BREASTFEEDING MOMS!!! Please help!!

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bethheyyy
bethheyyy Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey yall!

I am really confused.

I have a six month old who is not eating solids on any type of regular schedule so he drinks breast milk. He feeds 4-6 times through the day and about 2-4 times at night. I have a really fast flow and the feedings usually take like 3-6 minutes tops. Even when I pumped it would only take like 7 minutes to fill two ounces easily and that was when he was like two months old. I have no idea how much milk he is actually drinking now. I dont think its alot but then again I dont know how much is coming out.

I have been eating about 1200 calories a day and have NOT been restricting myself. Like if i am physically hungry and i am already at 1200 i WILL eat. Through this whole thing I have been loosing weight at a healthy rate and consistently. I have not noticed any milk problems or weight loss in my son. Hes like 65% for weight. Everything seems to be normal and fine. I am listening to my body mostly and eating when im hungry and stopping when I am satisfied. It sounds crazy but i haven't even really felt like I have been on a "diet".

With all that said, I had a lady comment on my wall saying that I was not eating enough and asked if I was sick or something.

This took me by surprise because I didnt really think to much about the amount of calories I am eating and how that all fits into the equation with breast feeding and weight loss.

I started creating a negative 500 calorie option on my tracking log which makes my goal at like 1700.

This seems like alot to me and i dont think i will loose weight at this amount.

How do I know exactly how many calories my son is taking from me?

Do yall have any educated guesses? 500 seems high to me...

Do i have to eat those calories back? Even with considering I have been doing this for about a month now and everything seems to be okay?

Are there risks of just eating 1200 calories and breastfeeding?

What about exercise? I have yet to really commit and remain consistent but going to as soon as I understand all this. lol
Do I eat back those calories I burned?

I am not very active through out the day. 5ft. 6in and weigh 138 right now and hope to get to a lean 130 or even 125...

If you are a breastfeeding mom who is or has achieved a lean healthy body through eating habits i would LOVE to hear the details of exactly what you did. The amount of calories, how long it took, breastfeeding subtractions and all that jazz..

& if you are someone who knows the answers to my above questions that would be pretty much amazing.

Please be kind, i love my baby and would walk on glass 10x over for him if it meant he would be happy & healthy.
That is why I am asking these questions so i understand. REAL people with real experiences. Sometimes i feel the information on the internet is more about covering doctors from lawsuits.


Thank you in advanced!!

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I used to be a La Leche League leader, so I'm not an expert, but I do know something about this and have had training in it.

    First of all - who asked that person to post on your wall? Anyway . . .

    The most frequent problem breastfeeding moms have is not drinking enough fluids. If your little one is mostly nursing, they're taking in around 42 oz or so of fluids. That means you need to take that many fluids in on top of what you need for yourself. That took me completely by surprise with my kids because I never thought about it. About that age they get much bigger, eat a lot more, and drink a lot. You need fluids. Water is good. I found smoothies with brewers yeast really helpful to keep my milk up and me feeling good.

    Second, if you're not hungry, I'm going to guess you're okay. It is true though that 500 calories is a good bottom line for how much they eat at that age (it may be low). When I was nursing I got to six months and thought it would take me forever to lose weight. But I was at my pre-pregnancy weight by 7-8 months and couldn't keep weight on after a year. I was 20 pounds under pre-pregnancy weight when they were two. Even though they're eating solids, they are much bigger and just sock down a lot of food. PLUS you're running after them, which burns calories too.

    It isn't hard to add 500 calories. A tablespoon of peanut butter. Toast and butter and orange juice. A bagel from Panera. A muffin.

    I did not look at calories at all when I was that age. But I did eat when I was hungry, which it sounds like you are too.
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
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    I pumped and got 30+ ounces a day. I think i was eating 1700 calories a day or so, but i did quite a bit of walking at work.

    How much exercise are you getting a day? If all you are doing is breastfeeding, then you could be fine. Like PP said all you have to do is have some Peanut Butter if you get hungry.

    Not everyone is the same. You may not need as many calories as others.
  • AiabliamsMommy
    AiabliamsMommy Posts: 60 Member
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    I've heard exclusive bfing burns about 500 cals. So if you eat 1200, then take 500 (for bfing) away and that leaves you with 700 for your body to function on. You need to figure your bmr, what your body needs to survive, like if you were in a coma. You should eat that much plus extra for making milk.

    Example, my bmr is around 1500. I need that much for my body to function properly if i did nothing at all. I must add calories on top of that for making milk. I add 300 because my baby eats solids and is 13.5 months old. So if I eat 1800 calories I am still burning calories through everyday life, here comes the TDEE. My TDEE is 1826. That's how much I burn through bodily functions and everyday normal activities. If I eat 1800+300 I will maintain. If I eat below my TDEE but still above my bmr, say 1700 I will lose. Even after adding 300 bf calories (those are burned off making milk). So I can eat 2000 calories and lose, while fueling my body with enough calories. Does that make sense?

    My advice, so you aren't lacking nutrients, is to figure out your bmr and tdee. Cut your TDEE, but stay above your bmr. Then add 500 calories for bfing. I would not skimp on the bfing calories since you are exclusively bfing.

    I'm no expert, but this makes sense to me. Eating 1200-500(bfing)= 700 -200(estimate)everyday activities= 500 to live on. Subtract any burned exercise calories...that leaves you farrrr below what your body needs to survive(BMR)

    That's how I see it, hope it helps:)

    Edited to fix dang typos!
  • c_faulkenburg
    c_faulkenburg Posts: 158 Member
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    Forgive me if I've read this incorrectly, but it seems that you don't have much to lose at this time. And I peeked at your diary and it seems like you are making great choices the majority of the time.. Perhaps continue to make the choices that you are making and hide your scale? Are you exercising, or lifting? I have restricted my calories but I have a good bit to lose.. I don't necessarily buy into the breast feeding burning so many calories thing, but it could be because I have been feeding boy #3 in just under 4 years (boy 1 went to eight months, #2 to 12 months and I plan to BF this one to a year.). My body may just be accustomed. I think you are doing great!
  • jodiegarnett
    jodiegarnett Posts: 30
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    I worked out my TDEE, took off the 20% for normal weight loss, then added back 200 calories for breastfeeding. My son is 2 though. I would find out your TDEE and go from there :)
  • bethheyyy
    bethheyyy Posts: 25 Member
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    What is TDEE?
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Total Daily Energy Expenditure it's what your body burns doing your daily stuff and exercise.
  • babyfatty25
    babyfatty25 Posts: 1 Member
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    I am really confused. I am ebf my 4 month old now and I have not lost a lbs since birth and I've been eating right and exercising. I heard if you don't eat enough calories your body will hold onto your extra fat as storage. I have 30 lbs to lose to get to my pre baby weight and was wondering how many calories total a day I should be eating that won't ruin my supply? Any help would help:)
  • minionofevil
    minionofevil Posts: 79 Member
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    Eating 1200 cals is not enough for an EBF baby. I waited until my son started solids (9mo) and every time he started eating more solids, i'd take away a little cals. Little by little, i took away. Still breastfeeding (10ish times a day, 2-3 at night) at 13.5mo, but without effecting his health/weight.
  • minionofevil
    minionofevil Posts: 79 Member
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    Oh, and I never did the extra breastfeeding cals. I started out at like 2100, and as he ate more solids, i took some away. Once I hit like 1600, i 'tested' 1400 to see how his weight tolerated it. He did fine, because he was eating enough solids then, so I dropped it down more. I am alloted like 1600 a day, but i tend to eat 1200-1250, because I don't have a big enough appetite to eat that much. I had to constantly add cals (cheese, butter, whatever to get my cals up) to get enough for him to gain well for a while before.
  • Jessimaaka
    Jessimaaka Posts: 127 Member
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    I've added 500 a day every day. I easily lost weight on this, and sometimes didn't eat all my calories and other days went over. I have lost all the baby weight (50lbs) and a further 16lbs. I recently reduced the 500 to 400/day since at 10 months he's eating more solids. He still nurses several times through the night as well though. I agree that liquids are just as important. I also ate oatmeal most of the time for breakfast while he was EBF (stimulates milk production) and still take one fenugreek pill a day.
  • belle_of_the_bar
    belle_of_the_bar Posts: 474 Member
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    When I started I was eating about 1700 before deducting for nursing, but now I eat about 2100 calories per day before deducting 500 calories for nursing. I am one of those people who eats more to weigh less apparently. My daughter is a year old, and I've dropped to 13 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight. It has been very slow progress, but I'm ok with that.

    My advice is make sure you're getting a lot of calcium so baby doesn't inadvertently take yours, eat when you're hungry, and drink lots of water.

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