6 Months Postpartum: the half way point
Postpartum recovery is truly a full year. Flushing your body of all those crazy hormones, shrinking your pelvis back to size (well as far back as it will go...often your shape postpartum is different from preconception), losing all those lbs, replacing your nutrient stores (assuming you're working toward this...it takes major discipline) from which you pulled to pull a rabbit out of a hat (read: build a baby from scratch), meanwhile keeping the rest of your life and family in some sort of order takes major time and commitment.
For me, this round has been even more challenging than the first (with Avi of course I mean), yet even more rewarding. There is twice as much to keep up with and even less sleep to have, but having done it once before, I have a confidence and set of skills I did not previously have. It allows me to enjoy it a bit more and take absolutely nothing for granted. As some of these days feel so long and challenging after coming off of only a few hours of sleep, there is a constant reminder that these days are fleeting and I should love and cherish every second of them.
That said...losing this weight has been the biggest challenge. And while it sounds superficial, it's a bit more profound. Here's why: between the conception period, two miscarriages (1 and 2), and the 10 long months of pregnancy, it's been a long time since I've felt like myself. My body has been through so many changes (both physical and emotional) and so many restrictions, it's been hard to feel like my old, fun, wild self. Having my body (at least resemble) what it once did, being able to fit into my old clothes reminds me that at some point, I'll be able to be me again once in a while, not just Mama 24 hours a day.
The cleaner I eat, the more yoga I do, this new interval training I'm doing, and Soul Cycling I've started, the quicker I see myself jump off that plateau I landed on and my size start to shrink back.
Between the last time I posted and now, my weight really did plateau. I had a serious problem getting below the 128lb mark. I was literally stuck there for the last two months. But in the last week since I've started this new exercise regimen and really concentrated on not overeating (which is tough when nursing) and incorporating more raw foods with the arrival of this beautiful weather, I've lost another 2 lbs in the past week. I'm pretty sure over the last few months of yoga I've gained a bit of muscle as I can feel myself significantly stronger. So that's where I am 126lbs! I definitely would like to shed a few more off my belly (and love handles;)), but I'm starting to feel happy about where I am!
But more importantly than that, I'm feeling great energy from my work outs, less bloated from the foods I'm eating, less cravings, and generally happier (regardless of the fact that the major lack of sleep continues!).