New Moms...breastfeeding & trying to lose weight

debnu1

If you are hurting, your latch really isn't right. Try again. I am rather large breasted and in the words of my husband "is it possible to get a good latch?" As my babies get older it is easier and they are able to have more in their mouth. Make sure he isn't sucking just on your nipple. He should have some of the areola in his mouth as the ducts in the areola are compressed to help the milk come out. If you start noticing any signs of a clogged duct, focus on that side/area for nursing to un plug it. You don't want mastitis (I have had it with every kid once) It's miserable and flu like.

angie--I am sure you will be able to continue nursing when you go back to work. Get a good quality pump and pump at regular intervals during your work day, be sure and try a bottle the week or two before you go back. My daughter (I was working nights) screamed until 5 am the first night I went back. My husband didn't want to practice before and even though I had tried a bottle she wasn't used to him giving it. It worked out fine but it doesn't hurt to practice. The funny thing is this baby is my first I don't have to go to work with and he has taken the bottle the easiest out of my three.

I believe you can do anything if you want to bad enough. It took me a month to get my daughter (first child) to nurse and I used every trick in the book...I really wanted it. Now I need to want my goal weight with the same tenacity. :bigsmile:

andbam

I just joined My Fitness Pal and I'm really excited to get started!

My little boy is 3 and a half months old and I'm about 10 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I gained 30 lbs with him (10 in about the last 2 weeks) and lost about 15 right after having him. 2 days later he was back in the hospital with jaundice and because I was nursing him I was hospitalized also. Eating the small portions of hospital food for a week made me drop down to about 4 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, which was great. But when I got home and was nursing my son, all I was able to eat were things that I could make quickly and eat with my hands. So I ate a lot of toast and sandwiches, causing me to gain about 5 more lbs. Now I stuck at my current weight and no matter what I eat (healthier options) I can't seem to lose any weight. I've just recently started to "jog" and I'm going to start the 30 Day Shred in a few days.

Has anyone found quick and easy but healthy snacks to have, one handed, while nursing?

silversong24

Has anyone found quick and easy but healthy snacks to have, one handed, while nursing?

I take a little bit of time each week and break fruit and veggies up into pre-measured and cut up portions in sandwich bags. Things like carrots and grapes are great for this. I also like string cheese and granola bars

andbam

So simple and yet I never thought of that. Thanks!!

andbam

I have a quick question for everyone. I've been breastfeeding my son now for 3 and a half months and I'm finally starting to feel like I have the hang of it and it is getting easier. However, recently I've noticed that I don't really get engored as much as I used to, except in the morning after he's slept for 7 to 10 hours. I'm wondering, is my body just getting used to his needs? Has anyone else experienced this??

silversong24

Sounds to me like your body has adjusted for the amount that your baby eats. I kind of miss that reassurance that I am making enough milk for him, but as long as they are happy after eating then you know that they are getting what they need. You are so lucky he sleeps that long! My son (8months) still wakes up every 1.5-3 hours to nurse haha. Occasionally we will make it to the 4-5 hour range but not every night.

lovecola06

andbam, I definitely would not worry about not being engorged regularly. I agree that your body has begun to adjust to making the "perfect" amount to meet your baby's needs. I think that I stopped getting engorged around the same time(2-3months old). My son is now 8 months old & I really worried about getting engorged when he FINALLY started sleeping through the nite in the last two weeks. I got engorged at first, but after a week passed I am now only uncomfortable when I wake up. It's incredible how quickly our milk supply will adjust.

The only time I would worry is if you feel like your son is not getting enough to eat when you feed him throughout the day. If he pulls away regularly & is crying AFTER trying to nurse unsuccessfully... Don't forget to drink lots of water & healthy snacks! Good luck

andbam

Thanks for the reassurance! I've begun to realize that he is still getting what he needs from me so I don't have to worry so much anymore. I saw a specialist a few months ago and she told me that I had enough milk for 3 babies, so when I was getting less engorged I started to worry a little. And I realize how lucky I am that he sleeps through the night! The first time he did it, my husband and I kept checking on him to make sure that he was okay. It's been great.

MommaRaven

This is my first post ever.

I'm so glad I found this forum! I was just lamenting to my friends that I hated going over my calories each day because of BFing. I'm so glad someone posted about adding it to your food journal. I seriously never thought of that.

I have 1 son who is 11.5 months old and we're still going strong as far as nursing. I'm planing on nursing for a while still, but he's starting to get cow's milk during the day because I'm sick and tired of pumping. I'd be happy to be friends with anyone on here. I'm always happy to be a support and have support from others

I'm starting a new job next week, so I'm kinda nervous about starting my weight loss at the same time, so any encouragement in that area is definitely welcome too.

OK, I'll shut up now. Haha

silversong24

I wound up starting here at this site just so I could track and make sure that I was eating enough to maintain my milk production while losing weight. My friend recommended it, and I have loved it. I can't say I blame you for being tired of pumping, I didn't even pump at all with this one, I just take him everywhere I go lol. What kind of job are you starting?

helenparkins

Hello, ladies! I would love to join you all. My daughter is 14 wks and I have about 15lbs of baby weight left. I was on bed rest for 4 months and the pounds are just not dropping off... :explode:

egraham1

I new to the forums but have been doing mfp for a while. My son is 7 months old and I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I'd like to loose about 7-12 more and get toned like I was before kids. I just joined the Y 2 weeks ago and I'm loving it. I go at least 5 times a week. I breastfeed exclusively (plus some solid food) and things have been going well. My question is, will adding all this extra exercise affect my milk supply? My son seems to not be as full for as long after I nurse and I don't know if that's because he's older and has more need for solids or if my milk supply is going down? Should I cut back on workouts until he's done nursing? I'd really like to continue breastfeeding for a while, but I'm also ready to get back into my skinny pre-kids clothes.

mrsmellymac

I'm so glad I found this post! Its really awesome to see other moms who are also breast feeding! A lot of my friends never breast feed their kids so I'm just kind of out there on my own! My son is almost 6 months old and I'm planning on BFing him until he's at least a year, if not longer! Its just such a wonderful experience!!! I would love to make any friends!! I need that support!! lol

MommaRaven

I wound up starting here at this site just so I could track and make sure that I was eating enough to maintain my milk production while losing weight. My friend recommended it, and I have loved it. I can't say I blame you for being tired of pumping, I didn't even pump at all with this one, I just take him everywhere I go lol. What kind of job are you starting?

I'll be working as a Speech Therapist for a school. I'm really excited to get started next week!

I wish I could have avoided pumping, but I had to go back to work when he was 6 weeks old. I'm hoping to have my next baby during the summer so I won't have to worry about pumping for the first few months. But we'll see when the time comes.

silversong24

I'll be working as a Speech Therapist for a school. I'm really excited to get started next week!

I wish I could have avoided pumping, but I had to go back to work when he was 6 weeks old. I'm hoping to have my next baby during the summer so I won't have to worry about pumping for the first few months. But we'll see when the time comes.

Awesome! I also work with children, but I do it out of my home and in the general community, so I can keep my kids with me while I do it. I work with children who have mental diagnosis, i.e. ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism, etc. I love the ability to make my own hours and stay with my own children, who often are great helpers and friends to the kiddos that I work with. I am going to school for child development and psychology, as I love helping children to grow to their best potential.

silversong24

My question is, will adding all this extra exercise affect my milk supply? My son seems to not be as full for as long after I nurse and I don't know if that's because he's older and has more need for solids or if my milk supply is going down? Should I cut back on workouts until he's done nursing? I'd really like to continue breastfeeding for a while, but I'm also ready to get back into my skinny pre-kids clothes.

As long as you are eating enough food to replace the calories you burn for the most part than exercising shouldn't affect your milk production. I have been told that some babies don't like the taste of sweat immediately after you work out, but my baby doesn't seem to care. I would think that the little one might just be ready for a little more solid foods, usually they are pretty good at letting you know when they are ready.

andbam

I feel odd about asking this because it makes me feel like a "bad mommy." Do any breastfeeding moms on here ever drink alcohol? I ask this because I'm going to a family wedding in about a month and I'm planning on having a few drinks throughout the night. My son is going to be at home all day with my cousins and I plan on going back between the ceremony and the reception to feed him at least twice and spend some time with them. I will pump leading up to that day so that he will have food before he goes to bed.

I asked my family doctor if it is a big deal to have a few drinks (I always thought I wouldn't have any alcohol until I stop breastfeeding) and he said it wasn't an issue. He said maybe wait about 4 hours after my last drink to breast feed. Since my son usually sleeps through the night I figure that if I pump when I get home and toss it, then the next morning I shouldn't have an issue, and my doctor agreed with this. He said that even if there is a little alcohol still in my system it's not great enough to be bad for him.

Has anyone else ever drank while breastfeeding?

mrsmellymac

"i feel odd about asking this because it makes me feel like a "bad mommy." Do any breastfeeding moms on here ever drink alcohol?"

I drink occasionally on the weekends, and I've found that it doesn't affect my son. I'm not a huge drinker, so I don't binge drink, but I do allow myself a margarita or a glass of wine. That's just my personal preference. I don't see any problem in having a few drinks at the wedding! Just observe your son afterwards and if there is any excess drowsiness, or if you feel like pumping and dumping then go ahead. Its all up to you!


Here's a quote i found most useful:

Dr. Jack Newman, member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his handout "More Breastfeeding Myths":

Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.

There is a lot more information on La Leche League website on alcohol and I found a bunch of answers. Here is the link to it:
http://www.llli.org/faq/alcohol.html

MommaRaven

I feel odd about asking this because it makes me feel like a "bad mommy." Do any breastfeeding moms on here ever drink alcohol? I ask this because I'm going to a family wedding in about a month and I'm planning on having a few drinks throughout the night. My son is going to be at home all day with my cousins and I plan on going back between the ceremony and the reception to feed him at least twice and spend some time with them. I will pump leading up to that day so that he will have food before he goes to bed.

I asked my family doctor if it is a big deal to have a few drinks (I always thought I wouldn't have any alcohol until I stop breastfeeding) and he said it wasn't an issue. He said maybe wait about 4 hours after my last drink to breast feed. Since my son usually sleeps through the night I figure that if I pump when I get home and toss it, then the next morning I shouldn't have an issue, and my doctor agreed with this. He said that even if there is a little alcohol still in my system it's not great enough to be bad for him.

Has anyone else ever drank while breastfeeding?

I have a few drinks couple times a week. *My boss owns a brewery and I can't say no to free beer. Haha.* I wait an hour for each drink before I feed/pump (although it's usually pump, since I don't drink until after Alex does to bed). So if I have 2 drink and finish the last one at 9, I wouldn't feed or pump until 11. And that's always worked fine for me. I think it also depends on how old your child is. An older child would be less susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

andbam

Phew I feel better now! I'm not really a drinker but I do want to have a few drinks and enjoy this wedding since I didn't drink at my own wedding - having too much fun and needed water more than anything to keep hydrated.

The few friends I have that have children formula fed their baby's so they didn't have to worry about drinking and breastfeeding so they weren't really any help when it came to this issue.

Thank you for sharing your own experiences!!