Breastfeeding/Weightloss

terra_angelica

I am currently breastfeeding my 5 month old son and although I have heard that you burn 500 calories a day breastfeeding. I have actually gained a little weight since I had my son. I also have had a Mirena IUD (birth control) put in, which has progesterone in it. I am wondering why I am not loosing any weight if I am burning so many calories breastfeeding. Could the IUD be countering this? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Also, should I be including my 500 calories a day I am burning breastfeeding in with my diet/exercise calorie intake/burn for the day? I am not quite sure how to figure all this out. Or should I just not worry about that.


Thanks for any help anyone can give!!!

terra_angelica

I also know that you are suppose to get more calories while breastfeeding, but if I eat 1800 (the minimum), I gain weight. I also can't eat that much. I am only hungry enough to get about 1400 a day.

JacksMom12

Add breastfeeding to your diary. Search under foods and there will be disserent options, I believe "breastfeeding exclusively" adds 300 calories to your daily total. I would definitely add breastfeeding to your diary. You need the nutrients for your milk supply. I have tons of nursing friends on here and they all are losing weight and get to eat all their extra calories!

JacksMom12

Different options.. Sorry I'm on my phone and didn't catch that weird autocorrect.

tbhoover

I gain in my first 6 or so months of breastfeeding.cuz its almost like I am not able to feel full so I way,over eat. After that I slowly lose weight if I exercise and watch calories but it is not until I quit breastfeedimg that I really start to lose

Sambo004

I breastfed for 1 year and couldn't lose a single kg while I was doing it. It was frustrating and really hard because I knew I wanted to do what was best for my baby, but my self confidence took such a nosedive. She weaned herself about 2 weeks before 1 year and I started to lose weight almost immediately. 3 kgs in the first 2 weeks. It hasn't come off quite as quickly since, but at least with serious hard work and controlled eating I have managed to lose weight consistently now. I scoured the web looking for advice on why all my friends lost all their baby weight and more with BF, but I couldn't even lose a single pound. Apparently it happens a lot. I read that you can eat up to 500 cals more a day, but that it isn't always as much as that, and sometimes you only need 200.

Not sure if this helps, but I just wanted you to not feel too bad about yourself. Sometimes your body hangs onto the fat to make sure you have enough stores to keep your child fed and "alive". Ultimately it's worth the knock to your self image :happy:

Good luck! You are doing a great thing!

terra_angelica

Thanks! Well he is almost 6 months. I have heard that they really start sucking it down after that and you can lose weight towards the end of breastfeeding moreso than you do at the beginning. I hope so!

melkithall

Everybody is different, which is why some of your friends lost and some people don't. Your IUD doesn't affect this at all, according to what my doctor told me. I am nursing my almost 6mth old too (he was born June 14), and it has been a life saver. I don't know if could be losing what I do without him. He is my main source of calorie burn. I try to stick with my exercise, but seem to lose the time to do that with my three boys running around me. Anyways, he eats a ton, 18 lbs at his 4 mth check up, so I probably burn at the higher recommended number, closer to 500 cals a day. I was initially worried about losing my milk supply if I cut calories too low, so I did it gradually and now I eat around 1300 cals a day and my milk is fine. I'm sorry if this isn't the answer you wanted, but it's how it worked for me. With my second child I always used the 'eat more' excuse too much and gained weight which I never lost until now. That's why I'm so careful with my calories.

IvoryParchment

When I was breastfeeding, my breasts were larger than they'd ever been. (I'm usually AA, so it's very obvious on me.) Going back to normal after weaning caused me to lose about 15 lbs. without any particular effort.

If it's your first child, remember that your pelvis and ribs are now wider. Anthropologists can tell if a woman has had a child just from looking at her skeleton. It therefore takes more muscle, fat and skin to encircle them now. It doesn't mean you've become overweight. You just end up with a new normal weight.

In general, breastfeeding rocks because you get to continue to eat for two while looking like one. I found it was very helpful to drink lots of water to control my weight without reducing my milk supply.

jme814

I'm completely new to MFP, so I hope you can help. I want to add breastfeeding (my toddler) to my diary, but I have no idea how. Can you provide more detailed directions? Still figuring things out in here. Thanks!