May 2009

Although my twins are now grown, I've never forgotten, or will never forget the weight I gained while being pregnant with them. Before pregnancy, I was a slim 125 pounds. During my final well-baby check, I weighed in at 203 pounds!

Much of the weight I put on was a direct result of water retention. I developed pre-eclampsia (a disorder found only in pregnant women which causes sudden weight gain, swelling and headaches) during the third trimester of my pregnancy which exascerbated the water retention. However, I also had my fair share of food and an exorbitant amount of calories and found myself needing to shed alot of extra post-baby weight.

Here are some tips for new and not so new moms trying to shed the baby weight.

1. Water and more water.
Try a minimum of eight 8 ounce glasses a day.

2. Nurse your babies.
Nursing may be difficult for a mom of multiples, but if you can work out the scheduling, it may be worth it once you consider that the average calorie burn is 20 for every ounce of milked produced. If you have two babies drinking eight ounces each during one feeding session, that's 320 calories burned! Do keep in mind that you will need to keep up your calorie intake during this time with a recommended 1,500 calories per day minimum.

3. Try to eat every time your babies eat.
Talk to any trainer and they'll advise you to eat 5 or 6 mini-meals throughout the day, beinning with breakfast; much in the same way your twins will eat through early childhood. Your body acts much like a furnace if it's fed consistently and will burn calories much faster if you feed it small meals. Try to keep up your calorie content (remember, minimum 1500 per day) with a balanced diet.

4. Don't be shy about taking the twins out for a stroll.
Walking will work wonders for both your waistline and your psyche. Getting out in the fresh air will help you relieve your body of stress, which is a partner to weight gain. The babies will also appreciate the outdoors and will soon begin to look forward to the daily excursions.

5. Try to work in solo exercise.
Yoga or exercise DVD's can offer a way for an extremely busy mom of multiples to work in exercise without leaving home. Exercise will work wonders with helping mom maintain a healthy attitude, which is much needed when it comes to raising more than one baby at a time. A strong, positive mental state is the most important element for a mother of multiples to become successful.

If you have any suggestions of your own, visit the twins forum and share!