3 wks post partum - breastfeeding - questions!!

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scorl
scorl Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey yall - haven't been on here in about 10 months and I'm ready to get back to keeping myself accountable!! I also have a 2 yr old and now a new sweet 3 wk old (3 wks on Sunday)... so it might be tricky but I need to get in the routine of tracking my food intake.

Exclusively breastfeeding but not sure how much I'm making - seems like a lot. haha I've read posts about putting breastfeeding in your food log or putting it in exercise... I don't really know what to do. My mom was in town all this wk and could not believe how much I wanted to eat. Kept trying to remind her how normal this is and that breastfeeding make you SO HUNGRY. She kept making me feel a bit self concious when I'd go eat something btwn meals but I know I'm doing the right thing. I just need to know how to figure out how many calories I should be eating. Do I use my BMR? Do I just add 300 or 500 extra cals? I dunno!!!

I am 5"7 and weighed 198 at delivery. I now weigh 180 - so I'm down 18 lbs after 2 wks yay! I gained around 30 this time...so pre preggo weight was 164. I had been doing a bootcamp before I got pregnant and gained a bit of muscle mass but everything says I was 'overweight' blah whatever. I would love to get down to atleast 150.

Any help/advice/tips?! Thanks friends!
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Replies

  • todayis4me
    todayis4me Posts: 184 Member
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    My advice would be to contact a lactation consultant through your pediatrician or even a nutritionist. Your making such a wonderful decision for you and your baby, congrats!
  • scorl
    scorl Posts: 51 Member
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    Aw thank you! :)
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    Hi! I breastfed my daughter for 18 months. Congrats on your loss so far!

    It's recommended that breastfeeding women eat no less than 1800 calories per day. OR your daily calories (based on TDEE/BMR) plus an additional 500 calories for exclusively breastfeeding or 300 for non-exclusive.

    For these additional calories, try to fill with good fats (nuts, avocado, etc) and protein and that'll help keep your milk production at peak performance. Also drink a lot of water.

    Hope this helps! =)
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    You should be eating above your BMR for sure. On top of that, you should also be logging your breastfeeding under the food section to get extra calories.

    I am also not sure if you should be at a deficit right now, I definitely agree with above poster. But I would at least use MFP to calculate your calorie goal either at maintenance or at a small deficit, like no more than 1 lb a week AND log your breastfeeding.
  • lenamae23
    lenamae23 Posts: 60 Member
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    I wouldnt start eating at a deficit until at least 6 weeks. The first weeks are so crucial for your milk supply. Until my baby started on solids I ate 500 extra per day so I was looking at about 1800 per day. Im 5'6 and weighed about 200 at that time. Now that he eats solids I add 300 extra. I did notice when i dropped below 1500 my milk supply dipped so just be careful. Good luck!
  • scorl
    scorl Posts: 51 Member
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    Awesome - thanks yall. So do I do 'custom' for goals? I'm trying to figure out how to navigate this site again - it's been so long! EEK! I calculated my BMR and it's 1626...

    Also, do I just log breastfeeding ONCE in the food section? Or every time I do? Sorry for all the questions..
  • BeckyBee78
    BeckyBee78 Posts: 5
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    Congratulations on your new baby!

    I am currently breastfeeding my 11 month old son. I log my breastfeeding as 'exercise' once a day. I read that you burn approximately 20 calories per ounce of milk that you produce. I know it's hard to know how much milk you are producing unless you pump, but I would assume that a baby as young as yours nurses at least 8 times in 24 hours... and probably takes in 2oz each time? So, 16 ounces = 320 calories/day... and honestly, probably more than that.

    Please remember to give yourself time to heal and recover from your birth. Breastfeeding is excellent for weight loss because of the calorie loss... but you also have to give your milk time to come in and get established for baby. There is also that 6 week rule about not pushing yourself too hard until 6 weeks after you have given birth.

    Hang in there and enjoy your little ones :)
  • bethanyfranco1
    bethanyfranco1 Posts: 41
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    I have an 8 week old and I've just been ignoring the fact that I breastfeed. I just don't log it (can you, anyway?) I'm afraid that if I eat 300-500 extra calories, I'll get used to doing that and pack on the pounds once I stop breastfeeding. I was eating 1800 calories, but disliked the 137 pound plateau that's been going on for the past 4-5 weeks because of that. I'm not sure what I'm doing is a good idea, but I want to be my pre-baby weight again. BFing definitely complicates things...good luck to you.
  • bvw665
    bvw665 Posts: 7
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    You are burning a ton of calories by producing breast milk. You have to add about 500 calories just to be at maintenance.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    You can either use Goals>Change Goals>Custom>and then put in whatever you feel you need OR you can add breastfeeding as an exercise or a food. I believe MFP had a breastfeeding option, but it never worked for me, so I just added it in as a food which set me at -300 for the day.

    It does kind of suck when you stop breastfeeding and have to adjust your calories again, but there's a good chance your BMR/TDEE will change based on your activity and you can continue eating at or around the same amount of calories.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    You can either use Goals>Change Goals>Custom>and then put in whatever you feel you need OR you can add breastfeeding as an exercise or a food. I believe MFP had a breastfeeding option, but it never worked for me, so I just added it in as a food which set me at -300 for the day.

    It does kind of suck when you stop breastfeeding and have to adjust your calories again, but there's a good chance your BMR/TDEE will change based on your activity and you can continue eating at or around the same amount of calories.

    If you log breastfeeding under food you get a negative value.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    Hence the minus sign. =B

    It was just the easiest and most convenient way to log the burn for me.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
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    I was completely starving when I was nursing my kids, hungrier than when I was pregnant. Good luck. Most data shows about 500 calories extra while nursing. If you cut back too much you will not suffer, your adorable baby will.
  • scorl
    scorl Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks everyone! SO helpful! Yea- definitely didn't plan on eating at a deficit at all right now... and with my first kiddo I tried working out WAY too early (before I was cleared... I know - bad girl!) and I got sick/mastitis. NO FUN. I am definitely taking it easier this time and learning to love my body again while I recover and have different expectations of the time needed to get back to where I was. (Yes I also realize what my body has done is brought a little miracle into the world so I'm really not THAT hard on myself ;) ) Just really curious if I am eating enough. Wake up around 3 or 4am hungrrrrry...so I go eat something. My mom just made me think I was eating too much and I told her I wasn't. I just do better knowing an amount of calories to hit and it will help me make better food choices instead of always wanting ice cream lol.

    I'll get my goals set and figured out soon. This was very helpful.
  • scorl
    scorl Posts: 51 Member
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    Ok - still dunno what I'm doing. Do I custom set my calories to like 2000 or 1800? and then log bfing as exercise or food? So I'm really only eating 1500 or 1300 calories? I'm lost! help!

    I also 'chase' around my 2 yr old all day... so not sure how to decide how 'active' I am along with nursing a 3 wker. :)
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
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    I'm breastfeeding my 7 month old, and I custom set my calories to 2000. I don't log my BFing as exercise. I am supplementing with solids now, but I still have my cals at 2000, and it's working just fine. Congrats on your bundle! Enjoy those first weeks. Don't try cutting too many calories, this early. It wouldn't be worth it, if your supply ends up tanking... know what I mean?
  • mitzvahmom78
    mitzvahmom78 Posts: 64 Member
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    Please don't take your mom's comments too seriously. It sounds like you are doing everything right and she just wasn't used to seeing you with a hearty appetite. Keep up the good work!
  • tuttifruttimama
    tuttifruttimama Posts: 2 Member
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    Congratulations on your new little one! I am full time nursing as well and just pick option "breastfeeding -500" from the food search and add that to one of my meals on top of my allotted daily cals. So it ends up being 1980 cals for me daily to lose 1 lb per week. I agree with giving yourself time to recover and establish milk before worrying too much about weight loss. And drink a ton of water too.
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
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    Congratulations. But I agree with the others who think it's too early to worry too much about weight loss. Give yourself time to adjust to a new baby and a new schedule before you start stressing about other things. That'll effect your milk production badly.
  • foxythefox
    foxythefox Posts: 8
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    I put breastfeeding 500 calories on my log when I tracked. My weight was kinda the same as yours. I am 5'8 and I weighed 225 right before I delivered. I dropped down to 168 within 4 months and stayed there. Probably because I was so hungry like you. I probably ate 2500 calories a day whoops lol. But I never gained weight. I did try to diet to the recommended 1800 while breastfeeding and my milk supply would always tank a few days later. Once I stopped breastfeeding I lost all of my weight. And 13 months after giving birth, I am 151 pounds.
    Congrats on your second bundle of joy!!
    Also, does breastfeeding initially hurt with the second child? Please say no! :)

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