Nursing Mothers, How Much are you Eating?

CuteWittleWifey

Hello there!
I'm currently nursing my 3 week old baby, and have been eating about 2400 calories a day (netting about 1900 if milk making is taken into account). I gained 47 pounds during my pregnancy, which was much more than I would've liked. Immediately, I lost 27 of it, but the weight loss hasn't just slowed....it has stopped completely. BUMMER! I know that an issue I have is that my appetite is OUT OF CONTROL some days.

Height:5'3
3.5 weeks PP
Total Calories Eaten:2400
HW (Pregnant):187
CW:160
GW:140
UGW:125-130

So I'm just wondering the stats of other nursing mothers and how they are doing with their weight loss.

jbuc07

I ate A LOT while nursing.. Definitely not one of my best moves.. But it seems, I was FAMISHED all the time.. And oh so thirsty.. Do you get like that? And, Congratulations on the baby, and nursing!!!! My weight stopped also while I was nursing frequently, it didn't matter how many calories I reduced. My body hung on until we started weaning. That being said, my dtr is down to ~2 feedings a day, on average, some days she's cranky and she eats more (she's just shy of a year old now) and I eat 12-1400 calories a day. Or I try too. That probably doesn't help a lot now, since your baby is so young. I didn't count my calories until she was eating solids regularly. I'm also very short, so I don't think I ever ate 2400 calories on a regular basis. More like 1800? I've never had a problem with milk supply (if that is a concern for you) but I do like oatmeal! (REALLY helps if your worried)
All in all, that was A LOT of rambling, but maybe you can take something away from it.. ? Good luck, and if you have any questions, you can friend request me/just ask!

CuteWittleWifey

If I was eating only 1800, which would mean I would be netting 1300, I think I would die. When I was losing weight before my pregnancy I netted more than 1300. I'm thinking about trying to net 1700...its about 150kcals below my maintenance. Also, I'm thirsty all the time but find it hard to drink enough...so maybe I'm retaining water too.

savithny

I did not count calories while nursing (I was at a good weight before pregnancy and returned to it pretty handily).

But my daughter refused most solids until she was 9 months old, and was over 25 pounds at that point. I just ate.

I dropped to my lowest weight since high school. And whenever I dropped below that, I would find myself in front of the fridge, not really even remembering how I got there, and I would eat meat and eggs and nuts and cheese....

Nursing my babies made me a real believer in two things: Setpoint theory and the power of hormones in weight gain and loss. My body defended that setpoint incredibly vigorously, in ways I really wouldn't have believed possible before I lived it. And it knew what it needed for milk production and that's what I craved.

Unfortunately, I got used to the nursing-mother portion sizes and snack habits. And eventually I weaned, and my kid got big and didn't need me to carry her everywhere... and here I am today...

CuteWittleWifey

Lol, you're so lucky not having to count calories while nursing.
I used to be obese, and I love to eat a ton-nursing or not, so I don't trust my natural impulses to eat.
A lot of times my thirst gets the best of me as well, which makes me crave all kinds of foods,

TavistockToad

Hello there!
I'm currently nursing my 3 week old baby, and have been eating about 2400 calories a day (netting about 1900 if milk making is taken into account). I gained 47 pounds during my pregnancy, which was much more than I would've liked. Immediately, I lost 27 of it, but the weight loss hasn't just slowed....it has stopped completely. BUMMER! I know that an issue I have is that my appetite is OUT OF CONTROL some days.

Height:5'3
3.5 weeks PP
Total Calories Eaten:2400
HW (Pregnant):187
CW:160
GW:140
UGW:125-130

So I'm just wondering the stats of other nursing mothers and how they are doing with their weight loss.

honestly, you had a baby 3 weeks ago... if you arent putting on weight, i would say you have other things that are more important going on for now!

you say your thirst gets the better of you, so maybe try getting properly hydrated every day which will help with weight loss as well.

albosler

I'm currently nursing my almost 9-month old, she's nursing 4x a day, plus 3 meals. I have my calorie goal settings set at 1200 kcal a day, and then under "cardio" i add in 500 kcal for nursing, so I eat a total of 1700 a day if I don't exercise. This is my 4th baby, and in my own experience my milk supply has always been good so long as I drank a lot of water. The amount of Kcal only made a big difference for my milk supply if I was under 1500/day. However, with your baby being so young right now I'd wait to cut your calories until your baby is 5-6wks old, for now just eat when you're hungry and drink a lot of water. In the past with my other kids I've been able to eat up to about 2000 and still lose weight, and 2500 and maintain weight fairly well.

Also.... my goal weight is the same as yours, and i'm about 8-10lbs away. My pregnancy weight was also about the same as yours, and i've been on and off on this "calorie counting" thing since she was about 10 weeks old, and just re-started....my weight loss (and gain) has come in ebbs and flows - so don't worry, it'll come!

weloveourboys

Is this your first baby?

You are thirsty all the time b/c you are nursing. This is a critical time for you - your body is trying to produce enough milk and this is also a time your body will produce more as your baby will be coming up on a growth spurt. You are only 3 weeks post partum; I would not be worrying so much about weight. Try to focus on eating healthy foods, eating enough of them, and drinking bucket loads of water so that your milk supply stays high (assuming nursing is important to you).

Every woman is different; some hang on to weight while nursing, while some lose a ton. I was in the latter group (I've nursed all 3 of my boys), where I could not eat enough to maintain my weight while I was nursing. But that didn't happen until my babies were aroudn 4 month old; they drink so much at that age. But lots of my friends told me that their bodies seemed to hang on to the last 10 lb while they nursed. If I were you I wouldn't focus on weight loss so early on post-partum. Do what you can to put good food into your body, try to get sleep, and the rest will take care of itself.

FrankieFreaking5Kids

I had my 5th baby 7 months ago. I gained just about the same amount of weight that you did. I got my tubes tied and when I brought my daughter in for her first appointment, my doctor cautioned me about trying to lose weight right away. It is good to eat normally and drink enough water for the first three months while you are healing and building your supply. I had never been told this before! It was really nice to just be okay with where I was until I was able to lose. I have my calories set at just under 1700 then I add about 200 for nursing. I know I should probably add a little more, but I have a lot of weight to lose. Even eating 1900 and drinking all that water, I have to go over my calories 1 or 2 days on the weekend to build my supply back up. I have managed to lose 1.5lbs a week. Sometimes it is closer to 3lbs. I realized that on those weeks where my body lets go of more weight that I needed to eat a lil bit more to keep my supply. Give yourself time and then play around with your calories. You'll find a happy medium Congrats on the lil one!

5ft
sw 247lbs January 2013
cw 229lbs
gw 160lbs

jbuc07

I'm currently nursing my almost 9-month old, she's nursing 4x a day, plus 3 meals. I have my calorie goal settings set at 1200 kcal a day, and then under "cardio" i add in 500 kcal for nursing, so I eat a total of 1700 a day if I don't exercise. This is my 4th baby, and in my own experience my milk supply has always been good so long as I drank a lot of water. The amount of Kcal only made a big difference for my milk supply if I was under 1500/day. However, with your baby being so young right now I'd wait to cut your calories until your baby is 5-6wks old, for now just eat when you're hungry and drink a lot of water. In the past with my other kids I've been able to eat up to about 2000 and still lose weight, and 2500 and maintain weight fairly well.

Also.... my goal weight is the same as yours, and i'm about 8-10lbs away. My pregnancy weight was also about the same as yours, and i've been on and off on this "calorie counting" thing since she was about 10 weeks old, and just re-started....my weight loss (and gain) has come in ebbs and flows - so don't worry, it'll come!

THIS!! Although, I didn't add the extra 500 calories. I tried tracking my nursing calories, but it just doesn't work for me. I can't lose. LOL I have to be very diligent about how much I eat. Just the way my body works. Oh, and keep some ice water by you at all times!! It helps! I loved it in the hospital, they'd make sure you always had a big mug of ice water... Then you get home, and THAT goes out the window! LOL (although this was baby #4 for me too)
Just do what your body tells you too. We can give you all the advice you could possibly want, but in the end, you know your body, and what works for you.

catmarto

I am currently nursing my 12 month old. At this point, I no longer add the calories for nursing as exercise because I have no supply issues and I am not losing weight at a rapid rate. When he was younger and my supply was of paramount concern, I added 500 calories in as exercise for breastfeeding. Honestly, at 3 weeks post-partum I wouldnt worry about counting calories. Try to focus instead on eating healthy foods. Early on in bf-ing I always allow myself copious amounts of fruit (it also helps w. the thirst for me) and just try to make sure I am not eating gross stuff like fast food, processed desserts, etc.

I understand your frustration because my "stats" are nearly identical to yours. I am 5'4.5", I was 187 at delivery and 160 by 3 weeks pp. I got stuck at 160, but by 2 months post partum I was 150 and by 3 months PP I was 145. Getting below that point was really tough for me until I started back up seriously watching my calories and working out religiously in January. Now I am 12 months post-partum and I weigh 138 pounds with an ultimate goal of 125-130. While the slow weight loss is frustrating, I console myself with the knowledge that losing fat quickly while breastfeeding can lead to increased toxins in your milk. Also, try to remember you are only trying to lose 20-30 lbs, so even if you lost a half a pound a week you'd be at your goal by your baby's first birthday.

Good luck to you and congrats on your baby! Try to enjoy this unique time in life w.o stressing too much about your weight. Your baby will be eating solids and then off the breast before you know it and you'll have the rest of your life to focus on calorie counting.

cathynicolette

So glad I found this today. My son (baby #2) will be 5 months next week and I'm starting to realize that just because I'm nursing I can't eat what ever and how much of it I want. I've wanted to come back but could never find a way to include nursing calories.
Thank you OP :flowerforyou: