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Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss in Dubai

Post-pregnancy weight loss is simple with Dr Felix's personal care. There is no crash diet, no guessing what is safe while breastfeeding, and medication is prescribed by your doctor when there is a medical reason for it.

Your first visit includes a full medical check-up and detailed blood work. Dr Felix builds your plan on what the results show.

Dr Felix Happich
Written byDr Felix Happich, MDDHA-licensed physician · Dubai Healthcare City
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Post-pregnancy weight loss in Dubai: mother walking with her toddler along a palm-lined path
01

Safe while breastfeeding

Your plan follows current medical guidance for breastfeeding mothers. Weight loss injections start only after you stop breastfeeding.

02

Blood work first

Thyroid problems after birth are common and often mistaken for normal tiredness. Dr Felix checks thyroid, blood sugar and more before planning your weight loss.

03

One doctor, start to finish

This is a personal practice. Dr Felix Happich, German-trained and DHA-licensed, sees you himself.

Straight answers before you book

Mother holding her sleeping newborn on the sofa in the evening

Why is it harder to lose weight after pregnancy?

Weight loss after pregnancy slows down after the first six weeks. About half of the weight gained in pregnancy is gone six weeks after birth, and the rest comes off slowly over the next six months.

Weight is more likely to stay in women who were heavier before pregnancy, gained a lot during pregnancy, sleep little or have less time for exercise. Losing the weight early pays off. In a long-term study, women back at their pre-pregnancy weight six months after birth gained 2.4 kg over the following years, compared with 8.3 kg in women who were not.

5.4 kgis what mothers still carry on average six months or more after birth. One in four carries more than 9 kg.US National Academy of Medicine estimates
Mother preparing a healthy lunch bowl in her kitchen next to her baby

Can I lose weight while breastfeeding?

Weight loss while breastfeeding is safe with a moderate diet plus exercise. Breastfeeding mothers who eat about 500 kcal less per day and exercise four days a week lose around 0.5 kg per week without reducing milk supply.

500 kcal less a day+exercise 4 days a week→about 0.5 kg a week

A randomised trial in the New England Journal of Medicine tested this plan in 40 overweight breastfeeding mothers from week 4 to week 14 after birth. The mothers lost 4.8 kg, compared with 0.8 kg in the control group, and their babies grew normally (Lovelady et al., 2000). Diet and exercise work best together. Exercise alone does not lead to weight loss after birth, and diet alone reduces muscle mass.

What should I eat to lose weight while breastfeeding?

A weight loss diet while breastfeeding cuts calories moderately and keeps protein and iron high. For breastfeeding mothers with excess weight, about 1,800 to 2,200 kcal per day is a safe target. Below about 1,500 kcal per day, milk volume can drop.

  • Protein: at least 71 g a day while breastfeeding.
  • Iron: often low after birth, up to one in three women has anaemia.
  • No keto: very low-carb diets can cause lactation ketoacidosis.
  • Vegan: take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Which medical checks make sense postpartum?

Postpartum thyroiditis, an inflammation of the thyroid within the first year after birth, affects about 7 to 8 percent of women. The underactive phase usually starts two to six months after birth and causes low energy, feeling cold, constipation and dry skin, symptoms often mistaken for normal newborn tiredness. Most women recover within a year, but 20 to 40 percent develop a permanently underactive thyroid within 3 to 12 years.

Anaemia affects up to one in three women after birth. Women who had gestational diabetes have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes later, even with a normal glucose test after birth. A blood test picks up all three.

Can I use weight loss injections while breastfeeding?

Weight loss injections such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are not recommended while breastfeeding. The EU product information states that semaglutide should not be used during breastfeeding, because it passed into milk in animal studies and a risk to the baby cannot be excluded (EMA, Wegovy product information).

Safety data for GLP-1 medicines during breastfeeding are limited, so treatment usually starts after breastfeeding ends.

How soon after birth or a C-section can I start?

Mother doing a gentle stretch at home next to her baby

Exercise after a vaginal birth can start as soon as it feels comfortable. Activities that cause pain or exhaustion should wait. After a caesarean section, the healing wound decides the timing.

Weight loss medication comes later. For women who did not qualify for it before pregnancy, current guidance recommends three to six months of lifestyle changes after birth first.

  1. After birthFood and movement, once it feels comfortable
  2. First 3 to 6 monthsLifestyle changes before any medication
  3. After breastfeeding endsWeight loss medication becomes an option
Dr. Felix Happich, MD

Dr Felix Happich, MD decides with you whether medication fits and when. Nothing is prescribed on request alone.

Who can get weight loss medication after pregnancy?

Weight loss medication after pregnancy is an option for women who have stopped breastfeeding and meet the medical criteria. The American College of Physicians suggests medication at a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

GLP-1 medicines are not used in pregnancy. Women taking semaglutide should use contraception and stop it at least two months before a planned pregnancy, because the medicine stays in the body for weeks (EMA, Wegovy product information).

Dr Felix Happich decides with you whether medication fits after pregnancy and breastfeeding. How the medicines work: GLP-1 weight loss treatment. All options for adults: Medical Weight Loss Clinic Dubai.

Your first consultation with Dr Felix

  1. Goals and history

    Your weight before, during and after pregnancy, whether you breastfeed, your sleep and your daily routine.

  2. Medical review

    Examination, body composition, blood pressure and blood work covering glucose, thyroid, liver and kidney function.

  3. Suitability decision

    Dr Felix explains what is driving your weight and whether medication is appropriate now, later or not at all.

  4. Personal plan

    A written plan with nutrition, protein and training targets, any medicine with its dose steps, and your follow-up dates.

More questions from mothers

Does breastfeeding help with weight loss?

Breastfeeding has only a small effect on weight loss in most studies. In one cohort study, women who breastfed exclusively for six months kept 0.5 kg three years after birth, compared with 4.8 kg in women who never breastfed exclusively.

I had gestational diabetes. Does that change my plan?

Gestational diabetes raises the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life, even when the glucose test after birth is normal. A glucose tolerance test after birth is recommended, and weight loss lowers the risk for women with obesity.

Should I fast in Ramadan while breastfeeding?

Short fasts do not reduce milk supply but can slightly change milk composition. Longer fasting can affect a breastfeeding mother's nutrition, and breastfeeding women can be excused from fasting for health reasons. Mothers who want to fast should adjust their weight loss target for those weeks.

What if I plan another pregnancy?

The best gap between births is about 18 to 24 months. A large weight gain between pregnancies raises the risk of complications such as pre-eclampsia in the next pregnancy. Semaglutide must be stopped at least two months before trying to conceive.

A post-pregnancy weight loss plan built around your baby

One consultation with Dr Felix in Dubai Healthcare City. You leave knowing what is safe now and what comes later.

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Sources

  1. Wegovy: Summary of Product Characteristics, European Medicines Agency. Breastfeeding, contraception and pregnancy planning
  2. The effect of weight loss in overweight, lactating women on the growth of their infants, New England Journal of Medicine 2000, PubMed abstract. Diet and exercise while breastfeeding
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