Bfing New Mom trying to figure out cals and macros!

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Mikkimeow
Mikkimeow Posts: 1,282 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there! I am 3 weeks post partum new mom and wondering where exactly I should be setting my calories and macros. Because I am breastfeeding, I have been told over and over that eating too little and losing too fast could affect my supply. I was previously eating at 20% TDEE, around 1500 cals plus half of my excercise calories. Should I bump this up, stay the same, or eat at maintenance? Also, anything you bf moms suggest to boost my supply? I am only pumping about 2.5-3 ounces at a time, and it is just not cutting it with my little girl. I hate having to supplement, but she had some issues when she was born and her doctors are strongly pushing me to supplement with formula between every feeding.


My daughter has been sick and congested, and can't breastfeed naturally, so I have been having to pump. It is frustrating, because my supply has been dropping daily and I just don't know what to do.

Replies

  • Chris99mu
    Chris99mu Posts: 352 Member
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    500 extra calories a day for EBF

    Remember, the pump is not nearly as efficient as your girl. Whenever possible, bf, don't pump. Or after she is done, pump both sides. This will cue your body to make more. And water, water, water. Drink up! If that fails, try oatmeal daily, one DARK beer daily, fenugreek capsules or this tea: http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Mothers-Milk-Tea-Bags/dp/B0009Y8AGI. I made gallons of it, put it in the fridge and drank it all day, actually to the point that i had waaaay too much milk. So, be careful! :-). My first i only BF'd for 4 months. For my second, I did a lot of research on www.kellymom.com (AWESOME site) and BF'd my second for over 2 years.

    Good luck! :-). PM me with any other questions!
  • neacail
    neacail Posts: 228 Member
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    You don't say where you're located. Are you able to get Domperidone?

    My first son nursed very well, and I never had any problems with him. My second son was a "lazy" nurser, which seriously affected my supply. He was classified as failure to thrive at 6-weeks-old as a result (he is fine now . . . four-years-old, tall, and very active).

    I was prescribed Domperidone and that, combined with pumping on top of nursing, got my milk supply up to better levels. He did start cereal early (mixed with formula) at our doctor's request. She was worried that supplementation with bottled formula would impact his willingness to nurse.

    I nursed him until he was 16 months old. The World Health Organization recommends breast feeding until two years old. We didn't make it that far as my little guy just lost interest.

    And yes, I believe breast feeding is supposed to require 500 calories a day.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    Drink lots and lots of fluids. Eat at maintenance as if you were not breastfeeding and good luck and take care of the munchkin.

    Edited to say that I breastfed 5 children 4 of them past a year the other I dried up due to not eating and drinking enough and I was pregnant with the next.

    My pic is in honor of my father who is in the hospital.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
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    Oh BFing = Breast Feeding

    Might want to rethink that acronym LOL.

    :embarassed:
  • SONIA820
    SONIA820 Posts: 208 Member
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    Kellymom.com is an amazing resource for all things breast feeding related!! I would look into fenugreek and mother's milk tea! Both helped me keep going for 16 months! Also breast milk is a fantastic decongestant for tiny baby's! Otherwise there is a product out there called Boogie wipes, all it is is saline and either the breast milk or the boogie wipes will make it easier for her to breath because you have to nurse nurse nurse to keep that supply up!
  • fuzzle74
    fuzzle74 Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm still BFing my third (she's 2). Try oatmeal (steel cut), there is also a great recipe for a breastfeeding cookie out there. Gatorade and TONS of water. I had a breast reduction in '98 so with my first and second I took Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, and with my third I took Domperidone. All of these help boost supply! I agree though that just because you pump a certain amount doesn't mean that's what your baby is getting. Get in touch with a Lactation Consultant and you can also weigh before and after a feeding. Watch for wet diapers!
  • donnajean84
    donnajean84 Posts: 4
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    first of all, get a nosefrida and a humidifier and those will help with the congestion so that your little one can nurse. pumping is definitely not as efficient as your little girl. as for upping your supply, the first reply is spot on - dark beer or fenugreek or brewers yeast can really help and i've tried that mother's milk tea before and it seemed to help. also, if you search under food for "breastfeeding exclusive" then it will give you the right thing and it should give you -500 cal a day. (i always love adding that in! ) just whatever you do, be confident in your decisions. if you have to pump, then do it, but have your little girl next to you so she can smile and coo and that can help make the pumping easier. also, if you aren't already, consider trying nursing on demand (as opposed to a schedule) and that can help with supply and your little girl's satisfaction!
  • DeevahLee
    DeevahLee Posts: 11
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    I am 3 months postpartum, I was told that you should not be cutting calories at all until after the 2nd month because that is how long it takes for your supply to be well established. And I don't think that you should exercise until after your 6 week check up. That is probably why your supply is going down. You need to be eating at least 2000 calories and this is depending on your weight and how many calories you burn breastfeeding.

    When my daughter was born she would not latch and I had to feed her through a syringe. To keep your supply up you have to pump at least every 2 hours during the day and go no more than 4 hours a night. Try to pump for at least 20 mins on both sides. Also make sure you drink plenty of water at least 8 glasses and maybe more. This will help both you and the baby from being constipated.

    For the baby's congestion, you might want to check your food. My daughter used to be congested all the time, this was because the dairy products I ate were having a reaction to it. Once I got rid of milk she was better but it took about a week - 2 weeks to see results. Also my pediatrician told me for congestion to just sit the baby in her car set in the bathroom when I take a shower to allow the steam to break up the congestion and to get a humidifier as well.

    I hope this helps somewhat. Friend me because I am going on this journey of the baby fat as well. Good luck!

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