New mom- breast feeding

I guess if you log breastfeeding under food, it subtracts 200-500 cals depending how much you feed/ how old your baby is. My baby was born May 28th, but I only manage to pump 12-15 oz per day of milk (my baby got nipple confusion and won't take the breast) so I don't even bother to log it. I'm on a 1200 cal diet right now, but I'm always hungry so I think I might up it a little bit, idk. I try to work out so I can eat more calories, but the only thing I can do right now is walking. My baby doesn't nap regularly yet or like to be set down. I wish I had some good tips, but I think I might need some, myself. Best of luck to you!

I don't log my breastfeeding because I can't eat 1,700 calories without feeling sick or having to resort to junk food.

I am exclusively breastfeeding my 5 month old and am down about 50 lbs. feel free to add me

What a great thread! I'm due with my first baby on August 19th, and I plan to breastfeed. I've been using MFP for about 4 months to keep track of my protein. I never thought to continue to use it after he's born or that I could enter breastfeeding. Thanks!

My general advice would be to eat when you're hungry, nurse often, and just go steady, high nutrient content, and stay hydrated. One stressor (like calorie reduction, intense exercise, etc) alone shouldn't kill your supply; what you want to avoid is a pile-on of things that tax your body and mind.

If your baby goes through a growth spurt and seems hungrier or fussier at the breast, or if you have a temporary supply dip due to lifestyle changes, it could be frustrating and cause you worry, which could feed back into the supply and fussiness thing...which is all normal and just a signal to relax and take care of yourself, not that you're doing something wrong.

In my experience, focusing more on toning exercises and general cardio, and the health of my food (versus the calories) really helped me feel better generally and set in place good habits for when I was ready to lose weight more aggressively.

The human body, especially a nursing mom's body, is a pretty amazing thing. It'll adjust to keep you and your baby healthy; all you gotta do is treat yourself right.

Congratulations for you and the little one, by the way!

And don't give up on nursing! you're doing a wonderful thing for your child, and yourself! It really does help the weight come off! :happy:

I'm a not-so-new mother, my daughter is 2, but still nursing a few times during the day and night. I started losing weight about a year ago, and found if I went too low with my calories to start with that my supply dropped a little. At 2 months, breast milk is obviously your baby's only source of nutrition and I would recommend setting your calories reasonably high (unless you are really short or only have a little weight to lose I would look at around 1500 minimum per day) and add back your feeding calories, so you'd be looking at around 2000 total. That might sound like a lot, but you're burning a lot of energy and possibly running on less sleep so your body might be burning more than normal just to keep you awake! Alternatively, research your BMR or TDEE details and use those to work out how many you should be eating.

I find a great start to the day is eating oats, they are filling, a great supply booster and generally nutritious. Being lower GI they also keep your blood sugar stable which means you will have a slow but steady release of energy. Protein is also important for supply, so make sure you eat enough lean meat, eggs (if you like them) etc. Plenty of fluid (water, herbal tea etc) is also important.

Be gentle with exercise. If you are eating at a deficit, you will find the weight will come off without having to do too much. Don't go straight for high impact, or long periods of cardio. Two reasons: at two months post-partum, your ligaments will still be quite relaxed and loose, breastfeeding tends to keep those hormones around a little longer and you are at a higher risk of injury; and also because lactic acid can build up in the milk after exercise (it does move out of your milk again naturally, the same as medications or alcohol would) and make taste different to baby. If you are keen on more training, get a consultation with a trainer who specialises in post-partum training and have them take you through some exercises.

Why on earth you start counting calories when you have a 2 months old baby and brestfeeding. Give yourself a break, let your body produce as much milk as it can and feed your baby. Sleep a little more instead of using your energy for logging, counting calories, etc. Of course this does not mean eat all the junk food, a jar of nutella, ...you get the idea. Just make healthy choices, drink lots of water, have enough calcium, iron, sleep enough, go to daily walks with your baby and most of all enjoy your baby. After your baby gets 6 months old and starts eating solid foods then start counting calories if you want.

Why on earth you start counting calories when you have a 2 months old baby and brestfeeding. Give yourself a break, let your body produce as much milk as it can and feed your baby. Sleep a little more instead of using your energy for logging, counting calories, etc. Of course this does not mean eat all the junk food, a jar of nutella, ...you get the idea. Just make healthy choices, drink lots of water, have enough calcium, iron, sleep enough, go to daily walks with your baby and most of all enjoy your baby. After your baby gets 6 months old and starts eating solid foods then start counting calories if you want.

Counting calories while breast feeding isn't a bad thing. I changed my diet to eating healthy. I find healthy foods more filling and it's actually hard for me to eat even 1,200 calories now. So keeping track of what I eat is helping me stay conscious of how much I'm eating and remember to try to eat enough to support breast feeding and still manage to lose weight.

Just wanted to encourage you --- I got people giving fright tales about exercise lowering supply--- but I ran a marathon when my daughter was 3 month and was up to 60+ miles a week soon after and I had an over supply of milk. I didn't count calories, but switched to the eat clean plan (eating every 3-4 hours with a lean protein and veggies/complex carbs) and I got to the leanest I've ever been and felt great and my daughter was growing wonderfully.. .