Postpartum University® Podcast

The Truth About Postpartum Weight Loss & The Dangers of "Bouncing Back" EP 198

• Maranda Bower, Postpartum Nutrition Specialist

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The Truth About Postpartum Weight Loss & The Dangers of "Bouncing Back"

Society loves to push postpartum weight loss tips and quick-fix solutions like having a “postpartum weight loss meal plan” or postpartum weight loss supplements, and it’s no secret there's postpartum weight loss threads all over Reddit and other online forums. But we believe these approaches often hurt more than they help and can be incredibly damaging to the mental health of moms around the world.. This episode dives deep into the truth about postpartum weight retention—why it’s a biologically protective mechanism and how stress, hormones, and societal pressures can derail recovery. 

If you’ve encountered moms frustrated by this narrative and you’re ready for a new more holistic and healthy approach to the conversation around postpartum weight, postpartum body , this episode will be a breath of fresh air for you with tons of clarity, and science backed strategies and perspective shifts. This isn’t about dress sizes—it’s about creating a postpartum care culture that values nourishment, rest, and true health. 

If you’re a provider ready to ditch harmful weight-centric narratives and shift the conversation toward holistic postpartum healing, this episode is a must-listen.


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KEY TIME STAMPS:

00:02: Exploring the societal pressures around postpartum weight and weight loss timelines. 

04:39: The science behind weight retention as a protective biological mechanism.

 06:46: Why dieting, calorie-cutting, fasting and intense exercise can backfire for postpartum moms during postpartum recovery. 

10:59: The power of language in reframing postpartum health narratives and how providers can replace outdated "postpartum weight loss tips" with more supportive, empowering language.

12:31: Practical ways providers can support holistic postpartum healing. 

16:33: Understanding the links between stress, hormones, weight retention and postpartum healing. 

21:08: Advocacy tips for dismantling harmful societal norms like the “bounce back culture”  in postpartum care and focusing on healthier postpartum care.


Let’s rewrite the narrative—leave a review, connect with us on Instagram, and continue the conversation!

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Speaker 1:

The postpartum care system is failing, leaving countless mothers struggling with depression, anxiety and autoimmune conditions. I'm Miranda Bauer and I've helped thousands of providers use holistic care practices to heal their clients at the root. Subscribe now and join us in addressing what modern medicine overlooks, so that you can give your clients real, lasting solutions for lifelong wellbeing. Hey, hey, welcome back to the Postpartum University Podcast. I am so excited to be here.

Speaker 1:

I took some extra extra time off. It was like almost the entire month of December where I just got to spend time with my four kids and my husband. My husband actually took off several weeks for work as well and we did a bunch of family stuff. We just had fun. We went ice skating, we went skiing and snowboarding, we went and watched a movie at the movie theater, which is like such a big deal. I have my youngest, who is now five, like finally able to like sit through a movie and to go experience those things, which is so much fun. And there was also just like a lot of sitting around and just doing nothing. I quilted, I was doing my cross stitch, we were watching movies at home, like I sat in my robe for days. It felt like and it was just absolutely magical. But I will tell you I am so freaking excited to be here and to have these conversations with you. We're walking into 2025 with so much goodness for you and I just want to share.

Speaker 1:

A friend, molly, just sent this in for us and she had some amazing words to share and she said your podcast has changed everything for me. I am so thankful that I found it. I just recently started helping women in my community as a postpartum doula and the information you provide has been a critical part of my learning. I always knew I didn't want to just cook women lasagna, but why? Never until now, and I have a glimpse as to why. And as soon as I save up enough money and the postpartum nutrition plan certification program is open, I fully intend to learn all that I can from you. There isn't enough praise. I am just so grateful for teachers like you. Molly, thank you so, so much for those beautiful words and I cannot wait to share with you what's coming up in 2025.

Speaker 1:

But for now, we need to talk about the big elephant in the room, and that is postpartum weight. We're entering into the new year. Everybody has all of these new year's resolutions and this is such a huge one, and we've all seen it, and we all know the relentless messaging that mothers need to get their body back as soon as possible after birth. It's plastered across social media and, quite frankly, it reinforces in healthcare settings this idea that we have to lose weight. But here's the truth this message is not only unhelpful, it's harmful, and you likely, listening into this podcast, you already know that, and today I want to dive into the science, the societal pressures and the way we, as providers, can do better, because postpartum weight and body changes aren't about losing a dress size. They're about healing, nourishment and supporting mothers through one of the most transformative times in their lives. And here's the kicker the postpartum body is designed to hold onto the weight for a reason it's a biologically protective mechanism, especially during breastfeeding. But when stress and restrictive dieting and societal expectations come into play, we're not just slowing recovery, we're setting the stage for long-term hormonal and metabolic disruptions. And let's not ignore how we as providers might unknowingly reinforce this harmful narrative. Even something as seemingly simple as saying how much do you weigh can set off a cascade of pressure and shame, and so today I really want to uncover what's really going on with postpartum weight and body changes. We'll talk about the science, the importance of language and some actual steps that you can take to guide your clients toward true health, not societal expectations.

Speaker 1:

So first let's start with the facts. The postpartum body isn't broken and it isn't something to fix. In fact, it's brilliantly designed for survival, both for mom and her baby. And during pregnancy, the body works tirelessly to build up these reserves of energy, and that's in the form of fat stores, these reserves. They're critical for breastfeeding, especially in these early months when milk production demands are incredible. There's so much energy that goes through not only developing and creating the breast milk, but also nourishing our baby Like hello. Breastfeeding is more than a full-time job. Our baby, like hello, breastfeeding is more than a full-time job. And these fat stores are meant to stick around for a long time. They're not for aesthetics, they're for function.

Speaker 1:

And the body is saying, hey, you've just gone through one of the most physically demanding experiences imaginable and now you are feeding another human. Let's protect your body and hold on to everything that you need. But then there's stress the emotional, the physical, the societal and when stress levels are high, the body shifts into survival mode and it starts pumping out cortisol, and cortisol does two big things that work against weight loss. One, it makes the body hold on to fat and it often disrupts sleep, and lack of sleep further messes with hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which regulate hunger and fullness. The result is a body that's screaming for more energy in the form of quick calories. So we're eating our kids' leftover chicken nuggets, we're like in the pantry grabbing potato chips and whatever that we can to just like put in something really quickly, because we're starving and simultaneously holding on to the weight for dear life. And this is why restrictive dieting and fasting don't work in postpartum they send the body deeper into stress and they make healing harder.

Speaker 1:

And yet mothers are bombarded with messages about cutting calories, intense workouts, snapping back and providers. We need to dismantle this narrative. This is where it ends. It's not just misguided, it's actively harmful, and if you're listening to this, you already know this, and we're going to dive into what it is that we can do to really shift this and how we can work together as providers, as people who are in the field, as advocates. How can we make this better? And this is what we're going to do. We're going to talk about this in a deeper way, supporting stress and encouraging rest. We got that, nutrients, we got that, and we're going to dive into this conversation a little bit deeper. It has to show up in the way that we communicate with mothers, because language has power and the words we use can either heal or harm. And I really want to talk about how we as providers, as advocates, as people who are serving others in this field, how we can shift the narrative and really support our clients in healthier, more compassionate ways. Shift the narrative and really support our clients in a healthier, more compassionate ways.

Speaker 1:

The words that we choose can profoundly impact the way our clients perceive their bodies and their healing journeys. It's not just a tool for communication. Right Language is like a lens that shapes how people see themselves and in postpartum, that lens can either perpetuate harmful societal standards or empower moms to embrace and honor their healing process, and we can talk about the obvious phases that we need to retire. And I know these words are words that you are not using. If you're listening to this podcast, you already know this stuff. But let's just sit in camaraderie over this for a moment. And it's like it's terms, like get your body back, bounce back, lose the baby weight. These are terms that are not just outdated Again, you know this. They're damaging. They perpetuate this idea that a mother's worth is tied to how quickly she can erase evidence of having carried a child.

Speaker 1:

So think about the messaging the sins right. Your body isn't acceptable as it is now and you've got to fix it. Instead, we can use language that celebrates the strength and resilience and the wisdom of the postpartum body Phases, like your body is healing in its own time. Or let's focus on nourishing you so you can feel strong and vibrant. Or postpartum recovery is about so much more than weight. It's about rebuilding your health from the inside out, and I'm telling you, it's not just about being kind. It's about being accurate, and postpartum isn't a time for intense calorie deficiencies or punishing exercise routines. It's a time for restoration and nourishment, and when we reframe the conversation about health rather than weight, we shift the focus from external pressures to internal healing, and it goes beyond individual conversations. I think this is really key. It's also about how we market our services and position ourselves as professionals.

Speaker 1:

If we're advertising weight loss programs or using snapback language, we're reinforcing the very societal pressures we should be dismantling, and I've had so many people come to me and say well, I don't like, everybody's wanting weight loss and so if I'm not talking about weight loss, I feel like nobody's going to. Like come to my practice, nobody's going to sign up for my coaching program, and I I swear to you that is completely untrue and we can talk about it. We can call it out. We can be like I know that you're wanting to lose that weight, everybody's wanting to, and here's why because society tells us this is the appropriate thing to do. And let me tell you why society's wrong. Like, so just call it out. I tell you people are listening and they want to hear that.

Speaker 1:

And and instead, like, say different things that are going to be really aligned with holistic care and what you value in postpartum. Like talk about supporting your postpartum recovery with nourishing, science-backed care. Talk about rediscovering your strength and energy with personalized postpartum healing plans. Or feel good in your body, no matter where you are in your journey. That language it communicates support, empowerment and respect. And they tell mothers that their worth isn't defined by a number on the scale, but by their health and wellbeing and their ability to show up for themselves and their families. And we have to show this and how we market, how we talk, how our assistants show up, the paperwork that we have our clients fill out, right, the the posters on the wall, all the things. We have to make sure that all of that language and everything that it communicates is sending the right message. Now that we like covered the importance of language, let's dive into how we can open the door for meaningful conversations with our clients, because it truly support supporting our clients in this way. We have to understand their unique goals and their challenges and definitions of health and then start really just asking the right questions, right, so, and meeting our clients where they are like that's such an important part of this entire conversation as well.

Speaker 1:

Mothers and their postpartum journeys. They require more than just expertise. They want empathy and we have to show up with that. We have to really fully understand their needs and meet them also with curiosity, which means asking the right questions and moving beyond this surface level assumption and dive into health and true healing and what that means for each individual, and I think that means asking thoughtful, open ended questions that really allow moms to feel seen and heard and supported. Things like what does health look like for you right now right, and that kind of shifts the focus away from societal expectations and towards a mother's personal experience. Or asking what are your top priorities in the season? Or what do you feel in your body right now? What do you need to feel supported? Are there any concerns or goals that you want to share with me? And I will tell you? Oftentimes that will lead into well, I just really want to lose weight, I want to feel good in my body and I don't feel sexy and I you know all all of the things that might come up for a mom. And then to ask deeper questions like okay, I totally understand, like that is really important. Tell me a little bit more about why this is important for you to lose weight right now, um and and like go into the details.

Speaker 1:

And then the next section is really educating and helping them advocate for themselves and start dismantling these harmful narratives and supporting true healing. And a lot of that comes in the conversations that we're having and this is where we insert, you know, some of our knowledge and our and our expertise, and as providers, we hold this unique responsibility not just to educate moms but also to challenge the societal norms and the medical, advocating for more compassionate and informed approaches to postpartum care. Understanding your client like really diving in, asking those important, deeper questions, really pulling out those incredible answers from them, learning who they are, what they want and those deeper rooted motivations for them and why they want that. And then comes this part where we talk about how the postpartum body holds on to weight and that this retention of weight is a biological safeguard, especially for breastfeeding, and this reframes weight retention as purposeful and healthy, especially for their baby. And we can talk about the link between stress and healing and how chronic stress impacts hormonal balance and metabolism and overall energy levels.

Speaker 1:

And we can talk about why dieting doesn't work and how it can actually backfire and lead to further nutrient depletion and hormone disruptions and increased fatigue and even weight retention. And we can talk about all of these things and just like really kind of share it in bits and pieces that will feel really good for a mom and then start using language that helps them understand like I am here to help you be really healthy. Right? Instead of lose the baby weight, we're gonna focus on replenishing your strength and vitality. How does that feel for you? Instead of get your body back, let's honor the incredible changes that your body has been going through and is still going through. How does that feel for you? What would that look like for you?

Speaker 1:

And so, making these subtle, like significant changes, and inviting that open-ended conversation, that is what is going to change the healthier narrative and really support that mom and ways beyond what you're just doing and that quick session together whether you're able to meet with a mom for 5, 10, 15 minutes or even an hour, whatever the case may be just really setting herself up to look at her body in a different way. And then I'm going to tell you, advocacy is one of my most favorite conversations and if we're going to change the language within our own practice and we're going to support moms in this new way, I also really, really just I want you to advocate for others as well and to promote this healthy narrative and call out a change for others as well. Like on a broader level, we have to come together and advocate for change within our industries and our communities. And I will tell you, one of the things that I do is I call out weight-centric marketing. If you see programs or products promoting that snapback culture or hey, sign up with me and I'll help you lose weight. I message them, I will share, I will go on Instagram. I am that person and I'm not sorry. I'm sorry, I'm not sorry and I will say, hey, I don't think that this marketing is really great. Women are struggling with their weight, yes, and this is why it's important that their body has this weight and this is what we like. We have to do something different than market with this, and I will tell you that I've gotten a lot of people who have commented and said that I was hateful, or people in the industry, maybe even people that you've known, saying like what are you doing?

Speaker 1:

Why are you fighting me? Like this feels so awful and I can't believe that you're saying these things. And it's not even, it's not even saying anything negative or bad, it's just saying it's calling out, hey, that weight centric marketing is actually really dangerous for society and, like I would recommend, like using this language instead, and even though a lot of people are just like really frustrated that I've called it out, I can't tell you how many people have commented or sent me a private message saying thank you, I am so grateful that you did this. I can't believe that we're still having these conversations or having to have these conversations, or let me tell you about the story of my I had one mom share with me like I've been struggling with my weight forever and my body image and I was, you know, in the depths of postpartum depression and like this comment that you had of like me, not having to focus on my weight is such a breath of fresh air. Thank you for saying that.

Speaker 1:

And so I promise calling out, like if there's so many people saying, hey, wait a second, this isn't right, it's okay to like have this weight and it serves a purpose. And you know, we're all just trying to get healthy. Why don't we just get healthy and feel good in our bodies, which sometimes means losing weight? Right, Like that's, that's a part of the problem, but it's not, it's not the focal point, right? Losing weight isn't what makes women healthy, right? Losing weight is what happens when our bodies feel healthy.

Speaker 1:

Then there's building community resources, right, this is part of creating that systematic change, like really calling out that marketing and then also providing places that are safe for moms to go, where they can get the information that they need, where they can talk with holistic providers and nutritionists and therapists and people who are beyond your scope, right, or whatever it is that you do. We want to have a connection, we want to have a community. That's what I love about Postpartum University is that we all share these very similar beliefs and we know, when you go to our public directory, that everyone here is going to have that same language, we're going to have the same narrative and it's going to feel really, really good. And so being a part of something like that if you, if you have that in your community, or developing it, or just becoming a part of postpartum university like these are things that are going to help you, help others even more. You can also host educational workshops, have talks about it, share your knowledge with your community.

Speaker 1:

Normalize these conversations. Slap a poster on your board talking about we don't talk about this weight here. Like, I will help you lose weight if that is what your body needs to do, but I'm going to do it through these other healthy ways. I'm going to help you in these ways, which may or may not help you lose weight, depending on what it is that your body needs to be healthy. Like these are the conversations, and I think having those conversations without judgment is so incredibly important, because we're meeting mothers where they are, and some moms may still want to pursue weight loss goals and, again, that's okay and it might even be exactly what their body needs. But in the context of I'm getting healthy and I'm going to focus on stress reduction and I'm going to focus on eating well and I'm going to be gentle in my workout so that my body can build a strong foundation Like that is how we'll lose weight, and our role is not to like dictate their journey, but really ensure it's rooted in health and sustainability. And that is going to be what changes these societal pressures and the biological realities of postpartum weight and healing. And when we focus on these practical steps as providers, as advocates, these are the actions that are going to help support your clients in meaningful ways while changing these harmful weight loss focused narratives.

Speaker 1:

Okay, lots of things here and I just really want to leave you with. You're not just helping individual clients. I'm going to tell you that you are contributing to a much needed cultural shift in how we view postpartum health, and together we can dismantle harmful narratives and educate moms on their bodies and what they truly need, and create a postpartum care system that is rooted in compassion and holistic wellbeing and true wellness and make this snapback culture a thing of the past and empower moms to just feel strong and vibrant and whole in their own time. Okay, I hope you loved, loved, loved this episode. Send me a message on Instagram. Let me know how you feel about this. Let's have an open conversation. There's going to be some posts there as well that you can just comment on.

Speaker 1:

I want to have this conversation deeper with you. Let me know what your thoughts are, or just leave us a review here. That helps so much as well. Okay, till next week. Thanks so much for being a part of this crucial conversation. I know you're dedicated to advancing postpartum care and if you're ready to dig deeper, come join us on our newsletter, where I share exclusive insights, resources and the latest tools to help you make a lasting impact on postpartum health. Sign up at postpartumu the letter ucom, which is in the show notes, and if you found today's episode valuable, please leave a review to help us reach more providers like you. Together, we're building a future where mothers are fully supported and thriving.

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Maranda Bower

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