are you SURE i can eat my breastfeeding calories?

rima933

Ok, so When you add breastfeeding to your food diary it subtracts about 350 calories from the food I ate. So at the bottom it doesn't add those calories and it seems as though I have alot of calories left to eat. Doesn't 350 calories seem like its too many? Especially with a baby thats eating solid foods as well. Its says for 3 feeds. And why wouldn't it be added as exercise instead because now it seems as though I'm in starvation mode.

ItsMeRebekah

yes, im confident you need to fuel your body to produce that milk!! its a must to give your baby the amt of milk he/she needs.. i also wouldn't count anything as exercise if its not true exercise... try eating good foods with higher cals, like peanuts and stuff like that to give you that extra boost to fill up those numbers.

addisondisease2

I would rather gain a couple pounds to ensure my baby is getting the nutrients it needs than look great in a swim suit and have a mal-nurished child.

LuckyLeprechaun

breast milk is very rich. it takes a lot of energy (read: calories) to make it.

enjoy your extra calories, because if you don't, your supply may be affected.

Rae6503

Yes!

k8blujay2

Yes, because if you are not consuming enough calories (and water) it can hurt your supply.

ilookthetype

Your body is FEEDING another person, where do you think that comes from? You need to eat the calories.

NovemberJune

Yes, from the research I've done that seems right. If your baby wasn't eating any other foods, it would be more like 500
And I've seen people add it as exercise and people add it as negative food so you can do it that way if you want. They were probably creating their own exercise and giving it 300-500 calories

rima933

Yes, from the research I've done that seems right. If your baby wasn't eating any other foods, it would be more like 500
And I've seen people add it as exercise and people add it as negative food so you can do it that way if you want. They were probably creating their own exercise and giving it 300-500 calories

Thank you! Ok i have a question for you. How do people create their own exercises? I have been asking people this question for a week and noone answers me.

rebecca_d35

My weight loss really slowed when my babies started eating solids. I've never been skinnier than when my kids were exclusively nursing, and when they started weaning (going down to only 3 or so feeds a day), I gained a few pounds. Once your baby is no longer getting most of her calories from your milk, you can ease way up on the extra food intake. Your body will tell you if you need more calories. If you aren't hungry, you probably don't need to eat more.

And good for you for breastfeeding. I miss those days.

KareninCanada

You go to add an exercise, search, and if it doesn't have what you want, you add it - name, minutes and calories burned.

rima933

My weight loss really slowed when my babies started eating solids. I've never been skinnier than when my kids were exclusively nursing, and when they started weaning (going down to only 3 or so feeds a day), I gained a few pounds. Once your baby is no longer getting most of her calories from your milk, you can ease way up on the extra food intake. Your body will tell you if you need more calories. If you aren't hungry, you probably don't need to eat more.

And good for you for breastfeeding. I miss those days.

Thanks, however, with my second baby the nursing hasn't helped me lose weight. With my first baby the nursing helped me alottt more!
How old is your child?

Rae6503

Nursing never helped me lose weight. I didn't really lose much until I weaned.

rima933

You go to add an exercise, search, and if it doesn't have what you want, you add it - name, minutes and calories burned.

I have done that, you go to my exercises and then enter it there. BUT then once its added i click search my exercises and it comes back with no results!

rebecca_d35

I lost way more while nursing my first, too! I think it's because by the time I was nursing my second, my first was eating a ton and I was eating right along with him.

Mine are now 2.5 and 4.5. They both weaned themselves at 15 months. At that point, I think they were nursing more for comfort than for nutrition.

monicamk1975

Thanks for the post, I'll have to cut my breastfeeding calories down to 350 (I was using 500) as Maddy breastfeeds all night and twice a day but has been eating solids for a while now. We're hoping to make it till she's two, but god its exhausting....

ruqayyahsmum

please dont skimp on calories if your breastfeeding

my daughter was extremly premature and was taken accross the country to get a nicu space i was making about a litre a day by week 3 and then finances became tight i had the option to eat or travel and see her. of course she won but my milk supply dwindles to 50 - 100ml a day and i spent the next year and a half on medication to force my supply back up

as a milk donor my breast milk was regularly tested and when i was eating well it reflected in the quality of my milk

maidentl

Thanks for the post, I'll have to cut my breastfeeding calories down to 350 (I was using 500) as Maddy breastfeeds all night and twice a day but has been eating solids for a while now. We're hoping to make it till she's two, but god its exhausting....

How old is she? I remember with my youngest that I finally had to night-wean him so I could get some sleep. She may then nurse a little more during the day but if you can get a good night's sleep it'll make things easier. You have to have a partner willing to stay up for a couple of nights to handle the baby, though!

Ashley_Panda

Oh yes ma'am! I am.

monicamk1975

Oh! I wish I could cut her night feedings but my husband is out of town for 28 days every other month working on an oil platform and with no help and her new found insecurity of having him gone suddenly (he just started this position 5 months ago, so this is his 3rd time onboard) I dont think its fair to her to take away her night time security comfort feedings. Add that to the fact that we just moved states two weeks ago, and she's in need of a little night time comfort feeding that I cant begrude her.

I'm going to have to start researching how to wean her when she's 2, because I can just tell its going to be a huge struggle. She's happy, healthy and ahead of all of her milestones, so what more could I ask for

monicamk1975

I forgot to answer your question, she's 18 months, 6 more to go

maidentl

Oh! I wish I could cut her night feedings but my husband is out of town for 28 days every other month working on an oil platform and with no help and her new found insecurity of having him gone suddenly (he just started this position 5 months ago, so this is his 3rd time onboard) I dont think its fair to her to take away her night time security comfort feedings. Add that to the fact that we just moved states two weeks ago, and she's in need of a little night time comfort feeding that I cant begrude her.

I'm going to have to start researching how to wean her when she's 2, because I can just tell its going to be a huge struggle. She's happy, healthy and ahead of all of her milestones, so what more could I ask for

Aww, I don't blame you there. I would definitely recommend sloooow weaning, it's less painful. If she truly shows no signs of slowing on her own you can try distracting her from a feeding now and then. If she can be distracted, great, if not, try again on the next one. It sounds like she has a good mama, you'll figure it out when the time comes!

porffor

You NEED to eat those calories, you are feeding your baby. They're not for you, they're for your little one.
I waited till 12 months of feeding before watching my calories as my baby was little and needed everything I could give her. She carried on feeding for another 5 months then self weaned - I lost all my pregnancy weight inside 6 months of starting to calorie count so have faith in the fact your body will shed weight but you are doing an amazing job feeding your baby at the same time.. just as nature intended.
Keep up the great job!!

luvmypwds

Just be careful about skimping too much as you wouldn't want supply to drop.

Collinsky

I'm nursing a 20 month old, who is obviously eating solids as well, and I log it at 375 cals a day. When I go by that, I lose exactly what MFP has me slated to lose. (I mean, as long as I don't keep eating at maintenance... in which case I don't lose. LOL) The math with the subtracted nursing cals works.

The thing about breastfeeding is it's not an activity that burns calories like running. It's more of an increased BMR, and you have to take that into account to accurately figure out the right deficit.