I did weight watchers when nursing Issi but not until she was about 6 months and she was starting some solids so I don't know if it effected the milk. i DO KNOW I never enjoyed doing weight watchers so much as I did when nursing. My Height and age combined with the nursing allowance meant I had like 34 points a day so I hardly felt like I was dieting, sometimes I had to make myself eat more and I still had points left and I saw pounds come off just a bit slower than when I've done WW and not been nursing. It was good because filling in the chart MADE me watch that I was eating enough fruit and veg and whole grains and drinking enough water and tracking just made me more conscious of uneccessary splurges like pop and candy which weren't really helping my milk anyway. On the other hand (like I said today) Tracking takes time and effort you have a whole lot on right now ALSO you look beautiful AND I want more bakery dates with you.

In my opinion (and it's just that, an opinion!), do what feels right! Maybe don't diet like a crazy person either, but it is nice to start earlier as opposed to later to try and feel better about yourself.

My baby was born in July, and I still have another 7 pounds to go. I know what I should do is eat when I'm hungry (which I do), but maybe I should eat apples, bananas, yogurt instead of cinnamon buns and granola bars.

And it is really hard to get motivated when you're so tired after having a baby. It's not the same as "I went to bed late last night" tired either!

I've NEVER had my weight just "fall off", but it went off (slowly) after Kaylie WAY easier than after Liliana - as in, I still have ALL OF IT.

I say just enjoy the nursing stage. Sleep deprivation is HARSH and being hungry is HARSH and Christmas is almost here and Christmas baking and Christmas dinner and there's always the new year, right?

(I'm all for being your WW buddy again next spring!!)

Hmm.... toughie. We all know you look fab, but if you don't FEEL fab that's a whole other thing. I know when I had the girls it was hard for me TO eat; found I just didn't have the time to sit down and eat a proper meal. On that note, I think you should start as it will a) keep you on track for eating enough, and b) get your jiggly bits in order sooner than if you waited. I actually just started WW today, it's my first time ever having to lose weight, so it's great to hear you've had success on it. I'm wanting to lose 20 as well and feel SMOKIN in time for New Years.

let us know....I'll be there on Thursday morn's or Monday nights:)

I did weight watchers while nursing but not until 9 months. Just make healthy food choices but don't obsess about it. You have lost the weight before and it will come off again. You know how to do it. Enjoy your baby. Plus some bodies hold onto the weight until you are done producing milk. Good luck. You always look fabulous!

No. No. No. After listening to what Karenna has been doing to you lately and dealing with sleep deprivation and whatnot. Don't you even dare think of going on a diet until your baby is at LEAST three months old. Let yourself survive. Enjoy your baby. The wieght will continue to slowly melt away anyways, probably not all of it but it will. THEN you can start to think of dieting. You know how much it sucks. That's how I feel about it (you asked). You have the rest of your life to diet. For real.
Also, love you.

smiley face.

I've been reading you for years but never commented and feel it's time. It makes me sad that you are continually and terribly hard on yourself about your weight. You had a baby 3 weeks ago and you're already worrying about your weight? You are gorgeous and have a beautiful family. Please stop being so hard on yourself. 43 pounds? It's nothing, sister, nothing. PLEASE!

you said it, it's been three weeks. give yourself a break!!!

i believe everyone knows what they should eat and don't need anyone to tell them otherwise.....vegetables or deep fried mars bars? fruit or a bag of chips? you don't need a diet...you need to nourish yourself. you wouldn't feed the latter choices to your children (well....maybe a little! :-) ) after the craziness of new family-ness wears off, then worry about it if you feel the need.

I second both Christy and Heidi. Lounge in those sweat pants until after Christmas and then start making healthy choices and getting active.

I tried WW with Josie, as you know, when she was probably 6-9 months old and it definitely affected my supply, even with the extra calories.

I say: give yourself a HUGE ASS break! Stop thinking about the scale and the girth of your thighs and just focus on eating healthy and realize that...you just had a baby! It took you 40+/- weeks to put on that weight and you need to be realistic on how long it will take to drop it.

Give yourself a break girl! It doesn't hurt to say "well, maybe today, just for a change, I will only eat 1 brownie instead of 3", but starting to worry or obsess over a diet right now just seems like too much. You have enough stress and things to worry about other than counting calories and having to think EVERY. TIME. you put something in your mouth. I think you should just make small changes everyday, and worry about getting serious about it in a few months. And on days where you feel like crap and you're exhausted and all you want is 3 brownies? I say go for it. You have earned it, you mother of three, you. :)

I'm with Julie on this one - start making those healthy choices one at a time, knowing it's better for you and Brinley but ditch the scale and the points for a while. By January I'll be hassling you to try out the boot camp so enjoy your leisure. Kidding. Mostly.

Doesn't it suck that we feel like we're expected to "Heidi Klum it" weeks after a baby is born and drop the weight? I mean seriously, you just grew an ENTIRE PERSON, your body cared for both you and her and then if that weren't enough it had to push said little person out, via a not so large tunnel. You and it need a break!

I know where your heart and self esteem is, I know the desire to lose it all and the exhaustion little babes bring with them. If you can, cut yourself a break and survive this time, sans worry. If you can't, then I say you've done WW a few times and know it's principles etc, why not just start tayloring life to it without actually tracking. That way you know the habits are starting without the pressure of weekly weigh ins or the guilt of an extra binge or 12?

You are truly beautiful Amanda, no matter what. And without being all ooey gooey, we love you for you, and I'm sure everyone else does too. Good luck with your decision and your journey!

ps. 43 isn't so bad I packed on a solid 60 plus with Bethany, and man did it taste good going on. The fact that I had basically the same number to lose 6 months after her birth was an ugly bitter horse pill. You'll slame this 20 in no time, whenever that time is :)

Personally I would wait until the baby is at least 3 months before considering any kind of diet regime.

I lost the baby weight slowly and by the time my son was 9 months I was back to prepregnancy weight. I was breastfeeding and while I was active, going for walks and mom and baby fitness classes, I sure ate my donuts. Still do! I've done rigorous calorie counting dieting before and just don't think it will ever be in the cards for me with a young baby.

ok, you've got lots of people giving you great advice, so here's my situation (heh heh). Kayla is 2 weeks older than Brinley and my weight loss regime has been to...

1. wear my maternity clothes and marvel at how thin I feel in them
2. hold a child in front of my saggy "apron of flesh" at all times
3. lift my chin if anyone tries to take a picture of me
4. dim the lights
5. lay on my back and let the flab slide to the side then look down and congratulate myself on my flat tummy
6. scavenge what food I can from my kids' plates and then round out my meals with coffee and chocolaty treats hidden in places only I know of
7. work my abs by rocking slowly in a chair while admiring my beautiful new daughter
8. work my arms by attempting to lift my beautiful child in her car seat bucket and also carry 20 other items needed by various family members to and from the car a few times a... week
9. listen to my first born when he says "Mommy, you're BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love you!!!" and thank the Lord for the unconditional love of a 5 year old (he has been saying this to me everyday since he was about 3, I have no idea where he gets it from, so I'll take it as heartfelt).
10. avoid mirrors and scales.

Good luck with your decisions. Someday I may follow your example (no matter which path you choose). Take care of you, and go easy on your self.

oh goodness, you're still in your 4th trimester - the one that goes until the baby is about 3 months old. As someone else said, you've got so much going on with a new babe. Please don't fret about your weight and curves. When the time is right, you'll do well to get it off. I started my first boot camp when my 3rd was 3 months and my milk slowed down a lot. I only did one month to try it out and then didn't put my runners on for almost another year. Now that I have one in Grade 1, one in preschool 3 mornings, and just the little one with me, I'm hoping to try to get out for more runs. Baby is almost 2 and since I KNOW there will be no more, I'm feeling ready to tackle the leftovers from all 3 babies.

I forgot to give you this - http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

I did Weight Watchers when I was still bfing for that last 10lbs but my son was 6mths old. It was slow but it worked. At this stage I think you would be STARVING and miserable. Wait a few more months and see. In the meantime, move a little more and opt out of a few of the extra calories. Even little, simple changes at this point will make a difference. Good luck!

I'm with the crowd that advises to give it a little more time. Focus on getting rest for now. And besides, you've been eating healthily for so long that you have a pretty good idea of what things to load up on and what to restrict a little, even if you're not being super hardcore about it. And make sure to get outside for a little while every day. It'll be good for you and for the girls. Three girls! Four including yourself. Whee! You guys are going to have so much fun together in life.

I teach pre & a bit of post natal.....I am in no way an expert. 40 weeks to gain give yourself that much to get it off. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK :) You are gorgeous & when your totally done having kids you will get to where you want to be without the worry that you'll just gain it all back. Beside I'm sure God is quite happy with the sacrifice of your thighs for those beautiful children. Too much excersize & dieting in early stages of breastfeeding can make your milk sour & you don't want to do that so be careful!

Ok, I hope this doesn't come across mean, but WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!!!! You just had a baby and you are a beautiful momma of three. Spend this time (trying) to enjoy the family you created and give yourself permission to breathe just a bit before adding another stress into your day. I literally didn't come up for air until Elijah was 6months old and even then I think it was too soon. With three life is hectic and crazy and a BIG adjustment. If you MUST, then just (try) to eat from the four food groups, treat yourself once a day (or even twice), and drink lots of water. Oh and try and avoid salt as much as possible. Even with that I bet the pounds just fall off. With that and the amount of exercise you get chasing after little ones, you will be good to go. You know I think you are amazing, and I just wish you to be happy. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

I understand where you are coming from! I felt the same!
I gained 45 lbs whilst pregnant (not all HEALTHY---), and really truly wanted it GONE. It was so uncomfortable, not who I am, or want to be, and when I discovered after having my baby, that only 10 dissapeared. I thought. Oi Vey....Its going to be a long hard 9 months.
I breast fed my daughter the second se wriggled to my breast and am just trying to wean her off fully now at 26 months.

I did loose those pesky 35 lbs in 4 months tho from breastfeeding!!!!

and walking 4-5 times a week. (we have a labrador & live right along the coast), so my theroy was if we are up at 5, after her morning feed, I would tuck her in the pram, put on my trainers, and sunshine and fresh air here we come! I did for a while get it stuck in my head to learn to run (I did the couch to 5K), and would do that 2 times a week. Mind you this is walking 90 seconds and light jogging for 60 seconds... Nothing major, but it was wonderful to build up a semblance of fitness. (I did nothing but yoga and walk in my pregnancy and enjoy copious amounts of chocolate and PB).

I never changed my diet tho, I mean by that I DID NOT CUT a SINGLE CALORIE. Infact I was eating mini meals, drinking at least 3 L of water a day, having snacks like dried almonds and walnuts, eating good proteins and having treats. I also discovered that breastfeeding made me CRAVE so much sugar. Be it in fruit, cake or cookies or whatnot.

I treated myself kindly - I ate when I was hungry (my food choices were 95% healthy - Im not a big deep fried-oiled-fast food-chips sort of girl anyways), rested when I was feeding, napped when I could and excercised when I had time.

So my advice is treat yourself kindly, baths (when you have a moment), a rest, a stretch, a good amount of healthy food, and a little *TREAT* food when you want it. You just made a baby, and are being a wonderful mum to the two you already have. Cut yourself some slack, and those pounds will melt away.