For nursing mamas!

Just curious if any of you ladies are nursing, and if so, do you subtract calories for that? How much?

I work 8-5 M-F, nurse my daughter on my lunch break, and pump when I get home. I subtract 250 calories under cardio (bc I don't know where else to put it), so I'm curious if that's too much? Or not enough?

Replies

  • acwenzel
    acwenzel Posts: 4 Member
    I started using this when my son was 9 mos old. I did not eat enough calories and my milk supply dropped dramatically. I increased my calories and pumped like a mad women. I got my supply slightly better and have been able to continue nursing. I increased my activity level from from lightly active to very active when i realized my milk supply was low. I now have it on active but he is 12mos old and only nurses 2-3times a day. Lightly active probably best describes my actual activity level.
  • knittingwitch
    knittingwitch Posts: 231 Member
    That's probably okay to do but I would talk to your breast feeding nurse to make sure your eating enough, you do not want to have that struggle of losing milk volume and trying to build it back up.
    I know that MFP has some thing on here for breast feeding moms I found it on my app so I don't know how to get to it form the computer. But you go under info and there is a breast feeding, and pregnant option it should give you some advice on what they think you should do. But seeing how this could affect your baby do call your breast feeding nurse.
  • I actually don't have an LC :-/
    My daughter is 7 months, and gives a ton of tee tees (among other things, haha), so that's kind of how I judge if she's getting enough. Thank you for the tip, I'll search for the breastfeeding stuff!
  • Captainobvvious
    Captainobvvious Posts: 272 Member
    What in the world is a tee tee?
  • kmorg22
    kmorg22 Posts: 180
    What in the world is a tee tee?

    PEE ...(tee tee is "pee" reworded in baby talk)
  • kmorg22
    kmorg22 Posts: 180
    That's probably okay to do but I would talk to your breast feeding nurse to make sure your eating enough, you do not want to have that struggle of losing milk volume and trying to build it back up.
    I know that MFP has some thing on here for breast feeding moms I found it on my app so I don't know how to get to it form the computer. But you go under info and there is a breast feeding, and pregnant option it should give you some advice on what they think you should do. But seeing how this could affect your baby do call your breast feeding nurse.

    Ive searched all over my app and cant find anything about nursing.
  • monkeys_mom
    monkeys_mom Posts: 18 Member
    Nursing requires about an extra 300-500 calories, if I remember correctly. kellymom.com is an awesome breastfeeding website, I haven't visited since my dd stopped nursing at 17 months, but I do remember seeing stuff about losing weight while nursing. How I wished I had started then, instead of starting when she was 2 and weighing in at 155, about 25 lbs heavy pre pregnancy).

    If you don't visit kellymom.com (which I think you should) I know I could call the maternity ward at the hospital I gave birth to, and I could talk to a nurse/LC--they might be able to answer your question.

    Good luck!
  • What in the world is a tee tee?

    I don't like the words "pee" or "piss" or any of the other ways to say it. So, we use tee tee in our home.
  • I didn't even THINK about kellymom! Thank you!
  • natesangel
    natesangel Posts: 210 Member
    in your food diary there's a 'food' for breastfeeding! good luck! it subtracts amounts based on quantity for you.
  • auzziecawth66
    auzziecawth66 Posts: 476 Member
    If you go into your food tab and search breast feeding it actually logs to your food journal. :)
  • I am nursing also but don't deduct any calories for it because I tend to over eat anyways..If I added it I may trick myself into eating more!
  • gailmelanie
    gailmelanie Posts: 210 Member
    As an OB nurse and OB instructor, and as a mother who has nursed two children until they were a year old each, I can say that you are probably doing what you need to do in the way of fluid and nutrition. What is just as important, if not more important, is that the milk in your breasts be removed on a frequent, regular basis so that more will be made. If you had the baby with you all the time she would do that for you and your breasts would respond by making as much, if not more, as was removed because it's not just the emptying of the breast that stimulates the milk production but also the stimulation of the nipple that the baby does way better than any pump. Keep up what you are doing with the food and fluid. The only think I would suggest is to pump more often and bring something of the baby's to sniff while you're pumping to stimulate let-down better. The sight, smell and feel of the baby all contribute to let-down and milk production, so you want to recreate that as closely as possible. And good for you for continuing to breast feed. I'm glad to see someone trying to keep up with it. I don't consider myself what I and some of my coworkers called a "nipple nazi," but I cheer women who choose to breastfeed and then really do it. You and your baby are better off for it, even if years after you've finished no one will be able to tell the difference without doing some in-depth statistical research. With the nursing and the weight-bearing and strengthening exercises you reduce your, and your baby's, chance of experiencing osteoporosis later, provided you keep up with the exercise and good nutrition. Keep up the good work!
  • Babieseverywhere
    Babieseverywhere Posts: 311 Member
    I add 'Nursing' as a food to my breakfast that gives me an additional 500 calories per day, as I am exclusively breastfeeding by 4 month old baby and nursing her toddler sister a couple times a day too.

    That said my weight loss has dropped from 1.5 lbs a week on average to 1 lb so I'm thinking of dropping it too 300 calories and see how that goes.
  • Thank you all SO MUCH! I'm going to be using the breastfeeding in the food tab for sure, and take out the cardio! You guys are awesome!
  • Babieseverywhere
    Babieseverywhere Posts: 311 Member
    Thank you all SO MUCH! I'm going to be using the breastfeeding in the food tab for sure, and take out the cardio! You guys are awesome!
    There is no reason to reduce cardio whilst breastfeeding, just make sure you ate wearing a good supportive sports bra.
  • Oh, not like that. I had breastfeeding under excercise, LOL! I didn't know what to do for it.
  • What in the world is a tee tee?

    I was thinking the same thing lol
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    I put a section of my diary to log my daily feeding expenditure. -300 for my daughter as she eats other foods too. Makes calculating my daily calories a lot easier. =)
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    I use Breastfeeding -300 in the food database.
  • ljervisleah
    ljervisleah Posts: 15 Member
    The amount of milk your baby drinks increases between 3 and 4 mths. Prehaps you hit a plateau because you aren't eating enough. You may consider adding more calories to see if this helps you scale move in the right direction. You can manually change the calories on the website. Click my home>goals>custom. You may also want to consider tracking your calcium intake. A nursing mom needs 120% drv calcium.