title: Trajectory of weight changes in the first 6 weeks postpartum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the trajectory of postpartum weight changes and to examine associations between weight change in the first 6 weeks postpartum and demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, longitudinal design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community hospital and university research setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  26 low-income women (9 White, 8 Black, and 9 Hispanic) with uncomplicated term pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body mass index measured weekly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among White women, body mass index decreased significantly for the first 3 weeks of the postpartum period. Black women experienced a significant reduction in body mass index for only the first 2 postpartum weeks. Similarly, the postpartum body mass index decreased for the first 2 weeks for Hispanic women. Prepregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain each had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index. Perception of social support at 4 weeks had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index in Black women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trajectory of weight change was nonlinear with large initial weight losses during the first 2 to 3 weeks postpartum followed by weight plateaus for the remainder of the first 6 weeks postpartum.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin 78701-1499, USA. lwalker@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Lorraine O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Bobbie Sue
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sterling
authors.forename: Minseong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
authors.forename: Gayle M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Timmerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology; D016014:Linear Models; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D015206:Southwestern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology