Breastfeeding and weigh loss

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churchim808
churchim808 Posts: 14 Member
I'm thinking of weaning my baby for many, many reasons but one of them is weight loss. I've been losing weight very slowwwwwly and I'm wondering if it will get easier or harder once I wean her. This is my second child and I had already lost the weight at this point with my first.

Please, no lectures on how I should keep going for the sake of the baby. She's 8 months and very healthy. I'm not making this decision solely on breastfeeding's weight loss impact. I just want to hear other mom's personal experiences.

Replies

  • mandythr33
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    No lectures here! You do you! I just had my second child and I am breastfeeding him when I am not in school or at work. It's been harder the second time around for me as well. With my daughter I didn't gain as much, but already lost it by this point. I think it's just the more children, the harder the weight is to lose each time. No reason to give up though. It's more reason for us to try even harder and meet our goals! :smile:
  • danifo0811
    danifo0811 Posts: 542 Member
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    I'm in the process of weaning my second daughter. I gained 50 lbs each time and it definitely came off faster with my first. However, I ate better then and slept better too.

    When I weaned my first, I gained a couple pounds but that also coincided with me going back to work so maybe that was it.

    I know some people gain because they are still eating the extra food and others lose a stubborn couple of pounds. So, I wouldn't count on it helping.
  • KWKY
    KWKY Posts: 110 Member
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    Purely from a weight loss perspective, I found with both of mine that I held onto the weight (and actually gained more) until about a month after I weaned, then the weight just dropped off.

    Some of it is probably water, but I found that my appetite went right down after I weaned, probably helping with the loss.

    Hope this helps!
  • smartblonde529
    smartblonde529 Posts: 61 Member
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    I think every person and their body is different so you have to do what you feel is best for you and your baby. You have done awesome nursing this long, many people don't make it as long as you have. From my personal experience (I have 2 kids, both of which I have nursed) my weight fell off while nursing my son but with my daughter I'm having a hard time loosing weight because I'm always hungry and she doesn't sleep through the night. I think its easier to loose when you aren't nursing because you never know with nursing exactly how many calories you need to eat. Best of luck to you!
  • chamcmillan
    chamcmillan Posts: 40 Member
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    My son is 7 months and I am also thinking about weaning him off. Not for weight loss reasons but just because I don't think I am producing enough milk anymore for him.
  • beccalovesken
    beccalovesken Posts: 4 Member
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    I am one of those who weight didn't fall off while breast feeding and while I've been tempted to wean I can't help but feel an amazing feeling everytime she nurses. I have to cut myself a break and say "Yea, I may be not to my pre pregnancy weight but look at what my body can do! I can feed and nourish this special child." But you have to do what is best for you. I just wanted ti give you a different perspective, Good luck!
  • kariebo
    kariebo Posts: 101
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    With my first the weight literally fell off while I breastfed and some time afterward (until my desk job caught up with me), the second i didnt lose any weight while breastfeeding or afterwards, now with the third -- I am breastfeeding (she is 5 months) and I am slowly losing weight... maybe a pound or so every couple weeks... but Im toning nicely and losing that way, just not poundage-wise. I really do think it depends on your body. Every pregnancy is different and i would love to lose all the baby weight and then some like I did with my first child, but Ive pretty much resigned myself to the idea that that is not going to happen and Im going to have to work at it this time. If anything, you could give it a shot, it would definately be less to have to worry about as far as making sure you are eating enough to sustain you, produce milk, and also lose weight in a healthy way. If you find that you miss nursing your little one, you could always start up again (may be a bit difficult at first, but it should be able to be accomplished given time and dedication) -- although personally, once I wean its done - there are so many things that I can do once i finish nursing that I cant imagine starting up again once its done.

    I have considered weaning my daughter as well becuase I noticed my milk supply was going down... i pretty much increased feedings/pumpings when I could (it doesnt feel the best to increase pumping though, but once the supply increases it should be fine) and also gave myself some days where i got over on all my numbers just to give my body a little more to work with. It seems to be working good for me, cant say that my approach would work well for someone else though.
  • streetfighter1979
    streetfighter1979 Posts: 1 Member
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    My GP told me that some woman's bodies hold on to the fat stores while breastfeeding so it's much harder to lose the weight. It's a biologically response - have to be able to feed baby during a famine etc. Hoping that is true for me! I have partially weaned my 8 month old to 1 feed a day (first thing in the morning) due to work and am considering weaning her completely around the 9 month mark.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
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    My son weaned himself at about 8 months (I never produced enough milk so we'd been supplementing all along). Since I didn't exclusively breastfeed my experience may not count, but I have only lost 10 or so of the 30 lbs I put on while pregnant. Weaning didn't seem to change anything. I am just starting to count calories though, so hopefully things will start to happenn.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    I think you did a pretty good run, having done it for 8 months. It's not like we're talking about 1 or 2. And really, how many of us WOULDN'T want our bodies back to ourselves after letting a baby borrow it for a couple years.

    Weight loss with BF is very slow...my ob said expect 1-4lbs a MONTH. I would be totally cool with that number (any is good, right) if BFing didn't make me RAVENOUS and I would over-eat constantly.

    Good luck in whatever you decide to do!
  • chrissyfuchs
    chrissyfuchs Posts: 4 Member
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    With my first I was back at pre-preg weight by 14weeks post partum. This time around I just hit my pre-pregnancy weight and she turned 6 months yesterday. I didn't have to work at it with my first, I had to work hard for it this time. I'm still nursing both of my dauthers (19 months and now 6 months).

    Personally, nursing is such a gift for my children that I would choose to nurse them even if it meant not losing weight. My milk supply took a huge dive a month and a half ago because I wasn't eating enough so I put away MFP and focused on building up my milk and eating as much as I wanted to make it so my babies could keep nursing.

    I'm still overwieght, I've been overweight my whole adult life. I hover right around my current weight and while I'm not happy with it, it is a weight I can live with while I nurse.

    I know a lot of women hold onto that last 10 pounds while nursing so if you wean you might be ableto shed a little weight