Losing weight while breastfeeding?

MrsAnderson_GettingHealthy

I am 38 weeks pregnant at this point and hopefully I will be having my daughter any day now. I hope to breastfeed and I am hoping to get some tips, support and advice from other mother's. I have a 100 pound weight loss goal and I plan on starting as soon as I give birth. I will walk and eat right until I am given the OK to begin working out as much as I hope to. (with videos and machines)

Does anyone else on here breastfeed and have any tips, ideas, advice or support for me about losing the weight? Was it easier for you to lose weight while you were breastfeeding? What exercises did you do right away?

Thanks so much!

BroiledNotFried

I breast fed both kids for over a year each. I lost all my baby weight and more. I started out thinking I would do it for a month, and then until I went back to work, etc.

I had to learn how to do it. No woman in my family had done it, and I got push back. They would say stupid things like your breasts are going to sag, etc. did not happen.

With my first child I had two problems. First, I got real sore a few weeks in. My doctor did not tell me to rub washcloths on them during my last month of pregnancy. I called back to the hospital, and they got me through it with advice and help. The lactation consultants are a great resource. In two days I was much better. The answer was to pump on the sorest side to allow it to heal and use this balm. Boobs heal fast.

The second thing was I could not eat diary as it caused her to colic. I switched to soy as almond milk was not as plentiful and took calcium supplements. Not a big deal once I figured it out. Soy cheese makes a better grilled cheese sandwich.

Best of all is you do not get your period while breast feeding and I looked super great in sweaters.

I mainly started out doing it out of guilt because I was returning to work. I felt like this was my best way to provide for her. Well, I ended up really loving it. Please add me as your friend.

Oh, my husbands friends who were the bad womanizer a were the most uncomfortable when I breasted around them. So I made sure to do it a lot. You'll have a lot of fun with folks reactions. And, you can play some pretty good practical jokes too.

Oh, and you'll get a natural high or buzz when you breast feed. It's a trip.

Good luck!

BroiledNotFried

I was 135 when I got pregnant, 175when I had her, and 120 when I finishednbreastfeeding. Did not go to a gym, and never counted a calorie. It is about 700calories a day.

mindilina

I know girls that shed lots of weight breastfeeding. Unfortunately I wasn't one of them lol. I breastfed for 8 months but I didn't lose any of my baby weight. I did find it a great bonding experience and very convenient for the middle of the night though.

carfamily08

I didn't really lose weight while nursing my first two - with my first I had lost some initially (though mostly water weight from having severe pre-e) but I also gained a bunch on my birth control. With my second, I tried tracking calories and doing WW but when I started losing weight, my supply went with it.

My third has been a completely different experience. She was born in late May and I cautiously started trying to lose weight around September. Did pretty much the same thing I did with my 2nd but ate a bit more, just to get into better habits and see what happened. I dropped 14 pounds in 6 weeks and nothing happened to my supply. In November I started doing the 30 Day Shred and tracking calories on here. I've lost another 7-8lbs. since. I'm also down 2 dress sizes and at a weight I haven't seen in about 4 years (since mid-2nd tri with my first). My now 6 month old is growing perfectly on their curve and I haven't had the same supply issues I did with my second when I cut my calories/started exercising.

I just take it week by week. It's been awesome to lose the weight this time and I hope it continues but breastfeeding her as long as I can is a priority right now so if I stall out or need to change things up I will. It's crazy how different it is for each person and each pregnancy though! Best of luck with your new baby! Take it easy at first and enjoy those first days too

Kenzietea2

It is easier to get the baby weight off (for me) but not easier to lose weight after that. Although yes, you burn more calories... you HAVE to eat more while breastfeeding. I can assure you that having this new baby you will be so consumed that losing weight won't be the first thing on your mind for a while It will be important, but sooo much less of an obsession. You can lose weight while BF and that is what matters. Just make sure you get enough food and don't cut calories too drastically. Also, yay you for choosing to breastfeed! I am a HUGE advocate for new moms to at least try it, the bonding experience alone makes it worth it! Congrats on your up and coming arrival!

I have an almost 3 month old little girl, add me if you'd like!

mycrazy8splus1

I have 8 children. I have breast feed them all. If you'd like to friend me I think I could be some support for you. Best of luck on a healthy birth.

Kenzietea2

And as far as exercise, I just walked at first. I JUST started c25k, and lifting again... my body could have handled it sooner but like I said, I was just consumed with this precious new life (and exhausted)!

zephtalah

Congratulations on your daughter!!! Babies are such a blessing! I have 7 children and have nursed all of them. I am currently nursing my (almost) 10 month old twin boys.

Make sure you get enough calories to maintain nursing. You can add calories back in to your daily amount on here. If you want you can look at my food long to see what I mean, I log it at breakfast. The average calories per day that nursing burns is 650. The ubiquitous "they" recommend eating an additional 500 calories per day while nursing. This gives a 150 calorie loss per day.

With all that being said nursing can help you lose weight, part of the reason we gain extra fat while pregnant is so we can produce the milk necessary for the baby. However, nursing also makes you hungrier. So if you can keep the extra foods healthy and within that calorie range you will be just fine. It is so easy to overeat and eat junk with a little one around. You will be tired and overwhelmed at times just make sure you don't reach for high fat/calorie comfort foods in those moments. You will regret it later. ( This I speak from personal experience. )

As far as exercise, I personally did not hit the ground running after the birth of my children. Some of their births were super easy to recover from ( went garage saleing the next day) others took me a long time to feel human again. So maybe at this point, don't set what you are going to do in stone. See how you feel and what you actually have energy for. Hopefully you will have a lovely birth experience and will be ready to conquer the world quickly, but if not it's okay to go slow. Even if you do feel great take it easy for the first while so your body can fully heal. Walking, like you said, is a great idea at first. I have lost a lot of my baby weight (again and again) from walking. It is also good to get out for your little one too. Dress warmly ( if it's cold there) and keep the baby covered and you can both enjoy at change of pace. Later as you are feeling stronger and up for the challenge, I really liked Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I saw improvement quickly and the video did not take long to complete. I am going to start p90x soon, but I am not sure if I can handle it so we shall see. If you would like to add me, I would be happy to help or just encourage you.

Congratulations once again! Make sure to take time just to enjoy the sweet smell of your little one and the soft snuggles, and welcome to the mommy club.:flowerforyou:

P.S. Nursing is really rough for the first two weeks and then gets SOOOO much easier to the point that you will think," Why does anyone who could nurse bottle feed? That is just too much work!" You can do this!

Sarah1023

Hi, congratulations on your baby and I'm so happy you plan to BF. I have a 6 year old son that I BF for 1 year and I'm currently BF a baby girl that is 10.5 months old. I lost all of my baby weight with my son within the year (gained 60 lbs) and I have lost all but 2 lbs with my daughter (gained 47 lbs). However, I would not say BF alone did it as I do not lose weight easily, but combined with calorie counting and exercise, it worked for me. Remember that BF is best for baby so even if you stayed post pregnancy weight for an entire year post baby (you won't, IJS), it shouldn't matter b/c that is what is most healhty for your little one. Good luck!!

nxd10

I nursed two boys for 3 years each (yikes!)

It took me 6 months each time to get back to my pre-pregancy weight, but then each time I lost 25 (first son) or 15 (second son) pounds more than that. In other words, for my eldest, I started pregnancy at 165, gave birth at 198, and weighted 141 by the time he was 3. Same pattern with the younger one. (BTW, I'm tall and that means I started at a BMI of 22 and ended at 20).

Nursing is a great way to lose weight, but it does take TIME. Worry about your little one and do some gentle exercises to get your muscles back in shape. THAT is the harder part than the weight.

I LOVED aquasize (aerobics in the pool). It was gentle on my body and tuned me all over. And it was RELAXING - something I definitely needed with the babies.

morgaine108

I nursed both my boys until they were 2.5. I plan on returning back to school to be a lactation consultant next year. I tried to do WW after I had my first and I couldn't do it. Even with the extra calories I was ravenously hungry. Plus trying to care for a colicky infant and working full time it was just too much. I did lose about 30 lbs with each child after I had them, but put on about 60 each time so.....personally I did not find that breastfeeding helped me lose (but then I don't know how much I would have lost if I did not breastfeed or how much less hungry I might have been).

I had alot of trouble getting started with my first. Everyone has a different experience, but he is now 8 and has Asperger's and ADHD and alot of motor delays so it kinda makes sense why he had trouble learning it. I could not get him to latch and feed decently for the first 4 weeks and almost gave up. Luckily my Mom was a huge support and I had gone to stay with her for a while and she encouraged me to try again (instead of pumping) every once in a while and took me to see a GOOD LC (the ones at the hospital where I had my boys were NOT so good). Eventually we got it down. I would highly recommend you read this book before having your baby http://www.amazon.com/The-Nursing-Mothers-Companion-Edition/dp/1558327207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354563800&sr=8-1&keywords=nursing+mothers+companion

It will also be a great reference for you in the middle of the night when you aren't sure if things are working right. Nursing my kids was one of the most worthwhile experiences I have ever had, even though it wasn't easy. For some people it works right away and they have no problems. Going to a LLL meeting in your area wouldn't hurt either so you know some local people to call who can give you tips or a little help for free, plus it would increase your knowledge and kinda help you get the feel for how it is. Good luck to you!

Also, want to ditto what a couple other people said......don't kill yourself with the dieting thing. Being a new Mom is a really hard job. You get very little sleep, you are feeding and caring for the baby almost non stop. A baby wants to eat at least every two hours-ish and a feeding with a newborn can take a while....sometimes my first son would take 45 min, so that leaves you an hour and 15 in between feedings. Not alot of time to get things done. If you can prepare meals ahead of time so they can be more healthy that will help. Alot of times you just eat what you can, when you can and are grateful for that few minutes to take care of yourself.

Feel free to add me if you like, love to help support you.

MidwestAngel

<----Lactation consultant. Experiences will be different for everyone. Some people notice a huge difference from breastfeeding some do not. Working out and breastfeeding are great and as far as calories go, if you cut them too low you will notice a decrease in your milk supply. Pay attention to your baby's output and your body. Those will be the biggest signs of how things are going. Sometimes exercising will cause your milk to have a different taste and some babies don't like that, some don't care. Here for help if you need it.

crysofmyk

I just had my son 2 weeks ago (my second). Don't put too much pressure on yourself to get up right away to start walking, remember, you are recovering! I'm getting ready to go on my second walk since he was born, and I had a very easy birth. You still need some recovery time. Move as much as you can, but also allow yourself to heal. That being said, I have been breastfeeding exclusively, and eating healthy, and already I've lost 20 lbs. Today is my first day back to myfitnesspal since getting pregnant, so I know that with breastfeeding, regular walking (60 min. a day), and good diet I'll reach my pre pregnancy weight within a few weeks...but I have more to lose than that! Just wanted to share with you a lesson I learned from my first son, DON'T stop taking your prenatals! My midwife didn't tell me that, and I stopped taking them. I was working out a lot to get the weight off, and one day I started getting horrible pain in my shin. Turns out my body was taking calcium from my bones to ensure the baby was getting enough, and I got a hairline fracture from my bones being weak and my vigorous workouts. Took 8 months for the dr's to diagnose and by that time it was almost healed on its own. 8 months where I could barely walk from the pain. I lost all my pregnancy weight only to gain it all back in those 8 months of inactivity.

jenlarz

Breastfeeding helped me to lose with both my boys. But I did not get enough calcium and my teeth took a huge hit, just an FYI. I didn't really exercise then, but was working as a CNA and was very busy on the job. Congrats on the new life and on your choice to BF!

BurtHuttz

<----Lactation consultant. Experiences will be different for everyone. Some people notice a huge difference from breastfeeding some do not. Working out and breastfeeding are great and as far as calories go, if you cut them too low you will notice a decrease in your milk supply. Pay attention to your baby's output and your body. Those will be the biggest signs of how things are going. Sometimes exercising will cause your milk to have a different taste and some babies don't like that, some don't care. Here for help if you need it.

+100! This is all you need to know.

nxd10

I hadn't thought about the milk change with the exercise, but this is actually an important point for some women.

My sister's daughter was very lactose intolerant. She was more ambitious and I and worked out like a dog with aerobic exercises, producing a lot of lactic acid. Her daughter reacted to it just as she would have had she been given milk. Interesting! I wouldn't have thought of that connection.

TwelveTwentyOne

I'm nursing my 3rd daughter, she is about 3 months and I'm almost back down to my pre preg weight. I lost all my baby weight and way more with my first two girls.

Congrats on your pregnancy and your choice to breastfeed! It's an amazing experience!

sp98

I was the same as skatingisfun....lost all my baby weight plus more. Enjoy it as it is truly an awesome experience. Good luck ;-)

BroiledNotFried

Supply issues were less with my firstborn. I had a ton. I ate a normal breakfast, bagged my lunch for work (except for Fridays), ate 2 snacks a day, and a normal dinner. I did notice that by the end of the workweek I was a little lower in supply, but by about 6 months she's eating some real food and your supply goes down a little then too. My weight loss was very gradual. Like a few pounds every two weeks.

With the second, I was a stay at home mom with constant access to a fridge. I had supply problems, combined with a less hungry baby. I did find that the herb "milk thistle" and "fenugreek" both did the trick to almost double my milk supply. I admit that I tried a Guiness to increase my milk supply, and it really worked (almost too well). LOL.

BroiledNotFried

You have to get moving, now and after the baby is born. Pregnancy is a big risk factor for blood clots, as is a c-section and being around cigarette smoke. My sister-in-law almost died from 2 bloodclots after she had her baby. She was doing everything wrong.

But, do not try to do any hard exercising (other then straightening the house and walking) during the first six weeks. Here's why. Your hips are not "in place" until then. Like a BIG DUMMY, I went out onto the ice at 4 weeks post-partum. I was doing a simple backspin and fell out of it. When I hit the ice, I thought I broke my pelvis. I didn't and couldn't get up for 10 minutes. I laid on the ice in agony, with a Russian coach trying to help me and yelling at me at the same time. I'm not mad, as we were good frined. But, I got so busy with the new baby that I gave up skating for a very long time. :-(

delacruz_courtney

Congratulations on your baby girl!!! I hope you enjoy your delivery!! My son was born on August 12, 2012 and I have exclusively breastfeed him since he was born. You have made a wonderful choice!!! It is an amazing experience with so many benifits. It will help the weight come off a lot easier. Personally, I gained 60 pounds while I was pregnant with my son. When he turned 3 months and 1 week old, I lost all of that weight (he will be 4 months on the 12th of December). I did not do any exercise until 6 weeks postpartum...just let your body recover during that time. After that, here was my game plan:

Eat 2000 calories a day and drink at least 8 cups of water.
Start off jogging for about 10 minutes (for me it was very slowly with lots of breaks...I just couldn't do any more)
If you have access to an eliptical, that will help out a lot (once I started jogging, the extra weight hurt my knees so I had to do the eliptical)
Work out about 5 days a week.
Log everything.
Once you get smaller and your weight loss slows down, eat 1850 calories a day.
Have a free day where you eat more calories once a week (this will help your metabolism).
Eat whatever you want, just in the right portions .
Buy a digital food scale ($12 at Ross)

I've kept this up and now I can run over 3 miles without stopping at a nice pace and I've lost 66 pounds . 12 more to go until I reach my ideal weight . I think nursing helped out a LOT! Have a great time!!!

I also do the "crunch boot camp" that is available on youtube.com (& now the biggest loser at home challenge- not on youtube)

Filaree

Congratulations on your baby girl!!! I hope you enjoy your delivery!! My son was born on August 12, 2012 and I have exclusively breastfeed him since he was born. You have made a wonderful choice!!! It is an amazing experience with so many benifits. It will help the weight come off a lot easier. Personally, I gained 60 pounds while I was pregnant with my son. When he turned 3 months and 1 week old, I lost all of that weight (he will be 4 months on the 12th of December). I did not do any exercise until 6 weeks postpartum...just let your body recover during that time. After that, here was my game plan:

Eat 2000 calories a day and drink at least 8 cups of water.
Start off jogging for about 10 minutes (for me it was very slowly with lots of breaks...I just couldn't do any more)
If you have access to an eliptical, that will help out a lot (once I started jogging, the extra weight hurt my knees so I had to do the eliptical)
Work out about 5 days a week.
Log everything.
Once you get smaller and your weight loss slows down, eat 1850 calories a day.
Have a free day where you eat more calories once a week (this will help your metabolism).
Eat whatever you want, just in the right portions .
Buy a digital food scale ($12 at Ross)

I've kept this up and now I can run over 3 miles without stopping at a nice pace and I've lost 66 pounds . 12 more to go until I reach my ideal weight . I think nursing helped out a LOT! Have a great time!!!

I also do the "crunch boot camp" that is available on youtube.com (& now the biggest loser at home challenge- not on youtube)

Thanks for all the information. This wasn't my thread; but I had the same question and found this to be quite helpful.
I gave birth to a little boy the day after you on 13 August 2012. I was 145 before pregnancy, lost quite a bit of weight due to morning sickness, but put it back on of course, by the end I was 162. Just 3 weeks after delivery I was down to 142 because I wasn't eating anything but a couple of bowls of cereal each day and I am exclusively breastfeeding (except for two weeks when I breastfeed and supplemented). My supply dropped (hence the supplementing) and I realized I needed to make a strong effort to eat a lot better no matter how tired I am. Even then I stayed fairly steady at 145 until two weeks ago.
Now I am back up to 149. Not a big difference to be sure; but the scale is creeping in the wrong direction! I don't know if it was the overeating during the holiday (love my mom's cooking) or the Depo shot; but I want to get back to eating HEALTHY foods and exercising again. I just found this website today. I love it so far; but the fact that there breastfeeding isn't taking into consideration with the calorie consumption left me feeling really bad when I counted my calories for the day. I was over what I should have been for a breastfeeding mom; but I was REALLY over what I should have been from their calculations.

shellebelle79

I think the best thing to do at first is to enjoy being with your new baby girl. Don't over due it give yourself time to heal. So you don't hurt yourself. You will be so busy caring for her that you will start to lose shortly after haveing he without even trying. To be so little they keep you busy! What I did after my first pregnancy was to limit my bread intake and tried to limit my junk food. Now I just had my 3rd and I'm trying to drop the weight again. Drink plenty of water and just take it day to day. Best of luck!