Where All That Pregnancy Weight Goes

We LOLed when we read that Jessica Simpson thought her pregnancy weight would disappear after her baby was born. No doubt, it's hard to lose baby weight, but... . Turns out, some of it does disappear after the baby comes out. Curious to know where baby weight goes, we got Cosmo Radio women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, to break it down for us.

By Korin Miller, Cosmopolitan editor

The Baby: 7.5 Pounds

Pregnancy weight gain varies from woman to woman. But the average total is 30 pounds per pregnancy—and 7.5 of that is baby, which does go away once the little one comes out.

Placenta: 1.5 Pounds

The placenta connects the developing fetus to your uterine wall, and it comes out when you give birth, too.

Your Blood: 4 Pounds

When you're pregnant, your body produces more blood to help the baby grow and keep you healthy. It eventually goes back to normal.

Your Uterus: 2 Pounds

During pregnancy, your uterus is about 15 times heavier than usual. After the baby comes out, it slowly shrinks back.

Your Boobs: 2 Pounds

Good news if you've always wanted a bigger set: You can go up two cup sizes or more during pregnancy. Why? The pregnancy hormone progesterone stimulates growth of breast tissue to get your tatas ready for breastfeeding. They'll go down again after you give birth or stop nursing.

Fluid: 4 Pounds

This is usually due to water retention, which gradually dissipates after the baby is born.

Fat: 7 Pounds

Your bod wants you to gain weight when you're prego, and it stores fat during that time. Why? Just in case you get stranded somewhere without food, this fat store ensures that you and the baby will be okay for a little while.

Amniotic Fluid: 2 Pounds

This is the liquid that nourishes and protects your baby when it's in the uterus. It also comes out with the baby.

Source: Cosmopolitan