New mums warned against rapid weight loss

New mums are under enormous pressure to slim down almost immediately after giving birth, it was claimed today.

Rapid weight loss after becoming a mother – a trend adopted by many celebrity mums – is having an adverse affect on Irish women’s health, a dietician warned.

Nutrition expert Sarah Keogh said the weeks after giving birth are not the time to think about losing weight.

“With so much media attention focusing on the dramatic weight loss of some high profile celebrities, following the birth of their child, many mums feel under enormous pressure to get back to their normal weight almost immediately after giving birth,” said the nutrition expert.

“This is not advisable and can have adverse affects especially if a crash diet is involved.

“In most cases, immediate significant weight loss is an unachievable goal and it’s important to remember that most Irish people have very different lifestyles to celebrities and don’t necessarily have the luxury of personal trainers and dieticians.”

Sarah, a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI), today launched a new Healthy Eating During Pregnancy guide for pregnant women and new mums.

Produced for SuperValu, it will be available in all stores nationwide from today.

Expectant mums, including model Natasha Bryam, are among those backing the campaign.

“The weeks after giving birth are not the time to think about losing weight,” continued Sarah.

“This is a time when your body has a high dependency for really good nutrition and diets can be counterproductive both in terms of nutritional content and long-term weight loss or weight maintenance.

“I speak to so many new mums who want to lose weight almost immediately, without giving their bodies time to recover.

“It’s really only when things start to calm down and a mother feels that she has a little more energy that she should even think about reverting to her original weight, through a combination of healthy eating and physical activity.”

Expectant mums using pregnancy as a reason to eat for two are also targeted in the leaflet.

Sarah added: “You don’t need to follow a special diet when you are pregnant but you don’t need to think about eating double the amount of other foods.

“The best advice is to follow healthy eating guidelines and follow a well balanced eating plan with lots of variety and a little bit of common sense.”

Healthy eating tips include:

:: Get plenty of iron through iron-rich foods such as red meat, chicken, eggs, beans and green leafy vegetables

:: Take folic acid before becoming pregnant and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy

:: Eat Omega-3 fats – special fats that baby needs to help develop healthy eyes, nerves and brain – which are found in oil-rich fish and some nuts, seeds and oils.

During pregnancy avoid undercooked or raw eggs – and products such as home-made mayonnaise or ice cream , undercooked meat or fish, unpasteurised milk, cheese and yoghurt, soft cheeses, pate and liver.

The new guide is the first in a series of leaflets for SuperValu which will provide practical advice across a range of nutritional issues and at pertinent times of the year.