Postpartum and having a hard time losing weight

KF500T

Hi there! I’m 4 months postpartum and having a TOUGH time losing weight. I lost the first 20 pounds quickly but have been stuck at about the same weight for a while. No budging. I’m still breastfeeding but am starting to dry up a bit. First time mom! Any advice or similar experiences?

jmf286

What's the rush? You grew a human and now you are helping them grow some more. If you are restricting your eating too much or exercising too hard that could be why you are drying up (assuming no other issues). This is such a short period of time when compared to the rest of your and your baby's life.

kd_mazur

If you are having trouble with milk production you may be cutting back too much. Be patient with yourself and maybe talk to a lactation counselor, they may be able to help you determine how many calories you should be eating.

sjd421

I waited until I was done breastfeeding to concentrate on losing weight. It can effect your supply. Just try to be active, eat the correct portion size and drink plenty of water.

DomesticKat

What makes you think you're drying up? Is your baby not growing properly? Are they not peeing and pooping according to the proper frequency for their age? That would indicate a milk supply issue. How your breasts feel or how you perceive your milk supply or how much you pump is not an indication of a lowered supply. Watch your baby and not your breasts. Around the four month mark (this can differ among women), milk production switches from being regulated by hormones to being regulated by your baby's demand. Those hormones tell your body to produce more milk than you'll actually need because the biological imperative is to keep the baby alive. By the four month mark, your baby should be nursing well on-demand and telling your body how much milk it needs to make. This can give the perception of a lowering milk supply because your breasts may not feel like cannonballs anymore. I second seeing a certified lactation consultant or speaking with a La Leche League leader.

Secondly, breastfeeding uses a lot of calories. 500+ calories can go toward producing milk for an exclusively breastfed baby every day. Your milk supply is dependent on you getting enough calories. For that reason, you should be eating at least at maintenance for your current weight and aiming for no more than one pound of loss per week. If you only have 10-20 pounds to lose to reach a healthy weight, you should be aiming for a smaller deficit and eating slightly above maintenance. This doesn't apply to someone who is already a healthy weight, because they may not have the fat stores to support breastfeeding and weight loss at the same time.

Breastfeeding can create a deficit all by itself, but that's dependent on you logging your food accurately and consistently. A food scale helps with that. If you're not using a food scale, try it and visit the sticky threads for how to use it. Do that for 4-6 weeks while tracking your weight with a trending app, like Libra. Then see where you are.