When is the Best Time to Start a Postpartum Diet?

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Hello, I am Dr. Hyocheong Chae, director of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic. Those who have given birth will know this experience: expecting a significant drop in weight after delivery due to the weight gained during pregnancy, only to be surprised by little to no change in weight after giving birth…!

However, starting a diet immediately after childbirth can actually put a great strain on the body. After childbirth, recovering the body is the top priority! At this time, postpartum herbal medicine plays an important role in replenishing the mother’s qi and blood, and rapidly restoring the uterus and body.

When to start postpartum weight loss is best? Many people wonder when they should start a diet after childbirth, but simply starting early does not guarantee good results. It’s important to choose the right timing, considering the body’s recovery period and individual constitution.

Immediately after childbirth, the body undergoes many changes. Lost blood needs to be replenished, the uterus must return to its original size, and hormones change rapidly. If you diet too aggressively during this time, your health may actually worsen.

Generally, it’s best to start gradually after 6 weeks for natural birth and 8 weeks for C-sections. This period is called the ‘puerperium.’ During this time, the body is recovering to its pre-pregnancy state.

If you engage in strenuous exercise or strict dietary control without sufficient recovery, it can lead to postpartum illness (sanhu-pung) or chronic fatigue.

Approaching postpartum weight loss in stages is important. The key to postpartum weight loss is not to finish it in a short period, but to proceed gradually alongside the body’s recovery process. 1. Within approximately 1 month after childbirth (waste elimination and recovery phase from the birthing process)

• It’s important to restore basic physical strength with adequate nutrition and light stretching. • If pelvic correction is needed, starting during this period is effective. • Walking and pelvic exercises are appropriate, rather than strenuous workouts. 2. 6 weeks to 3 months after childbirth (weight loss period) • If you are breastfeeding, avoid drastically cutting your diet.

• It is important to lose weight within 6 months. Utilizing Korean medicine weight loss can help you lose weight healthily while increasing your basal metabolic rate. • If your physical strength has recovered to some extent, combining light strength training with aerobic exercise is also beneficial. 3. 3 to 6 months after childbirth (body shape recovery)

• After 3 months postpartum, hormonal changes stabilize, allowing for more active weight loss. • At this time, combining herbal medicine tailored to your constitution with lifestyle management can lead to healthy weight loss without yo-yo effects.

The most important thing is ‘constitution-specific weight loss.’ To lose weight healthily, management tailored to your ‘constitution’ is essential! The reason why weight loss is difficult after childbirth is due to constitutional changes. The causes of weight gain differ for each constitution, and the body’s recovery speed after childbirth also varies.

✓ For severe edema ~ Waste elimination needs to be promoted. ✓ For severe abdominal obesity ~ Digestive function needs to be restored while promoting fat breakdown. ✓ For low basal metabolic rate making weight loss difficult ~ Metabolic activation is needed.

For postpartum weight loss, ‘healthy body recovery’ is the top priority. Rather than blindly starving yourself or engaging in strenuous exercise after childbirth, first check your body and find methods that suit your constitution. Starting postpartum weight loss correctly is the most important thing.

Since the prescription of diet herbal medicine may vary depending on an individual’s constitution and health condition, it is crucial to consult with a Korean medicine doctor before taking it. *This article was written for the purpose of providing information on Korean medicine for weight loss. We hope you will join Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in sharing valuable information for a healthy life. Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Suji-gu pursues evidence-based medicine and integrative medicine.

This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.