A. “Your body is designed to lose that weight, as long as you eat an adequate, healthy diet and are patient. It took nine months to put it on, give yourself nine months to take it off, and don’t stress too much about it. It’s not time to crash diet or go on a strict regimen. A lot of women hit the gym too soon and too hard, or they put themselves on a strict diet. But studies show that this is actually a recipe for weight gain, since you tend to regain what you lost, plus more, after you go back to eating like normal. The media adds to this pressure by showing celebrities after they’ve had a baby and critiquing how fast they are losing the baby weight. Also keep in mind that some of that extra padding we put on during pregnancy is nature’s way of storing energy for breastfeeding. You need extra calories if you’re breastfeeding, but you don’t have to worry about consciously eating those calories unless you find yourself losing too much weight.”