new mother and breastfeeding . new member!

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alisa2281
alisa2281 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone, I just joined the my fitness pal because I really want to lose the weight after having my baby girl this past may. The problem is that I am breastfeeding and I feel that I eat more than when I was pregnant. Wonthedering if there are anyone going thru the same thing. I also feel that my daughter has changed my perspective about life and want to improve my life quality. Looking for new mothers as well as a good fitness pal that I can connect with..

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  • leahdanbury
    leahdanbury Posts: 132 Member
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    I just had my daughter 2 weeks ago and I am currently breastfeeding as well. I feel like I am eating more than when I was pregnant as well. This isn't a huge problem because just by breastfeeding you are burning around 500 calories. My problem is making sure I eat those extra 500 calories and when I start to exercise how I am going to eat those calories as well! I'm just going to try to make healthy food choices and just listen to my body and my baby's needs. Feel free to add me :)
  • Lillibet1429
    Lillibet1429 Posts: 2
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    be careful honey you don't want to diet when breastfeeding. You want to eat plenty of scrummy healthy food and start some oh so gentle exercise I.e. lovely long walks with the buggy, maybe some easy yoga.

    my youngest is now 15 months and my eldest has just started school so now's my chance to get my body back and get healthy.
  • carlydevi
    carlydevi Posts: 68 Member
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    Don't go on a diet while you're breastfeeding. Just eat healthy and exercise because your baby needs all the food. Of course you are eating more, you're eating for two people! Or 1 1/2. :)
  • amallia921
    amallia921 Posts: 51
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    Hey! I'm a stay at home mommy of two girls. Feel free to add me!
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    It's not dieting, it's adjusting your calories to be what your body needs for you AND your baby. ;)

    I've lost 30lbs. My daughter is 9 months old and I started at a gym when she was around 4 months old. I started MyFitnessPal not long after that. If your baby is exclusively breastfeeding, -500 on your diary as you'll burn those calories in feeding her. The only thing I'd warn against is that if you have a particularly heavy workout, sometimes the milk tastes a little sour for baby for an hour or two afterward, so either pump beforehand or wait an hour. My daughter doesn't seem to mind the change in taste, though.

    Feel free to add me as a friend for support!
  • mnstrpc
    mnstrpc Posts: 109
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    You DEFINITELY need more calories while breastfeeding than while pregnant! Weird, but true. I nursed both of my kids for about a year; I was lucky in that BFing did help me to lose some of the weight but I definitely had to eat a TON while breastfeeding. I mean, I had breakfast, and then "second breakfast" every day! As previous poster noted, I would be very cautious about dieting while nursing as it can negatively impact your milk supply. Just try to choose healthy foods, eat when you are hungry, and gentle exercise to start until you can build up to more activity.

    Congratulations on your new baby!! And as they say, it took 9 months to gain the weight, it'll take a little while to lose it too! :)
  • MidwestAngel
    MidwestAngel Posts: 1,897 Member
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    Congratulations on your baby and good for you for breastfeeding! I am a lactation consultant so I am here to help when needed. Your body is going to make what the baby needs regardless. That being said, I think "diet" is the wrong word here. Just eat healthy and if you ever feel hungry, make sure to eat. Breastfeeding will make you hungry and thirsty as you probably already know, so make sure to listen to your body. You can do more than light exercise, again listen to your body. Sometimes when exercising lactic acid will become stronger tasting in your breastmilk, some babies don't like this, some don't mind it at all. Pay attention to your baby. If you are not getting enough to eat, you might notice your supply getting lower. I wouldn't go under 1500 calories a day and would probably go with more if working out. Feel free to add me for support if you like :)
  • carpetbagger12000
    carpetbagger12000 Posts: 41 Member
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    It’s been 23 years since I had my last child, but I can tell you that breast feeding alone will not take off the weight you gained in pregnancy if it was excessive. Exercise is good (I had c-sections, which made that bit hard until I’d healed), but what’s important is making sure you are eating only the best food, for you and for baby, and not too much of it. Breastfeeding makes you hungry and thirsty, so stay hydrated and eat lots of protein, because that is basically what your own milk is: protein and water with some fat. My babies were greatly affected by what I ate, so be careful with the gas-producing veggies (members of the cabbage family, mostly) and junk food. The quickest way to diarrhea for my wee ones was for me to break down and have a chocolate bar. Congratulations on your new baby and good luck with the weight loss.
  • alisa2281
    alisa2281 Posts: 3
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    Thank you so much for all the feedback. :smile:
  • sarahcsmaller
    sarahcsmaller Posts: 68 Member
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    Its been 3.5 months since i gave birth to my wonderful baby boy. lost weight initially but im stuck. eating healthy exercising ALOT and breast feeding but the scales not budging. not sure what im doing wrong but feeling a bit discouraged. not good for my milk supply or motivation. Grrrr
  • mlllsbrock
    mlllsbrock Posts: 1
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    Congrats on the new baby! I have three lovelies myself, and my youngest is almost a year old. This is the first one I've breastfed for the full year. What a gift to give your baby!!
    I am still having problems losing my baby weight...with others it seems the weight just "fell off" with breastfeeding, not with me! I was down to pre-pregnancy weight two months after (with doing nothing but nursing), and I am now back to what I was the day I gave birth to him! It is frustrating. The only thing my doctor can come up with is that my body thinks I'm starving it? I tried dropping the calorie intake and more exercise, and my weight just went up even more! At least he is gaining - plenty!!
    I now have enough in the freezer that if my milk decreases, it is ok. So I am hitting the calorie counting and exercising hard!
    Would be interested in friending you - but I'm not sure how to do it! New member.

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