Get rid of the big belly after giving birth and lose 12 kg by breastfeeding

Ally, 38 years old and 168cm tall, is a mother of two children. Before pregnancy, her weight was mostly maintained at 60kg. After giving birth to her first child at the age of 30, her weight had slightly increased to 65kg. After giving birth to her second child, her weight soared to 71.4kg, and her body fat soared to 39.6%, approaching the category of severe obesity, with a big belly, elephant legs and fat buttocks. The increased burden on her body caused her to suffer from back pain, knee and foot pain, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Since I was still breastfeeding and wanted to lose weight quickly, I went to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic for help.

If you want to get rid of excess fat after childbirth and not affect milk secretion, you might as well add some Chinese herbal medicines that can "replenish blood and promote lactation", such as angelica, red dates, and fenugreek.

Postpartum obesity is mostly spleen dampness edema type

Chinese medicine practitioner Liao Wanrong explained that Ally is a typical case of postpartum obesity. When a woman is pregnant, fat will accumulate in the abdomen, buttocks and thighs in order to protect the fetus in the womb. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen is the source of Qi and blood production. After giving birth, mothers suffer from constitutional edema due to weak Qi and blood, which makes their spleen weak and unable to transport water and moisture. In addition, during the confinement period, people over-supplemented themselves, lay down more and did not exercise. If they accidentally ate heavy-tasting food, water would be more easily retained in the body, which could easily lead to "obesity due to spleen dampness and edema."

The physical characteristics of spleen dampness edema type obesity should be distinguished

The characteristics of spleen dampness and edema type constitution are swelling of the lower body, soft and weak flesh, easy fatigue, dizziness and heaviness as if a wet towel is wrapped around the head, excessive vaginal discharge, gastrointestinal bloating, bland taste in the mouth, often a sticky feeling in the mouth, and a preference for heavy-tasting food to stimulate appetite, which results in a vicious cycle and more severe edema.

Postpartum weight loss Chinese medicine countermeasures to reduce swelling and dampness

Chinese medicine practitioner Liao Wanrong said that in view of Ally's obese physique, she chose Chinese medicinal herbs that can "strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, remove dampness and reduce swelling", such as Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Corn silk, etc. In order not to affect milk secretion, she added some Chinese medicinal herbs that can "replenish blood and promote lactation", such as Angelica sinensis, red dates, and Vaccaria segetalis. In addition, she used acupuncture thread embedding to target the abdomen, buttocks and thighs where fat is easily accumulated after childbirth, and advised Ally to give up her favorite spicy food and ice drinks. Within 180 days, Ally lost 12 kilograms, regained her slim figure, and was even thinner than before pregnancy.

Homemade Astragalus Tea for Postpartum Swelling

<Materials>:

Three qian of Astragalus, two qian of Angelica, two qian of Poria, two qian of Cassia Twig, one qian of Cyperus rotundus, one qian of Vaccaria segetalis, one qian of Plantago seed, and two qian of stir-fried Cassia seed.

<Method>:

1. Wash the herbs and put them into a medicine bag. Pour in 800 ml of boiling water and steep for 15 minutes before drinking.

2. When you have finished drinking half of the drink, you can add more water to rinse it back, and repeat this process until the taste becomes lighter.

<Function>: Tonify Qi and nourish blood, promote Qi and lactation, reduce swelling and eliminate dampness, moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements.

Astragalus tea for promoting lactation and reducing swelling can replenish qi and blood, promote qi and lactation, reduce swelling and dampness, and moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements. (Photo provided by Dr. Liao Wanrong)

Don't eat snacks when you are hungry while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can help you lose weight, but I often hear many mothers who breastfeed after giving birth complain that not only did they not lose weight, but they got fatter? Chinese medicine practitioner Liao Wanrong explained that exclusively breastfeeding will consume an additional 500-800 calories a day, but breastfeeding also makes it easy to get hungry, and the baby will eat more snacks such as bread and sweet soup after meals. If you do the math, a bowl of sweet soup has 400 calories, and a loaf of balsamic bread has 400 calories. The calories you consume in a day far exceed the calories consumed by breastfeeding. This is why many mothers do not lose weight but gain weight while breastfeeding.

If a breastfeeding mother is hungry, she can drink a cup of sugar-free soy milk or a cup of skim milk, which can supplement the nutrients needed for breastfeeding, make her feel full and are low in calories.

TCM physician Liao Wanrong said that breastfeeding mothers must drink more water. During the confinement period, they can brew "Astragalus Tea for Breastfeeding and Swelling Relief" as tea and drink at least 2000 ml a day. For mothers with diarrhea, the amount of angelica can be halved and the fried cassia seeds can be removed. For mothers with constipation, the fried cassia seeds can be replaced with raw cassia seeds, and the dosage can be increased to 5 qian depending on the situation. If there is breast inflammation, please stop taking it and consult a TCM physician.