Any nursing Mamas out there?

agutleber

So, I love myfitnesspal. I just had a baby about 3 months ago and am exclusively breastfeeding. I was doi g weight watcbers which has a progrqm specifically for nursj g mothers which I thiught would be best. But I HATE their app. It is awful and therefore I was nottrackibg the way I should. So my question is, what do you use for a calorie goal to allow for continued adequate milk supply? I calculated what my cal goal should be, then added 500 cals tk that. I am goi g to try this to see if it works, but any other advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

ihumpwaffles

Hi there! I'm also EBF my 4 month old. I added 400 to the goal the app gave me and haven't had any problems with my milk supply. I looked it up somewhere and some places say to add 300-500 depending on your size and how much baby is eating..I might have to look it up again. I went to a nutritionist yesterday about it. She said that as long as I get all my fruits and veggies, eat healthy, and down lots if water I'll be fine.. Generic nutritionist answer

neandermagnon

sounds like you're doing everything right.... just be prepared to adjust the breastfeeding calories, e.g.. if your baby's having a growth spurt and is really hungry, adjust them upwards to compensate for making extra milk. And when he starts taking solid food, he'll need less milk so start to adjust your calories downwards as he takes more solid food and less milk. take the fat loss slowly and steadily, it's not a race. You're more likely to maintain in the long term if you lose it slowly, plus you have to make milk as well!!

if you keep an eye on your milk supply and energy levels, and also get plenty of water, you should be fine. If your supply starts dropping you can always add in a couple of hundred extra calories. Same if you feel drained all the time, because that can be a sign you're not getting enough to eat.

make sure you're getting plenty of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats too, because you need them for yourself as well as your baby. Especially calcium. Your baby's bones are laying down calcium, which is why milk is full of calcium, and why you need to make sure you're getting enough otherwise your body can actually draw calcium from your bones to go in your milk. Calcium is in green vegetables, nuts and beans, as well as dairy products.

I breastfed my two girls exclusively for 5-6 months, then part time up to age 2 (first one) and 2.5 (second one) and also lost weight while breastfeeding both times.

agutleber

Thanks! I may be a little generous with the 500 Val's, but I will see how the next couple weeks go.

Good luck!

belle_of_the_bar

My daughter will be 1 Saturday and I've been breastfeeding the entire time. They say it's about 20 calories to produce an ounce of breastmilk and most babies will take 20-30 ounces a day, so I log 500 calories for breastfeeding in my food diary. I figure it's a pretty good average based on her nursing 4-5 times a day.

JenStorm80

I'm still nursing my 15 month old. She only nurses for 3-7 mins 3-4 times a day. Never thought about adding those calories burned to my daily exercise.

Eliminatelazy1211

Hi, my name is Doria. I just had my second child who is 3 weeks old and i also breastfeed and pump o i make twice what he eats. i was at 1500 calories while i was pregnant bc i was at 1200 before i got pregnant and i have stayed at 1500 calories and have lost 17 pounds since he was born. i produce a little over three ounces per side as of right now every 2 hours. i eat healthy and drink TONS of water.

Strongmomkris

How are you guys logging the calories? I strictly nurse and she eats about 32 ounces a day. They say that is about 620 calories. Just wondering if there is an easy way to log this everyday

mimi10453

My baby is turning 4 months. I nurse on demand and my calories on a daily basis is 1250. If she eats more than usual, then I'll add 300 calories. I lost about 20 lbs without any effort. 18 more to go to my pre pregnancy weight.

technobunny

My daughter is 14 months old and we've been nursing since day 1.
I didn't start MFP until she was on solids (she only nurses 2 times a day now, and I pump once at work), so I do not log those calories.
Prior to MFP I lost 35 LBS thanks to breastfeeding.

Go BOOBS!

Tsmashaddie

I had my LO 5 weeks ago by unscheduled c section and am EBF. I have my 6 week check next week to clear me to work up. Anyone have any work out tips that won't diminish my supply? I lifted weights, did Pilates, and crossfit training before the pregnancy.

Nerdybookgirl

you can log breastfeeding calories! type in breastfeeding as a food and you can see it. I am tandem nursing my 2 year old and 5 month old.

As for keeping up milk supply: tons of water, oatmeal, a good prenatal vitamin, and adequate sleep. Also -- pump regularly! Thanks to the Affordable Care Act you have a legal right to pump when needed at work. http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/Workplace/WorkplaceSupport/WorkplaceSupportinHealthCareReform/tabid/175/Default.aspx

LeahBrunner

I add 500 calories a day right now, but my baby is 2.5 weeks and eats constantly, when things even out I'll try to lower it! I lost 20 lbs after having her, and have like 17 to go

Strongmomkris

@Tsmashaddie

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I REALLY like this workout - TTAPP. It is rehabilitating, helps your tummy to shrink fast and acts as physical therapy - which is a huge plus after having a baby. It is only 15 minutes a day for the basic, which people get great results on, and 45 min for the total workout. Perfect for getting back into the game. This is just an example, and it really is awesome! http://www.t-tapp.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=296_56