And that feeling of just being myself, and my body belonging to me again.
Anyway, so let’s see where we’re at…
Pre-pregnancy weight: 125 pounds (October, 2013)
Full-term pregnancy weight: 164 pounds (August, 2013)
And here’s what that looks like! I feel a little crazy for posting pictures online in a bathing suit, but it’s so much more impactful so see the amazing transformation in our bodies as we grow another human being!
That’s a gain of 39-pounds, which is just slightly more than the 25-35 pound weight gain I was told to expect. They say we can reasonable expect to lose 15-20 in the first week between the baby, placenta, and de-bloating. So basically I’ll be right back where I started when I began my blog adventure 3 years ago. I’m cool with that – if I can do it once, I can do it again! So what’s my strategy? First, I plan to breast-feed, and that means I need at least 500-calories a day just for that, on top of the 1,500 calories a day I’d need just to sustain myself. It’s important I not let my calorie intake get too low or it could affect my milk supply. So… my goal will be about 1,800 – 2,000 healthy calories per day, plus whatever extra I earn with exercise. There are tons of great calculators and other articles online that can help you figure out what you need. They key there was “healthy” calories. Not calories that come from processed foods and sugar. Lots of veggies, fruits, and proteins. The baby needs those healthy choices as much as I do!
Next, I definitely plan to incorporate my beloved vegetable juices and nut milks, which I grew so fond of last Summer and helped me reach my all-time goal weight of 125 and I never felt or looked better in my life! I truly believe that fruits and vegetables will heal you from the inside out, and juice (or smoothies) are a quick way to pack in lots of servings. I saw another cool documentary recently that touched on this subject, called “Hungry for Change“. Check it out if you need some motivation to kick the crap out of your diet!
Have an awesome weekend, and please touch base if you’d like to join in the post-pregnancy getting healthy again challenge!
Rocky Top Rebecca 
It’s really cool to see your pictures throughout pregnancy! God’s gift of life is truly amazing.
You look great, healthy, and slim even WITH the baby bump. I’m so proud of you for working so hard to get in shape and stay there! You’ve been an inspiration. Even though this has been a slow, back-and-forth process for me, I still look to you and reflect on your accomplishments when I need motivation.
Also, I’m glad you won’t be starving yourself post-baby. Your goals sound very healthy and reasonable. I think it’s amazing that babies and toddlers learn to crave the foods that their mom’s ate during pregnancy and breast feeding. So I think it’s awesome that you want to ensure you eat right for your baby girl as much as for yourself.
Joshua and I have been praying for your pregnancy and for a safe delivery. We can’t wait to help welcome little Caroline into the world! Good luck, big sis! Love you lots.
P.S. I like the baby turtle pic you posted here. 😉
Definitely excited for you and praying for everything to be smooth, sound, and positive in delivery and the days and weeks after. Excited for another challenge! I need one!