A post for your breastfeeding questions =)
rolliepollie087
Posts: 251 Member
Hey everyone. I am just a mom that breastfeeds. I am not a lactation consultant or anything, however, there is this amazing website that is beneficial to your breastfeeding needs. I hope you get some use out of this! It has lots of great info, I am just going to copy and paste -- this is all from kellymom.com.
Can I diet while breastfeeding?
Yes! Nursing mothers can lose weight safely if they follow some basic guidelines.
Six guidelines for safe dieting during lactation
Wait until your baby is two months old before dieting
It's best not to do anything consciously to lose weight until after the second month. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) -- so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories.
Breastfeed without restriction
Research tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss.
Eat at least 1500-1800 calories per day
While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.
Keep weight loss at less than 1.5 pounds per week
Most moms can safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week or 6 pounds per month after the second month and not affect milk supply or baby's well being. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days).
Decrease the calories gradually
A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Some moms notice this during an illness, although dehydration and/or medication use could also be a factor in reduced milk supply when mom is sick. It has been hypothesized that a sudden calorie decrease can cause mom's body to go into "starvation mode" and cut nonessential resources such as milk production.
Avoid quick-fix solutions
Liquid diets, low-carb diets, fad diets, weight loss medication, etc. are not recommended while breastfeeding.
What might happen if a nursing mother loses weight too quickly?
In most instances of too-rapid weight loss, it is not the breastmilk (composition or supply) that would suffer, but mom's nutrition and/or health.
Excessive dieting can result in a reduced milk supply.
According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (3rd Edition, Riordan, pp 440), it is noted that fad or rapid weight loss programs should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. I was unable to find a definition of "severely restricted" but I expect that it is significantly under 1500 calories per day (which they called a "modest intake"). I've included information on a study on this subject below. See also the info at this website regarding environmental contaminants and breastfeeding.
Three great tips for weight loss (whether you are nursing or not)
Make dietary changes -- decrease your fat intake to 20-25% or less of total calories; keep your protein intake up to prevent loss of muscle mass (Recommended Intake of protein for nursing mothers is 65 grams/day for the first 6 months and 62 grams/day between 6 and 12 months).
Spread your calorie intake out -- instead of 2-3 meals, eat 3 smaller meals with snacks between. Your body will be less likely to go into "starvation mode" if you are eating small amounts throughout the day.
Exercise moderately so that you burn more fat while keeping lean muscle mass. Resistance/weight training is a good way to build muscle mass. A person with more muscle mass burns more calories, even when resting.
Does exercise affect milk supply or nutrient content?
No. Studies have shown no difference in the volume or composition of the milk or babies' weight gain. One study showed a slight increase in milk supply for the women who exercised regularly, but because of the small size of the study this increase may not be significant.
Does lactic acid increase in breastmilk after exercise?
Research has not shown a noticable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). The lactic acid in breastmilk does increase somewhat if mom exercises to maximum (100%) intensity, also described as exhaustive exercise. This increase may be present up to 90 minutes post-exercise. There are no known harmful effects for the baby.
Will baby refuse the breast after mom exercises?
Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.
Although a highly publicized 1992 study indicated that baby might fuss or refuse expressed milk from a mom who had been exercising at 100% intensity, the results were questionable because the babies were fed the milk by dropper (unfamiliar to these babies), and the mothers reported that the babies had not had problems with nursing after exercise in the past. A more recent study showed no change in infants' acceptable of mom's milk an hour after exercise, even for the moms who exercised at maximum intensity (and thus did have a slight increase in lactic acid in their milk).
Dr. Ruth Lawrence, in her most recent volume (Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 edition) says that there is no reason to wait to nurse after exercising.
Exercise guidelines for breastfeeding mothers
For your own comfort, you may wish to nurse before exercising and wear a good, supportive bra (especially during strenuous exercises such as running, jumping, etc).
Some babies don't like nursing when mom has been sweating (due to the salt on mom's skin) so you may wish to rinse your breasts or take a shower before nursing.
If you regularly lift weights or do other exercises involving repetitive arm movement and you develop plugged ducts, cut back and start again more slowly.
Keep yourself hydrated.
If you go to the link, they provide links to the studies and everything that you may want to know. Good luck mommas. I hope this helps!
Can I diet while breastfeeding?
Yes! Nursing mothers can lose weight safely if they follow some basic guidelines.
Six guidelines for safe dieting during lactation
Wait until your baby is two months old before dieting
It's best not to do anything consciously to lose weight until after the second month. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) -- so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories.
Breastfeed without restriction
Research tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss.
Eat at least 1500-1800 calories per day
While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.
Keep weight loss at less than 1.5 pounds per week
Most moms can safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week or 6 pounds per month after the second month and not affect milk supply or baby's well being. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days).
Decrease the calories gradually
A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Some moms notice this during an illness, although dehydration and/or medication use could also be a factor in reduced milk supply when mom is sick. It has been hypothesized that a sudden calorie decrease can cause mom's body to go into "starvation mode" and cut nonessential resources such as milk production.
Avoid quick-fix solutions
Liquid diets, low-carb diets, fad diets, weight loss medication, etc. are not recommended while breastfeeding.
What might happen if a nursing mother loses weight too quickly?
In most instances of too-rapid weight loss, it is not the breastmilk (composition or supply) that would suffer, but mom's nutrition and/or health.
Excessive dieting can result in a reduced milk supply.
According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (3rd Edition, Riordan, pp 440), it is noted that fad or rapid weight loss programs should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. I was unable to find a definition of "severely restricted" but I expect that it is significantly under 1500 calories per day (which they called a "modest intake"). I've included information on a study on this subject below. See also the info at this website regarding environmental contaminants and breastfeeding.
Three great tips for weight loss (whether you are nursing or not)
Make dietary changes -- decrease your fat intake to 20-25% or less of total calories; keep your protein intake up to prevent loss of muscle mass (Recommended Intake of protein for nursing mothers is 65 grams/day for the first 6 months and 62 grams/day between 6 and 12 months).
Spread your calorie intake out -- instead of 2-3 meals, eat 3 smaller meals with snacks between. Your body will be less likely to go into "starvation mode" if you are eating small amounts throughout the day.
Exercise moderately so that you burn more fat while keeping lean muscle mass. Resistance/weight training is a good way to build muscle mass. A person with more muscle mass burns more calories, even when resting.
Does exercise affect milk supply or nutrient content?
No. Studies have shown no difference in the volume or composition of the milk or babies' weight gain. One study showed a slight increase in milk supply for the women who exercised regularly, but because of the small size of the study this increase may not be significant.
Does lactic acid increase in breastmilk after exercise?
Research has not shown a noticable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). The lactic acid in breastmilk does increase somewhat if mom exercises to maximum (100%) intensity, also described as exhaustive exercise. This increase may be present up to 90 minutes post-exercise. There are no known harmful effects for the baby.
Will baby refuse the breast after mom exercises?
Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.
Although a highly publicized 1992 study indicated that baby might fuss or refuse expressed milk from a mom who had been exercising at 100% intensity, the results were questionable because the babies were fed the milk by dropper (unfamiliar to these babies), and the mothers reported that the babies had not had problems with nursing after exercise in the past. A more recent study showed no change in infants' acceptable of mom's milk an hour after exercise, even for the moms who exercised at maximum intensity (and thus did have a slight increase in lactic acid in their milk).
Dr. Ruth Lawrence, in her most recent volume (Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 edition) says that there is no reason to wait to nurse after exercising.
Exercise guidelines for breastfeeding mothers
For your own comfort, you may wish to nurse before exercising and wear a good, supportive bra (especially during strenuous exercises such as running, jumping, etc).
Some babies don't like nursing when mom has been sweating (due to the salt on mom's skin) so you may wish to rinse your breasts or take a shower before nursing.
If you regularly lift weights or do other exercises involving repetitive arm movement and you develop plugged ducts, cut back and start again more slowly.
Keep yourself hydrated.
If you go to the link, they provide links to the studies and everything that you may want to know. Good luck mommas. I hope this helps!
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Replies
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thanks for the info. I am also a breastfeeding mom and actually will be weaning in the next few months...
i have twins who are 23 months and a 4 year old also(not nursing the 4 year old! he was weaned at 15months) 0 -
That is awesome! I bf my first till she was a little over 2, and I am 1 year in with my second daughter. It is such an amazing experience.
Congratulations to you, I hope the weaning goes smoothly for you
thanks for the info. I am also a breastfeeding mom and actually will be weaning in the next few months... i have twins who are 23 months and a 4 year old also(not nursing the 4 year old! he was weaned at 15months)0 -
GREAT information!0
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Kellys mom is a great site for breastfeeding info. I have a 2 year old and a 9 month old I still breastfeed I just cut out the junk food , I still have nice things just not like I did.0
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Kellys mom is a great site for breastfeeding info. I have a 2 year old and a 9 month old I still breastfeed I just cut out the junk food , I still have nice things just not like I did.
It is the most informative bf site ive ever come across, gotta spread the wealth!!0 -
Kellys mom is a great site for breastfeeding info. I have a 2 year old and a 9 month old I still breastfeed I just cut out the junk food , I still have nice things just not like I did.
It is the most informative bf site ive ever come across, gotta spread the wealth!!
Eh, spread / share, same thing right?0 -
I loved kellymom, too, great info!0
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I see loads of bf questions on here, so I thought posting this would be helpful for anyone who hasn't heard about kellymom
I loved kellymom, too, great info!0 -
Thanks for the info!!0
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Thanks for the info!! welcome! 0
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