calorie goal with breastfeeding

mnegretti

Does anyone know, is there a way to track breastfeeding in MFP or have it adjust calorie goals for breastfeeding?

Leigh_b

you can enter it in the food diary and it will adjust calorie needs appropriately

jsmith2377

put it in as a cardio exercise under breastfeeding

tannaleigh

you can track it as a food.... just search the database there are lots of entries that are - calories so you can take more in.

KristynStephens15

I put it in under food and it gives me an extra 300 cals.

emilla

Here's an article about calorie intake while breastfeeding: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-calories-fluids.html & a calculator tool for calories needed while breastfeeding: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm# I don't think MFP has pregnancy or breastfeeding options in the settings, but if I had been on MFP when I was breastfeeding, I probably would have set up my goals & listed myself as "active" or "very active" (which gives you a greater calorie allowance), then set to maintain current weight or to lose only 1/2 lb. / week. Check how many calories that gives you, and make sure it's around the healthy range in the linked article or what you find with the calculator. Try out eating that way for a few days, and if you're starving or your milk production seems off, adjust your settings up a bit more to give you more calories. You could also manually add in breastfeeding as an exercise to give yourself extra calories. Also, make sure you are still taking your prenatal vitamin & an omega is good, too.

Take care!

hotcinnababy

just posting to say I use the database entry where you can track by ounces (I'm pumping at work and more than my baby takes, so during the day I am constantly eating). I wanted to maintain my weight so I put in exactly what I'm eating and exercise and then putting in how many ounces of breastmilk I produce. Pretty much I'm only going over by about 100 calories a day so I think my my calorie goal is pretty right on (as long as I get that 550 calories from breastfeeding back in my diet!)