The postpartum period is over
According to some medical timelines, after 42 days or six weeks, the postpartum period is complete [1]. By this time your physical involution is mostly completed, that is most of your organs and their functions have returned prenatal levels. Your thyroid function and insulin sensitivity (if had gestational diabetes) [2] will return to normal. Taking up your normal (pre-pregnancy) diet and exercise will help you return to your former BMI.
Studies show that mothers who cut their diet by 500 calories per day at the end of the postpartum period return to their prior body weight within a year [3]. This lowering of calories should not inhibit milk production or decrease quality. Instead, fat reserves accumulated during pregnancy are used for lactation [3].
But even when postpartum officially ends, that doesn’t mean everything has returned to normal. Both breastfeeding moms and moms who choose the bottle, still face sleep deprivation [5].
Studies show that non-breastfeeding mothers may spend a little less time on caring for their baby (someone else can hold the bottle and flow is usually faster), yet they will spend more time on housework. They often use the time that could be spent on sleeping, washing bottles, household chores, and caring for others in the household instead [5].
