breastfeeding and exercising. Do I have this right?

TipMcE

Breastmilk has the same as formula, which is 21 calorie per 30ml or 1 ounce of milk. If you have ever given your baby a bottle, you can work out roughly how many mls they would normally have per feed, then how many feeds a day. This will give you a rough idea. Another guide is that a but will have on average about 100 calories / kg of body weight / day so for an exclusively breastfed but, that all comes from you! Once you start adding solids, they shouldn't be taking less breast milk, rather the solids just add on the extra calories they need. For my 6 month old, I add an extra 500 calories per day. I lost weight too quickly with my first but and supply dropped right off so be careful

Thanks for making this point. I was confused too cause my son is 7 months old and eating solids 3 times a day, but it seems like he's still nursing as much if not more than before we started solids. On the 2 days I work he takes at least 10 ounces in 2 feedings and then I still feed him at least 3 more times, so I'm thinking he at least drinks around 25 ounces which would equal 500 calories.That's what I try to eat back and the weight has been coming off SLOWLY which is better than gaining I guess. This might be a silly question as this is my second kid and I nursed my first for over a year so I should probably know this...How can you tell if your supply is lower? I'm always worried about it but I'm pretty sure we're doing fine. I just want to know what signs to look out for.

My milk supply started to dry up when DS was about 6 months. I was exclusively BFing and not expressing so I didn't know exactly how much milk he was getting. He started to get crankier and crankier and at one point nursed at 2 hour intervals. I then expressed milk to check my supply and just got a few ounces. Whereas when he was younger I regularly expressed after he had nursed and gotten 6-8 oz additional milk. Check for signs that your baby is hungrier (and if he's not gaining weight) and check your supply by expressing if you have access to a pump.

katlady32

I nursed my babes w/o supplement for 10 months and did work out right after I dropped them off at daycare (quick 3 mile run) 3 days a week, my milk supply was WAY lower and less satisfying after working out so I couldn't do it when my babies were depending on me for nutrition within 4-6 hours. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I had to keep my calories at 1700 or my babies were fussy. Just enjoy it, you will miss the nursing (and ice cream) when it's over.
P.S. I found a big glass of milk or ice cream very helpful in milk production.
Good luck!

rainydayboys

I would eat back the nursing calories for sure, and at least half of the exercise calories. Actually, I'd probably eat them all back, because I was starving the whole time I was nursing, which was pretty much 4 years with back to back babies. Then again, I stuffed my face with crap, not healthy stuff, which is why I had bounced back up to my 3rd trimester weight when my youngest was 2.5!

Oh, and oatmeal is fantastic for increasing milk supply!

KHaverstick

Oh, and oatmeal is fantastic for increasing milk supply!

Agree! And lots & lots of water. I also had a recipe for "lactation cookies," which included oatmeal, of course, and brewer's yeast (also great for milk supply & has B vitamins in it). Not so great for the diet, but great for the milk.

Thanks for making this point. I was confused too cause my son is 7 months old and eating solids 3 times a day, but it seems like he's still nursing as much if not more than before we started solids. On the 2 days I work he takes at least 10 ounces in 2 feedings and then I still feed him at least 3 more times, so I'm thinking he at least drinks around 25 ounces which would equal 500 calories.That's what I try to eat back and the weight has been coming off SLOWLY which is better than gaining I guess. This might be a silly question as this is my second kid and I nursed my first for over a year so I should probably know this...How can you tell if your supply is lower? I'm always worried about it but I'm pretty sure we're doing fine. I just want to know what signs to look out for.

Until 12 months, babies will get pretty much all of their nutrition from milk/formula (whichever you're using). Any solids are just getting them used to eating--they aren't providing much nutritional benefit. Babies lack most of the digestive enzymes to actually break down food until at least 9 months or so. So they should continue to consume just as much breast milk or formula (around 25 or so ounces per day).

As for how to tell if your supply is decreasing, it is difficult to know for sure. Pumping/expressing will NEVER be as efficient at removing milk as your baby will be, so you cannot simply assume that the amount that you pump is the same as what your baby gets from the breast. Also, some women do not feel as comfortable with the pump, so their letdown reflex doesn't kick in as well, therefore they do not pump as much. And using your baby's cues as an indicaiton of milk supply can be tricky, too...there can be many reasons for fussiness. Sometimes people confuse growth spurts or spurts of cluster feeding/comfort nursing, or frustration at the breast with decreased supply--they think that because the baby wants to nurse all the time all of a sudden that the milk supply must be too low, when in reality it could be a growth spurt. The best thing to do in those situations is let your baby nurse as much as possible, which will signal your body to produce more breast milk to meet the baby's needs through the growth spurt. Also, teething can affect a baby's breast feeding habits--they may release the latch more often due to sore gums, etc--this can also be misinterpreted as low milk supply.

Usually if you are exclusively breast feeding, the first 3-4 months will be what really establishes your supply. If you continue letting your baby nurse on demand, and you stay properly hydrated & receive proper nutrition, supply should not be an issue (barring any other health issues). If you have to work full time & pump, that's when it can be more tricky, because you can't nurse on demand, and since the pump isn't as effective at removing milk, your body can, over time, decrease its produciton. It becomes more of an effort to keep up production.

KHaverstick

Oh, and if anyone is interested, www.kellymom.com is a very helpful site with lots of breastfeeding info. Tips on weight loss while breastfeeding (from the kellymom site): http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html#tips
Also check out www.llli.org (La Leche League).

whatthefrenchtoast

I was also going to add that kellymom is a great site to use for reference when it comes to breastfeeding questions! I have EBF all 3 of my boys (still nursing the youngest who is 4 months old) and I was always told that you need an addition 300-500 calories to sustain a healthy milk supply ON TOP of your regular calorie intake.

I would play around with it and see...some weeks maybe eat all of your extra breastfeeding calories and exercise ones..then maybe switch it up in a few weeks and only eat one or the other...see what will work best for you. I do agree though that 900 calories a day is not enough for a breastfeeding mother...you need more than that.

Good luck!