I can't lose the weight. Frustrated. Moms help?

sweetpea129

Let me start by saying that i've been on MFP for 3 years now. I've lost 120 lbs in 2 years all thanks to this site and the support I receive on here. So, in general, i know what i'm doing. However, i'm at a loss now.

I had a baby 12 weeks ago. For the last 6 weeks i've religiously counted my cals. Nothing. I'm breast feeding and my supply dipped majorly a couple weeks ago and I figure i was eating too low cal so i added some back and the supply is much better but still not losing anything. All I ever heard was that breast feeding helps you shed the weight so quickly but I feel like its doing the exact opposite for me. Preventing me from losing anything. Im sure a lot of it is water weight but still i'm up 30 lbs since prepregnancy weight and my baby girl will be 3 months next week. It's making me rethink how long I actually want to BF. Dont judge, just being honest. Did anyone else have problems losing weight while BFing?!

pollypocket1021

I have had 3 kids, one of whom breastfed for 3 years. I never lost a pound while breastfeeding. The weight fell off as soon as I stopped. I know that is not typical, but it isn't unheard of either.

The benefits of breastfeeding are wildly over exaggerated. There's a lot of propaganda out there that is hurtful to moms and babies who struggle.

Don't beat yourself up if breastfeedimg isn't quite as utopian as the lactation consultant promised. It's just another bodily function.

XxQueenMxX

I did, I did half breast feed then formula, I don't think breastfeeding helped me much. Only thing I noticed was that the first few days it did make my stomach contract while I was breastfeeding and they said that would help shrink my uterus to its normal size. Although breastfeeding does help with weight loss for some, it may not for others. It's only been 3 months, like they say "it takes 9 months to gain all that, it will take a while to lose it". I know some moms go back like nothing within a few weeks. But I would say just take it easy! I promise with good diet and excersize you will go back to your goal weight. I'd suggest right now just focus on your baby and if breastfeeding is what you really want then continue to do so, watch the food you are eating too! Some foods are not that great for new moms, they make our stomachs bloated, create more fat. Eat clean, go for a walk with your baby. Do small changes now, that will allow you to continue BF (you don't want to affect your supply) because when you BF you actually have to add an additional 500 cals to your daily cal intake I belive. Then in a few months, go hard in the gym and diet.

kiradot

Actually, saying you lose more weight while breastfeeding isn't true. Your uterus shrinks back more quickly, making you appear smaller, but your body does need to hang onto fat for milk production. Studies have shown that most nursing mothers hang onto roughly 10 extra pounds until they are done nursing.

I have breastfed all three of mine (currently nursing) and was able to fully take the weight off only after I was done nursing. I was able to lose while nursing (as I am now) but at a slower rate. I know I won't fully be back to my goal until he is weaned, and I'm fine with that. The benefits that we both receive from nursing far outweigh my desire to wean prematurely. Trust me, the time goes by so quickly that it isn't as much of a sacrifice as you might think.

I think the previous poster saying that the benefits of breastfeeding are grossly overestimated is proven wrong by just about every medical study ever done (I say just about every, because I'm sure somewhere out there you can find one that contraindicates breastfeeding, if that's the case...look at the source). The benefits of breastfeeding are many for both the baby and for you. I'm not going to get into a breastfeeding debate but please do your research before you decide to wean such a young baby.

sweetpea129

Great, thanks ladies. At least i know its not an unheard of thing. I swear all i ever hear is "omg breastfeeding made me lose all of my baby weight right away!". I really have lost nothing in the last 2 months. Nothing at all. This is my 3rd baby but 1st time i breastfed so i wasnt sure what to expect.

nancyvdb74

I nursed all 6 of my kids and gained never lost when breast feeding

jonnyman41

breast fed both my kids (now 22 and 25) I did lose the extra weight very quickly after the first but I was really young and no idea if it was the feeding that did it. Took ten months after second baby though! If weight is your only issue with BF I would recommend sticking with it a bit longer for the health benefits and the convenience as it gets so much easier to do from around 10 weeks and is far more portable than bottle feeding can ever be. If you have other issues too then bottle feeding won't do any harm after all.

DawnieB1977

I actually gained weight breastfeeding as my supply was so crap that my babies lost weight (my first lost 30% of his birth weight) so I took fenugreek, nursing tea, even domperidone with my second. Apparently fenugreek and domperidone can cause weight gain, and I can't believe, looking back, how quickly I piled on weight. It seemed to happen overnight. So with all three of mine I started to lose, then suddenly gained a load. And my supply was still crap, so I ended up supplementing with formula more and more and eventually at 3 months with all of them had to give up on bf entirely. I have to admit I was heartbroken about it, and I'd have given anything to have been able to bf.

So, as I was mix feeding I was able to be back in the gym early on as hubby could give a bottle, and I was calorie counting. I still only lost an average of 1lb a week.

Make sure you're eating enough, but try to increase your activity level. Lots of walks with your baby. I loved that with my first, I walked every day on the seafront. I still do lots of walking now, but it's not as relaxing with a school run to do, and a threenager in tow lol. My baby is 10 months.

3 months is nothing, and your hormones are still all over the place. Please don't give up on bf for that reason. Be thankful you're able to do it.

sweetpea129

Yeah hoping to get walking once it warms up. Mine are 4 yrs, 5 yrs & 3 months. Not as easy to just go out alone with all 3 but we will when we can

vrkyllonen

breastfed all mine and lost weight while doing so...after i quit is when i gained about 10 lbs each time.

ArkMom35

Another mom here (of four) who never lost an ounce breastfeeding. Just try to eat healthy, exercise as you can, and take care of that sweet baby girl, the weight can wait (ha).

dydn11402

wow i can so relate to what youre going through! i also had a baby just about 3 months ago and cant lose any weight. ive been working out since 5 weeks post partum (running and a mix of jillian michaels and t25) and counting calories since 8 weeks pp. nothing! first i was adding in 500 for breast feeding but then lowered it to 400 and still nothing. i even gained 2 lbs when i didnt log for 2 days (and i dont think i went all that crazy those days at all). if i let up even a little i gain and then cant lose what i gained. i feel like im hanging on by a thread just to maintain. with my previous babies, i gained 10 lbs by the time baby was 6 months old but i was not counting calories or exercising. was hoping it was just that i was eating too much and this time would be different. i guess i should be happy i can at least maintain but it is soooooo frustrating.
i am not willing to wean for my vanity but it is a real sacrifice. i nurse my babies well into toddlerhood because i really believe in it. in the past though, the weight issue did end at some point but not sure exactly when (when i got my period back maybe?).
bottom line, there are definitely women who cant lose (or gain) while nursing and it has something to do with the hormones estrogen, prolactin, and progesterone which are involved in nursing. our bodies hold on to the extra fat so we can make milk. i wish there were a magic answer. if you find one let me know!
btw, are you on the mini pill by chance? wondering if it is connected to that.

jemhh

I breastfed my daughter for 27 months and definitely did not find that it helped me lose any weight. Especially in the first several months (maybe first year? it was long enough ago that my memory is fading) it made me extremely hungry and thirsty.

I would say increase activity when possible and eat/drink enough to keep up your supply if breastfeeding is something that you want to stick with right now.

Congrats on the new baby, by the way!

HeySwoleSister

I breastfed all three of my kids for around 3 years each. These are some high-mileage boobs, I tell you.

I lost my babyweight FAST about 2-4 months after birth. However, the magical weight reduction powers of nursing really depend on your style of feeding. If you schedule feeds, supplement with formula, or otherwise limit time at the breast? It's probably not burning a lot and your supply will be very sensitive to any reduction in intake. I think the reason I lost so much weight so quickly is that I did more what the LLL people called "environmental breastfeeding," so no schedule, BF on demand, cosleeping, no solids until 8-10 months or later. I was STARVING, ate all the time, and lost the weight fast.

Those factors also determine how nursing will impact your fertility. Lots of people make assumptions and end up with surprise siblings, I on the other hand went a year without a period for my first (when I was still in my 20s and apparently a lot more fertile!) and two years after the younger two.

If you are in the Northern hemisphere, you've also been cooped up inside for a while, keeping baby away from RSV and other nasties, so I'm sure your activity level is less than you'd like. As it gets warmer and baby gets bigger, plan on lots of stroller walks outside, that will help a lot as well! Your older kids will be happy with more park days, too.

12 weeks isn't that long, I'd expect you to still be carrying some extra fluid and fat stores from pregnancy for at least another few months. Some women do carry their fat stores throughout breastfeeding, but not all.

And, finally...this isn't true of everyone, I'm sure...but every woman I know who has more than 2 kids says that it got harder and harder and took longer and longer to "bounce back" after pregnancy. Defnitely true for me, probably a combo of 3 kinds plus age...my body at 28 for the first kid was more resilient than it was at 35 with #3!

honeybee_kisses

I have 3 children and breast fed 2 of them. I didn't lose any weight but it did make my tummy go down a lot quicker. Your baby is only 3 months old, don't put too much pressure on yourself to be losing weight already. If you're enjoying breast feeding then just enjoy this amazing time which you can never have back, you've got plenty of time to lose those extra pounds when you've stopped nursing. If you don't enjoy it though then don't feel guilty if you decide to make the switch to formula. Ultimately you're the only one who knows what's best for you and your baby

DawnieB1977

sweetpea129 wrote: »

Yeah hoping to get walking once it warms up. Mine are 4 yrs, 5 yrs & 3 months. Not as easy to just go out alone with all 3 but we will when we can

Mine are 5, 3 and 10 months. My eldest goes to school (kids start school at 4 in England) so we have to all be out by 8:20am to get him to school. My husband works shifts so on earlies week he's out the house at 5am so I have to do this on my own. So we've been out walking pretty much every day since she was 4 weeks old (when hubby's paternity leave and annual leave finished). I go out for my own sanity lol, my kids are so full of energy, they need to burn it off.

AbsoluteTara79

With both of my babies I waited until a year to get serious about losing the weight. I did lose much of it between 3-12 months by just being active when I could, and eating pretty healthy most of the time. It was a very slow loss. But I did not do a structured program or log at all until baby turned a year and really upped intake of solids. The stress, and hunger from breastfeeding hormones was not worth fighting with. Be kind to yourself and set reasonable expectations. It's a just a blip in the grand scheme.

kellienw335

I didn't lose weight while BFing, but gained about 15 pounds immediately after stopping. You just had a baby! You're a mom of three kids! Don't be so hard on yourself!

HeySwoleSister

kellienw335 wrote: »

I didn't lose weight while BFing, but gained about 15 pounds immediately after stopping. You just had a baby! You're a mom of three kids! Don't be so hard on yourself!

Oh, yeah. After 10 years of being pregnant or nursing, and coming up on 40? When my youngest finally gave up the boob? BOOM. The weight found me. Fast.

sweetpea129

Thanks all, appreciate all the thoughts!!

A few things to reply to but instead of quoting I'll just do it here

Not on the mini pill. Just got the non hormonal IUD placed a couple weeks ago.

Yes, can't wait to start walking and just getting outside! We live in buffalo, we are pounded with snow every year. Still cold now but in the next few weeks should get much better!

As for whether I enjoy breast feeding and want to stick with it... Not sure I'd say I enjoy it. I am indifferent to it. I think many of the claims are highly exaggerated and me, personally, wouldn't mind giving it up tomorrow. However, my girl loves it. She hates the taste of formula and really loves nursing. The taste and the comfort. I also notice a huge difference in her when she gets breast milk compared to formula (much gasser, constipated and spits up more with formula) so i know breast is best for her tummy. I don't have any plans to do it long term. I originally wanted to make it to a month to prove to myself that I could do it. Wanted to quit multiple times those first two weeks but told myself I would stick it out for the first month no matter what so I kept to that. Then I said 3 months. Now I'd like to make it to 6 months when she starts solids. So, basically, I'm okay with whatever happens, just taking it day by day. But I can't lie when I say it's kinda depressing to not see the scale move. I worked damn hard to lose those 120 lbs lol!!

angelexperiment

It will come off. Drink lits of water. I think you have to eat a surplus bc of bf one of my friends does on here. Also from what I know iuds can cause you to not lose. And give it some time you just had a baby it took a good 6 months to get my body semi normal. Now at 10 months I am finally having success. Just be patient your body took 9 months to produce your baby so they say it takes equally as long to get to normal.