Our internet friend Rachel sends us a link to an article teaching us that according to new studies, there is a direct correlation between how much sleep new mothers get, and how much baby weight they are able to lose:
“We’ve known for some time that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and obesity in the general population, but this study shows that getting enough sleep — even just two hours more — may be as important as a healthy diet and exercise for new mothers to return to their pre-pregnancy weight,” said Erica Gunderson of Kaiser Permanente, which runs hospitals and clinics in California.
Francesca understands that scientists do studies about all sorts of things, and her interest in losing post-pregnancy weight does not make Ms. Gunderson a jerk, just a scientist who has researched something that is of interest to people, and she is simply reporting the findings. The facts are what they are (at least, until some other study shows the opposite.)
Still, Francesca wishes to shake her by the lapels of her lab coat and say “how in hell’s name is a new mother supposed to get more sleep?”
Because, you know, being tired wasn’t enough of a reason for new mothers to try to get more sleep. Now that we see that staying up with a crying child prevents weight loss, the new mothers of the world will come up with some new way of getting Junior to shut up and let her get some zzz’s, right?
Ah, but the article addresses this question:
“With the results of this study, new mothers must be wondering, ‘How can I get more sleep for both me and my baby?’ Our team is working on new studies to answer this important question,” said Dr. Matthew Gillman of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
Ah, thank you Dr. Gillman. Thank you for understanding that new mothers weren’t wondering before this new study how they can get more sleep. Francesca is so happy to see that you understand that it is only now that we have the results of this study about weight that they care to get a full night’s rest.
Bah. Humbug.
Bah humbug indeed, sometimes smart people (scientists?) can be so dumb!
Comment by Alexandra — November 27, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
As a relatively new mom who had > 30 lbs of baby fat to lose, some of which, two years later, is still adding some lumpy-squishies (I love that term), I read this study differently–not as in, OH GREAT, in addition to diet and exercise I NOW have to get MORE SLEEP (yeah right) in order to lose this weight–but as OHHHH I am going to feel so much less guilty about my extra curves because there’s even MORE reason that I haven’t been able to work this off. More like:
1. You need to get enough sleep to lose the baby weight.
2. You cannot get enough sleep with a new baby to lose the baby weight.
3. Therefore chill on the losing-the-baby-weight thing already, it’ll happen when it happens. Like when the baby is grown and gone to college and you can sleep more at night. Maybe.
Comment by Marvel — November 27, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
I love the way the doctor says “even just two hours more,” as though that were just a minor point. People who just have jobs often have trouble arranging to get more sleep, let alone people with tiny babies.
Just IMHO, and no offense intended at all, but I don’t see any reason anybody should feel guilty about what they weigh before, after, or during any stage of baby creation, production, and post-production, or even if there’s no baby anywhere to be found :)
Comment by Bridey — November 27, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
Because new mothers have so little to worry about overall, you know. Those first few months are nothing but champagne wishes and caviar dreams, minus the champagne and caviar and dreams. Wishes aplenty, though–mainly for more goddamn sleep.
Comment by Nicole — November 27, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
Thank you for posting this — it has been annoying the ever living bleep out of me since I initially read it somewhere else! Plus, after two kids it was really proved that ‘nine months on, nine months off’…and even if it’s not all ‘off’…who cares? If you are getting through the day with a modicum of sanity and are relatively healthy, to hell with it. Thank you for your eternal good sense, btw :)
Comment by Heather — November 28, 2007 @ 4:52 pm
Passing through and wanted to tell you I enjoyed my stay
Comment by Jessica — January 10, 2008 @ 7:22 am