Breastfeeding
mtark828
Posts: 1
Hi All! I'm really looking for support in how to healthily continue to breast feed my baby, maintain a good supply (I just returned to work today and will be pumping twice while here) but to shed the excess weight. This is my third baby and it's not coming off quite as easily as the first two. Let me be clear that I also have weight to lose from before I ever had my first baby... I don't want to sabotage my milk supply but I most definitely need to lose weight! Any help in terms of advice, shared experiences and support would be so greatly appreciated.
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What I am doing * I am tracking everything but right now I am 3months post so be careful if you are less that 2 Month post so you won't drain your milk supply! Remember 20 calories per oz. I tracked my weight as well just to see what my body was doing.
1. Monday- Kept food consumption at (1631 Calories) and (Burned 282working out) (Burned 440 Calories Breastfeeding/Pumping) (Net Calories=909) and Drank at least 9 cups of water –Milk Supply felt low this day! (162.4)
2. Tuesday- Food Consumption (1680 Calories) and (Burned 282 Calories working out) (Burned 280 Calories Breastfeeding/Pumping)
(Net Calories=1041) and Drank at least 10+ cups of water (162.0) Milk Supply felt low this day!*Ate Late Right before Bed* weight was up the next day!
3. Wednesday- Food Consumption (1611 Calories) and (Burned 359 Calories) working out (Burned 440 Calories Breastfeeding/Pumping)
(Net Calories=831) and Drank at least 8 cups of water (162.4) -Milk Supply felt low but better this day!
4. Thursday- Food Consumption (1560 Calories) and (Burned 170Calories) working out (Burned 4 Calories) Breastfeeding/Pumping
(Net Calories=953) and Drank at least 8 cups of water (161.4) –Milk Supply Great Today Normal!!0 -
I think the best place to start is with logging your food, so you have an idea of how much you are currently eating and the breakdown of micro/macro nutrients.
You can add calories for breastfeeding into your diary - a standard amount is 400 for exclusive breastfeeding.
Most women will recommend that you eat back your exercise calories and your breastfeeding calories.
Once you have a solid idea of how much you are eating, you'll know whether you need less calories, more calories, different calories, more exercise, etc. I would be hesitant to drop calories significantly because of the whole supply thing.
My personal experience: I lost the baby weight fast, and I ate 2400 calories per day. Healthy diet, lots of exercise!
Good luck, mama!0 -
I don't have any advice as I was not actively looking to lose weight when I was BF and pumping, and I still had issues with supply after returning to work. The things I always heard were:
-Drink a TON of water. Like if you think drink a lot....drink more than a lot
-Take Fenugreek capsules
-Drink Mother's Milk tea (I added some splenda to mine, it wasn't too bad)
-Oatmeal is supposed to a be a natural way to help keep up supply, so keep some oatmeal cookies on hand for snacking or eat oatmeal for breakfast
Good luck!0 -
I am 8 months out and pumping plus breastfeeding. At first I kept 500 extra calories in my diet for breastfeeding so that I wouldn't feel light headed. Now I only do 250, but it is well established and she is eating less.
I work out 30 minutes to 1 hour after she eats so I am not as full feeling. I drink 8-12 (8oz) glasses a day or more EVERY day. I eat oatmeal for breakfast most every day. If I am hungry--I eat. I don't limit that. If I am over on my calories, I do more exercise. The important thing to do with supply is to make sure you are not malnurished, it will only hurt you!
Good luck. I am finding breastfeeding slows down my weight loss, but now that she is eating less, I am finally starting to lose some.0
