I will try to post pics after baby is born

I had trouble breastfeeding my son as well he was born with a cleft lip so a nipple shield was used and that seemed to cause more harm than good he also had a tongue tie with made matters worse. He had jaundice from being two weeks so we were told to supplement 1 oz a day when we first brought him home to help flush the billirubin from his kidneys. We didn't use a bottle at first but a dropper so he didn't get used to the bottle. after about three weeks I started pumping and giving him milk in a bottle because he was sucking so much air at the breast due to the cleft. My milk dried up around 2 months but I was at least happy he was able to get that much milk given the situation.

There is misinformation out there about breast feeding but there is also a mothers right to choose. And I fully believe that if formula feeding is what works best for your family and your situation then more power too you. And more power to the moms than can and do breast feed as long as they can and are willing. Each mama is different and I think the world would be a lot better place if we started embracing and supporting mothers decisions instead of assuming they are out of ignorance

Right before giving birth I was 198lbs. I had gained 60. Now at 10 months pp and 146lbs.

Thanks RBX! I BF. I'll write more on cals and stuff later today. I'm kind of busy right now.

OK I have some time now so I can share some of my experience (hopefully she won't wake in the meantime).

So yes I gained a lot during pregnancy, about 60lbs. By 2 weeks pp I had lost about 24lbs, mostly baby and water weight and I imagine a bit of the extra padding, but at that point I knew I had to work for the rest of it.
I was eager to BF and I had read about the calorie requirements for BFing so I didn't want to go too crazy with the restriction. I didn't log all that consistently for the first few weeks. Then when I set up my goals with my new stats I set it up for a daily goal of 1300 net (accounting for BF cals of 500 a day, so really 1800). I just looked back at my logs and in reality it was all over the place. Some days I was at 1200, some days 1900 (after subtracting 500). There are some outlier days of less than 1000 cals but those must have been days I didn't log fully because I normally wouldn't eat that little.
After a month of 1300 I lowered it to 1200 but again I was all over the place. I do have a tendency to weigh myself often, so I think after the high cal days I'd see the scale not moving (or moving in the wrong direction) and then I'd buckle down and be good for a few days.
I've been more consistent in the last couple of months, mostly because I got frustrated at the slow progress during the summer/early fall. Baby is on some solids so I'm only using 300 cals for breastfeeding in my diary.
In terms of exercise, I didn't have much time for structure exercise in the gym so I'd go for long walks with my daughter during the summer and early fall. We do have a gym in our building but my husband works long hours so it's hard to make it. In the last little while I've been going late at night, like after 10. I also do some DVDs now and then when the baby naps but it gets frustrating when the baby wakes from a nap and interrupts. I also make up my own quick 15 minute circuit exercises because I get bored of the DVDs.
I try ("try" being the operative word) to keep my protein high and to keep carbs lowish or at least at goal - with varying success. But ideally I'd get more protein. I don't have banned foods and I don't try to eat low fat. Fat is my friend, at least in my food lol
In the interests of full disclosure I'll admit that in that picture I posted, I'm doing a great job at sucking in my tummy.. if I let it hang out I'll look 4 months pregnant. Planks and vacuum exercises (sucking in tummy hard) did great things for me at about 6 months pp so I should get back to doing them.
If you look through my diary and have specific questions or anything, let me know.. I'm no expert and am certainly not perfect but I'll help if I can.
Take care.

OK I have some time now so I can share some of my experience (hopefully she won't wake in the meantime).

So yes I gained a lot during pregnancy, about 60lbs. By 2 weeks pp I had lost about 24lbs, mostly baby and water weight and I imagine a bit of the extra padding, but at that point I knew I had to work for the rest of it.
I was eager to BF and I had read about the calorie requirements for BFing so I didn't want to go too crazy with the restriction. I didn't log all that consistently for the first few weeks. Then when I set up my goals with my new stats I set it up for a daily goal of 1300 net (accounting for BF cals of 500 a day, so really 1800). I just looked back at my logs and in reality it was all over the place. Some days I was at 1200, some days 1900 (after subtracting 500). There are some outlier days of less than 1000 cals but those must have been days I didn't log fully because I normally wouldn't eat that little.
After a month of 1300 I lowered it to 1200 but again I was all over the place. I do have a tendency to weigh myself often, so I think after the high cal days I'd see the scale not moving (or moving in the wrong direction) and then I'd buckle down and be good for a few days.
I've been more consistent in the last couple of months, mostly because I got frustrated at the slow progress during the summer/early fall. Baby is on some solids so I'm only using 300 cals for breastfeeding in my diary.
In terms of exercise, I didn't have much time for structure exercise in the gym so I'd go for long walks with my daughter during the summer and early fall. We do have a gym in our building but my husband works long hours so it's hard to make it. In the last little while I've been going late at night, like after 10. I also do some DVDs now and then when the baby naps but it gets frustrating when the baby wakes from a nap and interrupts. I also make up my own quick 15 minute circuit exercises because I get bored of the DVDs.
I try ("try" being the operative word) to keep my protein high and to keep carbs lowish or at least at goal - with varying success. But ideally I'd get more protein. I don't have banned foods and I don't try to eat low fat. Fat is my friend, at least in my food lol
In the interests of full disclosure I'll admit that in that picture I posted, I'm doing a great job at sucking in my tummy.. if I let it hang out I'll look 4 months pregnant. Planks and vacuum exercises (sucking in tummy hard) did great things for me at about 6 months pp so I should get back to doing them.
If you look through my diary and have specific questions or anything, let me know.. I'm no expert and am certainly not perfect but I'll help if I can.
Take care.

That is helpful, thank you! I do 1800/day and BF, but now I am feeding solids 2x/day, so my burn is probably less. That and the fact that's baby is STTN now might have something to do with my stall. I'm worried about eating less than 1800, though.

I think what will make the difference (and what your post seems to substantiate) is that I need to work out. After my first it really helped my weight loss, and I think it will help me this time. Otherwise I bet weaning will do the trick, whenever that may be!

Thanks again

PS - Don't feel bad about your 60-lb gain. I gained about 75 and only lost 20 right off the bat (8lb 4 oz baby).

Amazing change is such a short space of time! I know it's a personal decision, but why stop breastfeeding after only two weeks, if you don't mind sharing?

Girl, we had a terrible time with breastfeeding! At first my milk took forever to come in. She lost almost a pound in 3 days. So I was told to start supplementing. I had to use a nipple shield from the beginning bc they said I had sort of flat nipples. Once I started supplementing, she basically gave up on trying to suck at the breast and would just sit there and scream and act like she wasn't getting anything. The whole thing of her losing the weight at first really freaked me out too so after all that I was just having to pump and give her that along with formula bc I didn't have enough milk. I was told to put her to the breast, then give her a bottle with formula and also pump every 3 hours. All that was extremely overwhelming for me and I planned to stop breastfeeding at 3 months anyway once I went back to work bc I don't have time to pump at work. So I decided I wasn't able to enjoy any of my time off work or spending time with her bc all I had time for was trying to feed her and pumping so I decided to give it up. Long story but that about sums it up. I wish breastfeeding had been easy for me like it is for some people but unfortunately it just was too much.

"weight loss" for a NB is normal. Did you have an IV during labor? If so a lot of her birth weight was from the IV fluids and not truly HER weight. And once you give a bottle its all down hill from there. Always. Suckling at the breast is harder so babies get lazy when a bottle is introduced. You DO...well did before the formula... have enough milk. You body will not fail you. And legally you are allowed time to BF while at work. If you want it bad enough you can make it work! I always hate to see moms misinformed on BFing! It is hard! But its worth it! It took about 6 weeks for us before it was "easy".

I would just like to say that it IS possible for your body to fail you and your child. It happens. And spreading anything to contrary is where the real misinformation is.

I spent a month trying to nurse a baby who never gained an ounce, listening to people feed me the same line over and over, "You're doing everything right. Your body won't fail you." In the end my son was a lb beneath his birth weight (home birth, no Iv fluids), lethargic, thin as a rail, incapable of sleeping without nursing constantly, and rapidly losing muscle tone. Chronic low milk supply happens. Hypoplasia happens. Hormonal imbalance happens. And stating otherwise is costing new mothers their sanity and general well-being.

I would just like to say that it IS possible for your body to fail you and your child. It happens. And spreading anything to contrary is where the real misinformation is.

I spent a month trying to nurse a baby who never gained an ounce, listening to people feed me the same line over and over, "You're doing everything right. Your body won't fail you." In the end my son was a lb beneath his birth weight (home birth, no Iv fluids), lethargic, thin as a rail, incapable of sleeping without nursing constantly, and rapidly losing muscle tone. Chronic low milk supply happens. Hypoplasia happens. Hormonal imbalance happens. And stating otherwise is costing new mothers their sanity and general well-being.







I had the EXACT same thing happen to me. Immediately after adding in formula (still BF some) he was a completely different baby and started gaining weight.

Amazing change is such a short space of time! I know it's a personal decision, but why stop breastfeeding after only two weeks, if you don't mind sharing?

Girl, we had a terrible time with breastfeeding! At first my milk took forever to come in. She lost almost a pound in 3 days. So I was told to start supplementing. I had to use a nipple shield from the beginning bc they said I had sort of flat nipples. Once I started supplementing, she basically gave up on trying to suck at the breast and would just sit there and scream and act like she wasn't getting anything. The whole thing of her losing the weight at first really freaked me out too so after all that I was just having to pump and give her that along with formula bc I didn't have enough milk. I was told to put her to the breast, then give her a bottle with formula and also pump every 3 hours. All that was extremely overwhelming for me and I planned to stop breastfeeding at 3 months anyway once I went back to work bc I don't have time to pump at work. So I decided I wasn't able to enjoy any of my time off work or spending time with her bc all I had time for was trying to feed her and pumping so I decided to give it up. Long story but that about sums it up. I wish breastfeeding had been easy for me like it is for some people but unfortunately it just was too much.

"weight loss" for a NB is normal. Did you have an IV during labor? If so a lot of her birth weight was from the IV fluids and not truly HER weight. And once you give a bottle its all down hill from there. Always. Suckling at the breast is harder so babies get lazy when a bottle is introduced. You DO...well did before the formula... have enough milk. You body will not fail you. And legally you are allowed time to BF while at work. If you want it bad enough you can make it work! I always hate to see moms misinformed on BFing! It is hard! But its worth it! It took about 6 weeks for us before it was "easy".

I would just like to say that it IS possible for your body to fail you and your child. It happens. And spreading anything to contrary is where the real misinformation is.

I spent a month trying to nurse a baby who never gained an ounce, listening to people feed me the same line over and over, "You're doing everything right. Your body won't fail you." In the end my son was a lb beneath his birth weight (home birth, no Iv fluids), lethargic, thin as a rail, incapable of sleeping without nursing constantly, and rapidly losing muscle tone. Chronic low milk supply happens. Hypoplasia happens. Hormonal imbalance happens. And stating otherwise is costing new mothers their sanity and general well-being.

I agree with the fact that not all women can exclusively breastfeed their babies due to supply issues, baby not gaining weight etc. So what you do in those cases is you supplement with formula. You don't have to give up breastfeeding completely since it still offers benefits like antibodies.

Exactly, It's aggravating that so many people go at feeding their baby with an all-or-nothing attitude. It's either all breast milk, or you're a failure who then has to turn to all formula. It's totally an option to supplement as much as necessary and still enjoy a mutually beneficial nursing relationship with your kid (even if means just nursing at naptime and before bed).