Sheri Lerner - Bouncing Back from Pregnancy: The Body by God Plan for Getting Your Body and Life Back After Baby Arrives

Copyright 2005 by Sheri Lerner

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scriptures quotations noted TLB are from THE LIVING BIBLE (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971) and are used by permission.

Scriptures quotations noted KJV are from The Holy Bible, KING JAMES VERSION.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lerner, Sheri.
Bouncing back from pregnancy : the body by god plan for getting your body and life back after baby arrives / Sheri Lerner.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7852-0966-2 (pbk.)
1. HealthReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. MothersReligious life. 3. Physical fitness for women. 4. MothersHealth and hygiene. 5. Time manage mentReligious aspectsChristianity. 6. Lerner, Ben. Body by God. I. Title.
BT732.L455 2005
248.8'431dc22

2005008734

Printed in the United States of America

05 06 07 08 09 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Id like to dedicate this book
to my parents,
Eugene and Diane Schantzenbach

Contents

The BODY BY GOD
Quick Reference Guide

Your Body by God Plan for Getting Your Body and Life Back After Baby Arrives is broken into six sections:

I. Im Pregnant. Will I Ever Be Thin Again?

II. My Baby Is Here! Now What?

III. Fueling for Bouncing Back

IV. Movement for Bouncing Back

V. Stress Management by God for Moms

VI. Time Management by God for Moms

Important Tip: Start with Whats Best for You

If one section of the book interests you more than another right now, you can skip directly to that section.

Together, all of these sections will help you to bounce back after pregnancy effectively and efficiently. As a mother, however, I also realize that there are days when you might need one section more than another, such as the ones on stress or time management.

The following is a quick reference guide to the different areas I will cover. You can start at the beginning and work your way through the book or choose the area that best reflects your needs at the present moment, which will allow you to get immediate answers and results.

Note: Seek Professional Advice

Obviously, in a book this size, we cannot deal with every possible situation that might occur during anyones pregnancy. Therefore, if you have any questions or concerns at all, please contact your health-care provider.

Where to Turn to See Some Changes Today!

During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a wonderful experience, but for many it is filled with challenges. Thankfully, you can do some things to overcome these challenges and make your pregnancy an easier and more enjoyable experience. For help, turn to page 3.

The First Few Weeks After Pregnancy

Sleep deprivation is common for all women with newborns. For some women, postpartum depression sets in as well. The first few weeks can be the most trying, but there is hope. Things do get better. Ill show you how on pages 47-60.

Nutrition

To start losing those unwanted pounds you gained during your pregnancy right away, begin adding foods from the Food by God list found on pages 78-81. You will also want to follow the Un-Diet Food Guide found on pages 104-121. This unique guide will help you make remarkable changes in your body.

Exercise

You may now be looking in the mirror and wondering, Whose body is this? But you can regain your old figure, and possibly even a better one, by making exercise part of your regular routine. To start, see page 135.

Stress Management

While the words Mom and stress often seem to go hand in hand, it doesnt have to be that way. All of useven momshave the ability to keep stress to a minimum. No, life will never be the same once children enter the picture, but there is good stress and bad stress. To live a life without bad stress, turn to page 211.

Time Management

A mother has to be a master of time management. Nothing is more critical to the success of a Body by God family than your ability to manage your time instead of allowing time to manage you. Scheduling time for God, your children, and your spouse will help control stress as well as enhance your life. For help, see page 243.

Caution: Contact Your Health-Care Provider

Before making significant changes in nutritional habits or beginning new forms of exercise, always consult your health-care provider.

W hats it like to be pregnant? Ask any number of women who have been there and done that, and youll get almost as many answers. Pregnancy is different for everyone. But God knows how much and exactly what each of us can handle. Some women never feel better (or more beautiful) than when they are pregnant, while others have a more difficult time. If youre pregnant, remember that God never gives you more than you can deal with, and He intends to go through this pregnancy with you, holding your body, soul, and spirit in the palm of His hand. If youve already given birth, it will help you to remember that He will be there for you throughout the days of adjustment ahead as well.

How do I know this? I know it from personal experience, because becoming a mother gave me new insights into my relationship with God. I also know it from Psalm 139:16, which states, You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe (TLB). Thats not only true for you, but for your baby as well.

Did you ever wonder if the very first mother, Eve, experienced morning sickness? Remember that she didnt have the benefit of having a mother or friend to talk to about what was happening to her when she began gaining weight and craving ice cream and pickles. She had no one to talk to except Adam, and he was in no position to understand how she felt. Eve didnt even have a midwife! (See how blessed you are?)

While many things have changed since the day Eve first became pregnant, many things have not. Pregnancy still requires your body to expand and change in ways you never imagined, and you may not like what you see or feel. But keep in mind that these transformations all happen because God has a great gift for you: your child.

Just because your body has altered itself to accommodate your baby, it doesnt have to fall apart and malfunction. Gods plan is for you to maintain a healthy body during pregnancy, then bounce back. While not everything will go perfectlyyou may not be able to fit into your jeans immediately and may continue to have hormonal breakdownsyou will succeed in bouncing back after pregnancy by incorporating Gods wisdom into your lifestyle.

Unfortunately, many new mothers put themselves and their health on the back burner due to the demands of motherhood. If youve ever listened to a flight attendant explain how to use an oxygen mask, you know that the first step is to put on your