losing weight while exclusively breastfeeding

panta1

Hi! A question for those of you who are/have breastfed their babies and tried to lose weight: My second child was born 3 months ago. At my 6-week post-birth check-up, I weighted 194 lbs, and it was a real wake-up call. The stress of dealing with infertility (this is an IVF baby) led me to some bad eating habits, and I put on too much weight before and during pregnancy.

So I started eating healthily, gave up all drinks but water and decaf coffee and not eating chocolate any more, but not dieting because I didn't want to mess up my milk supply. I am down to 176 lbs now, after 6 weeks of eating better, which is about where I was when I got pregnant. I would like to continue to lose weight but not at my baby's expense. How do I figure out how my daily caloric intake given that I am and will continue to exclusively breast feed? Is it possible to lose more than just my baby weight without putting my milk supply and quality at risk?

brennamathis

IBCLC here There's actually a food option on here for breastfeeding, and there's different levels (toddler, newborn, etc)...you enter it as a food, but it credits extra calories to you towards your #, kinda like working out credits calories towards you. Personally, though, as a momma who has breastfed 3 children all to at least 18 months...eat and drink to your hunger & thirst, maintaining a healthy diet and healthy amount of calories. If you can lose at a healthy rate and maintain a decent milk supply at the calorie range you are doing, and baby is growing well & having plenty of wet & dirty diapers, then keep going with it. If you really feel you need to increase your supply, oatmeal is a great way to naturally do that AND it's a great lower calorie but still healthy food option Fenugreek is also a great way to increase supply, but some people do get the weird side effect of smelling like maple syrup (how I could possibly know that is beyond me...hmmm....perhaps people thinking they smelled pancakes when around me while I was taking fenugreek? *blush* No, really, it *is* a pretty common side effect). Even if you eat total crap, your milk quality will not be affected as a general rule--if anything, it will make it harder on YOU, because your body is going to use everything it can to make milk as healthy as possible, know what I mean? All of those vitamins & nutrients in you are going to go milk first, so if you're eating crap, you're depriving yourself of vital things--THAT is why it is so important to eat healthy when breastfeeding, so that you can maintain proper levels of needed nutrients for both you AND baby.

EVERY person is different when losing/maintaining when breastfeeding. I actually am one of those people that hangs on to weight when nursing despite a healthy diet & exercise...but as soon as kiddo weans, I tend to drop 15-20 lbs within a month. It has taken me 5 months to lose 10 lbs (while nursing a toddler), eating 1200 calories a day, doing an hour of cardio at least 4x a week, on top of running around & playing with & caring for three young children. Increasing and decreasing calories has done nothing. Type of diet makes no difference. But I have friends that can breastfeed and eat nothing but crap the entire time, and lose all their baby weight in 2-3 weeks and look fabulous--love them, but kinda wanna smack them...purely out of love though

lenamae23

I use the breastfeeding option. It basically just gives you extra calories. I've been EBF my baby for 8 months, counting calories for about 65 days and have lost 17lbs. I haven't had any milk supply issues. I have found keeping up my water intake has really helped.

hilaryhill

My EBF baby (well, we just introduced solids but he only eats maybe 2 tsp a day lol) is almost 7 mos. I started MFP almost a month ago and I've lost almost 9 lbs just within that time frame.

Here is how I figured out my calories... I am 5'9", started at 199lb. I found a TDEE calculator (you can google it) and took that number, subtracted 20%, and then added 400cal for BFing. Im at 2200 cal now and I also eat back my exercise calories. There are some days I eat 2800+ calories, if its a big exercise day! lol I love it, I dont feel deprived at all, and my milk is fine, my baby is 6 mos and 21 lbs. Haha

It might take some time to find out your specific calorie needs, but I wouldnt go below 2000, tbh.

panta1

Thank you all so much! Your advice is very helpful. I added the breastfeeding -500 calories and will eat healthy calories to fill them. I haven't had supply issues, so will just keep checking baby's weight and that she has enough wet diapers. Thanks for your useful feedback.