If you’re thinking of becoming pregnant soon, or are pregnant, weight gain is probably something you’ve thought about a lot. How much will I gain throughout the pregnancy? Will it be easy to lose the weight? These questions plague most every woman at least once during their pregnancy, more often at the doctor’s office once they weigh you. While it’s true that some of the baby weight will fall off once you begin breastfeeding, many women struggle for years to drop those last few pounds, even though they seem to be constantly up and active.
A lot of women turn toward the HCG diet, since it works quickly, but is it right for you to use before, during, or soon after your pregnancy? While the HCG hormone is found naturally in your body during your pregnancy, which is what pregnancy tests detect in your urine, the diet plan itself is what may concern new mothers, or very near-future mothers. So should you consider the HCG diet while pregnant? Let’s break down what to think about when pregnancy is also a factor in your weight loss plan.
The HCG Diet Before Becoming Pregnant
If you and your partner are thinking of starting, or growing, your family soon, you’ll want to lose those extra pounds you’ve been holding onto. Obesity can begin during pregnancy, and follow you after you’ve given birth, so starting with a healthy weight is essential to bouncing back after you’ve given birth. Many women who are planning their next pregnancy and their weight loss, will be advised to begin this diet at least three months before you would ideally like to become pregnant.
During your initial round of the HCG diet you can use the injections, nasal spray, or drops, depending on your lifestyle and preference. Since you may want to go through a second round of the diet, you’ll need to keep this in mind when planning your pregnancy. Since most of your weight loss will be in your first round, it would be in your best interest to do your first round for 40 days, instead of 23, but only if you are looking to lose more than 25 pounds.
Birth Control While On The Diet
When thinking of the HCG diet and pregnancy, the best time to begin is going to be before you are pregnant, if you can help it. Be careful though, women have noticed that they will show a false positive pregnancy test while on the diet, though most state that the indicator will only show up faintly. If you are not using any birth control, keep an eye on your tests and follow up with your doctor should they be positive.
Some women have said they actually became pregnant while on the HCG diet, because they will also go off of their birth control a few months before they try as well. Many prescription birth control methods, except for shots, advise that you can become pregnant as soon as you stop using the method. With this in mind, work with your doctor to plan when you should stop your birth control, so that you can use other birth control methods while on the diet and not before you would ideally like to become pregnant.
The HCG Diet While Pregnant
The HCG is not recommended while you are pregnant, since your body, and your baby, will need all the nutrients you can get. If you are concerned about your weight while pregnant, work with your doctor to come up with a nutrition plan throughout your pregnancy. Some medical offices who work with HCG diet patients will have a meal plan for you, so that you are ready to begin the diet when you are ready after you give birth.
Many women give in to different cravings during pregnancy, which are foods often high in fats, starches, and sugars. If it’s your first baby, you’ll be invited to dinners, and more likely thrown a baby shower, which will again have many sugary foods that will tempt you. As with every indulgence, take it in moderation, and you’ll have a much easier time sticking with a diet after you give birth.
HCG Diet After Pregnancy: Time to Lose!
Now you’ve brought the baby home, sent every family member at least a dozen pictures, and are heating up all those dinners you made before you gave birth. Your body is changing quickly, and maybe you’ve found yourself looking in the mirror much longer in the mornings, but at this time it’s time to focus on the health of you and your baby. After you give birth, you’ll most likely be breastfeeding, and you must wait until you are no longer doing so in order to start the diet. It is important for new moms who breastfeed to take in at least 500 more calories, so again you’ll need to work with your physician to understand a nutrition plan catered to your needs.
While you won’t lose as much as you would on the HCG diet (see more here), you will drop a lot of that baby weight as long as you follow a healthy meal plan. If you are not breastfeeding, for personal or medical reasons, you can normally begin the HCG diet after a six week period. If six weeks isn’t in the cards for you, try to begin it as soon as you are able to, so that you don’t fall into any bad eating habits, further adding weight that you’d like to lose.
For many new mothers, the idea of HCG injections doesn’t fit in with their lifestyle, but there are different intake methods for everyone. The HCG drops are becoming very popular, since they are easy to obtain, and the homeopathic drops do not need refrigeration. Injections can be taken, as well as pills, cream, nd the nasal spray, and they’re all safe to use after you are breastfeeding.
Start A Healthy Life Now!
A healthy lifestyle will give you more energy during and after your pregnancy. Ideally, you can begin to set up those healthy habits before becoming pregnant. While there is plenty of information available to you about the HCG diet and pregnancy, your number one source should be your doctor and a medical professional who can write a prescription for you for HCG.
While you are pregnant you should not attempt the HCG diet, but afterward, the HCG drops and pregnancy are almost a match made in heaven, since they’re easy to carry around, and you can purchase them easily without a prescription. Having a baby is a joyous time for new mothers, but the weight gained during pregnancy can lead to obesity and future health problems, so going into a pregnancy with a healthy weight is important.