It's been four weeks since your little bundle of joy came into the world, and you're finally ready to pose in a bikini on the front of a magazine, right? Of course not. It's time for new moms to get realistic - and more forgiving - about losing the baby weight. Walking out of the hospital in your pre-pregnancy skinny jeans just doesn't happen - to any mom, celebrity or not. It's hard to believe when you see the likes of Heidi Klum walking the runway two weeks postpartum, or the numerous tabloids touting other celebrity moms' miraculous weight loss in some tiny sliver of postpartum time. But the miracles of airbrushing (Heidi's abs were painted on!) and Photoshop can make these moms slimmer than they appear. Many moms swear by breastfeeding to lose the weight, and it can be effective - for some moms, not all. A lot of women retain at least 5 pounds of water while nursing, and when nursing lasts up to a year, as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, that can add up to those frustrating pounds hanging on.
For moms who have C-sections, the wait to exercise can be up to six weeks, and moms who have vaginal births should go easy on themselves and consult their doctor about exercise. But don't beat yourself up if exercise feels like another chore that you have to complete before nursing, getting precious sleep, eating or simply spending time with your baby and partner. Take it at your own pace, but know that exercise can help you feel better and stave off postpartum depression. Choose healthful foods to eat, but don't deprive yourself. You need energy to breastfeed and take care of the baby, so cutting out entire food groups or limiting yourself to a very low-calorie diet can be disastrous. Remember, many moms take years to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight.