Breastfeeding Calories

mommyshortlegs
mommyshortlegs Posts: 402 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My 11-month-old heartily consumes table food and snacks throughout the day, but she does continue to nurse 4-5 times/day in addition to several middle-of-the-night munching sessions (she has her mother's genes, no doubt). Most sites indicate a nursing mother with a baby not EBF should consume an additional 200 or so calories to compensate. I've also read how a mother's fat reserves and the level of her BMI factor into how many extra breastfeeding calories she needs. There doesn't seem to be a magic formula for ascertaining just how much extra to eat, or to not eat -- please, someone code a script where mothers can input various specifications and have our caloric goal spit out at us, no guesswork involved. ;p Instead I've been basically ignoring the extra calories, neither consuming them nor subtracting them as a daily burn, which practice is, I'm sure, doing wonders for my already wimpy metabolism (especially as my BMI is on the lower side, I tend to eat below maintenance most days, and I don't regularly exercise); not to mention I am setting myself up for weight gain when breastfeeding ceases entirely and my body suddenly has several hundred more calories at its disposal (straight to thigh storage!)

Advice?

Replies

  • luvHim
    luvHim Posts: 35 Member
    I have been consuming 1900-2100 calories with a 14 month old that nurses 8-10 times per day still, and solid food as well. He also wakes in the night and eats. :) I have been dropping about 1 pound a week doing this. I started at my basic rate of 1570, which mfp gave me with an active lifestyle (have six kids). Then I add in around 450 cals for bf'ing, because I am truly hungry and need them! I also bike 3-4 days a week, which I also add in.
  • kcasey155
    kcasey155 Posts: 968 Member
    I'm bf a 10 month old. She feeds 6-10 times a day, (depending how busy we are) has three meals plus snacks. I was originally -500 calories for ebf but dropped 100 cals for every meal she now eats. I'll continue at -200 cals until she drops night feeds, at which point I'll drop down to -100 cals until she's fully weaned.

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