Breastfeeding questions

mbnharrison
mbnharrison Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm currently 7 weeks pp and exclusively breastfeeding. In the beginning things were great - I dropped 20lbs within the first week of delivery but have now reached a plateau and I don't know what I can/cannot do, should/should not do as I don't want to jeopardize my supply. I have been exercising in the gym since 3 weeks pp and nursing on demand...I have another 18-20lbs to lose.

Should I eat back breastfeeding "calories" - how do you do that without over eating since you can't really track these calories? How many calories should I be consuming to lose one pound a week without messing with my supply?

I need to get off this plateau because I'm getting very discouraged.
Thank you!

Replies

  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
    This one is kind of tricky, and honestly, at this point, I would try not to be too focused on calories. You are only 7 weeks pp, and your body still needs to get back on track. It is awesome you are exclusively breastfeeding, and like you said, you don't want to mess up your milk supply. I really think you just need to give it some time....the weight will come off! Just keep on getting exercise, eating healthy foods, and you will see that your body comes back to where you want it to be. For all of my children it probably took about 3-4 months before I felt like I had my pre-pregnancy body back, and I exclusively breast fed as well. Good luck!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    If you keep breastfeeding and watch your calories the weight will come off by six months (in general). You don't want to lose too quickly - it's not good for you and can make it tough on your milk supply. As she said, focus on gentle exercise and eating well right now.

    We used to recommend around 500 extra calories a day at the beginning. But, as you know, it changes with the weather, how big they are, how fast they're growing, and all of that.

    You might start with a standard calorie deficit and then allow yourself up to 500 calories and eat them as you're hungry. What is MOST important is getting enough fluids. I used to make myself smoothies with brewers yeast. It gives you your vitamin B, which is good for nursing, lots of calcium, and a few hundred calories from the milk.
  • yaryrosa
    yaryrosa Posts: 65 Member
    I fully breast-fed my baby for the first year, and I did not even think about dieting during that year. Like you, I didn't want to compromise my supply. If it really concerns you, I think you should ask a doctor that is pro-breast feeding for recommendations on dieting and working out.

    Good luck!
  • gallerygirl21
    gallerygirl21 Posts: 36 Member
    Definitely eat your breastfeeding calories! You and your milk supply need it.

    Try going to http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/mothers-diet/ for some really great advice on all aspects of breastfeeding.

    I'm in my 24th month of breastfeeding (my second child now). I just really started to focus on weight loss about 2 months ago and I have been eating my calories every single day and still lose weight. Good luck to you and friend me if you'd like to check out my food diary.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Definitely agree--don't focus too much on weight loss and calories quite yet... You need to focus on your baby's weight gain!

    And be careful with your exercise--if you frequently do high intensity/anaerobic workouts you can start to build up lactic acid and this will pass in your milk for a couple of hours after you exercise. It's not unhealthy for your baby, but it changes the taste of the milk and your baby may not breastfeed as well when the lactic acid is high.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
    Also, you can track your breastfeeding calories here - it's under "food", naturally. :huh: (Well, I guess it's SOMEone's food, anyway...)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Definitely agree--don't focus too much on weight loss and calories quite yet... You need to focus on your baby's weight gain!

    And be careful with your exercise--if you frequently do high intensity/anaerobic workouts you can start to build up lactic acid and this will pass in your milk for a couple of hours after you exercise. It's not unhealthy for your baby, but it changes the taste of the milk and your baby may not breastfeed as well when the lactic acid is high.

    My sister had a baby who was lactose intolerant and her high exercise levels caused her babe to get sick! Strange but true.

    I didn't say this before, but I nursed both my kids until they were 3. I never looked at calories. But I did lose all my pregnancy weight by 6 months and couldn't keep weight on after they were 1. My current weight goals are 10 pounds higher than I was then. Your body is made to do this. Eat.
  • pmaria10
    pmaria10 Posts: 784 Member
    Definitely eat your breastfeeding calories the same thing happened to me I lost 26lbs right away and then slowly dropped another 10lbs over the next 5 months. I am in my 14th month of nursing and am now working on weaning and only nurse for comfort during my daughter's teething phase. I am still about 5lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight and 30lbs from my goal.


    @Gallerygir21l: I have a question for you did you have to adjust your calories once the nursing reduced? Right now I set MFP at 1310 for me and I add in an additional 140-160 per day for nursing since I'm not doing it quite as often usually about 1-3 times only at night. Thanks.
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
    I agree with the others that you should focus on healthy eating and habits right now, and not worry about losing too much weight. When I weaned, a lot of weight just fell off. I think some women just hold onto the extra weight while BFing; as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle you'll sort yourself out eventually. Congrats on the baby!
  • A_nori
    A_nori Posts: 30 Member
    I am 6 months PP and just introduced solids to my son so I decided that if my milk dried up it would be ok and I could focus on losing weight. Right now I am eating back about 300 calories extra a day but he gets 2 solid meals a day. I think the most important thing when you are exclusively BF'ing is to make sure that you are getting enough protein and water. Both will help keep your supply up. Don't worry as much about calories, its more important that you eat a good variety of foods.
  • Nimisha007
    Nimisha007 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I'm breastfeeding a 2 month old and was wondering what I should set my daily calorie intake to but I also wanted to lose 1 lbs per week. 1300 cal as a daily intake seems too low. any suggestions? Thanks!

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