lactating mom--??

I believe the average nursing mom burns about 500 calories a day so you can possibly add 500 calories to your daily intake but I would definitely check with a nutritionist/RD. You do not want to risk going too low and putting your milk supply at risk. Good luck!

I have been a lactating mom for most of the last 8 years. I have 7 children ages 8 and down to my 1 year old twins which are still nursing. I am also currently weigh a little less than I did prior to having them. According to the LLLI it takes 26 calories for a mother to produce one ounce of breastmilk. The typical amount produced in one day is 25 ounces. (Obviously this does vary, but it is an average.) So the average mother burns 650 calories a day just from milk production (26 calories x 25 ounces.) The typical 500 calories extra recommendation is given with a 150 calorie deficit built in to aid in weight loss. It is not recommended for a nursing mother to have her calories be under 1800 per day. So from there you can decide what you might need. You can log breastfeeding as a food on MFP and get a calorie deficit that way or as exercise or simiply adjust your calorie goals. If you want to see what that looks like feel free to look at my food diary. Because my babies are a little older now I subtract 400 daily (x2) for nursing. Too few calories can affect milk supply and quality. If you have any other questions that I can help you with feel free to message me. I have a little experience in this area.