Breastfeeding mommies

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aleenazaz
aleenazaz Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
Are you logging in the calories burned from breastfeeding ? I just added them today and I feel I am cheating in my food log..

Anybody else feel the same ?

Replies

  • GeminiDelight
    GeminiDelight Posts: 45 Member
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    when i was nursing several times a day i logged in 500 calories for breastfeeding. now that am only nursing at naptime and bedtime i am unsure how low to set the calories and am thinking about not logging them at all.

    it does feel a little like cheating. but your body does actually need those calories.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
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    If I'm not mistaken, there's an option to check on your settings if you're breastfeeding.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
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    I nurse my 14 month old a few times a day, and I log 200 extra calories a day. It does feel like cheating at times, but I've been averaging around 2 pounds a week doing that so obviously the extra calories are necessary for me!
  • Jocampgrl
    Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
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    I've been trying really hard to listen to my body. It seems the day after I exercise I am the most hungry. I try to eat foods that give me the most bang for my calorie buck and if regular calorie allotment isn't enough I add bf calories. So I don't feel guilty but thankful for them because i don't end the day in the red. ;). And I'd rather eat them than have my 2 month old be starving cause I'm trying to lose weight.
  • Athena125
    Athena125 Posts: 102 Member
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    I don't feel it is cheating. Right now I am nursing an 11-pound baby, so everything she eats is from me. I am not willing to risk a low milk supply in order to lose weight, so I log those 500 calories. Even with that, I am still feeling my tummy grumble in the middle of the night, so I think I'm eating at a deficit.
  • stormyxpony
    stormyxpony Posts: 157 Member
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    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    My baby is due in 5 weeks and I plan on needing an extra 500 calories. I had supply issues with my other two, and I'm not willing to risk that by dieting. I'll try to get those calories from healthy sources!

    Stormypony, women often stop bf at 6 months as that's usually when you start a baby on solids, but you can carry on as long as you want to. The WHO recommends bf until 2 years, but I think that advice is aimed at 3rd world countries where they don't have access to the same quality of food/drink as we are in wealthier countries.
  • nancyluckhurst3
    nancyluckhurst3 Posts: 122 Member
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    There are no rules for this buy yours. I had babies that BF for 6 months and then they didn't want it anymore. I had a couple of the 8 that actually nursed at nap time and bed time until they were 2 yrs. Don't make it a traumatic event.
    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
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    I did log it before when my son was first born, he was a premie and I wanted to be extremely careful about my supply. Now that he's almost a year and in perfect health and size I do not and my supply hasn't suffered at all from not logging it I just make sure to eat healthy and drink enough water to sustain extra fluid loss. Simply though it bfing is making you more hungry than your calories allow then you probably should be eating a bit more. This is where listening to your body will come in much more handy than a number from a calculator.
  • lad323
    lad323 Posts: 82 Member
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    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??
    No. Current recommendation is breast milk (formula) only for the first 6 months. At 6 months you can start introducing cereal and other baby foods and breast milk (formula).
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    It's not cheating. How can it be cheating? Your body burns the calories to make the milk. Basically, you can't "cheat" in this process -- if you're overestimating your burn, you won't lose the weight, and if you underestimate it and don't eat enough, your health will suffer. Log it. If you find your weight loss slows, try lowering your burn amount by about 100 calories, and see what happens.
    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??

    No. There's no "cut off." The AAP now recommends a minimum of 6 months, and to continue thereafter as long as it's mutually beneficial to mother and baby. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding (no solids or supplementing) for 6 months, and continuing to breastfeed until age 2, and then as long as it's still mutually beneficial.

    And of course other factors come into play, such as medications that the mother needs, the baby's health, etc -- but my point is that there's no recommended upper limit.
  • stormyxpony
    stormyxpony Posts: 157 Member
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    Thank You!
  • lad323
    lad323 Posts: 82 Member
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    First Congratulations :)
    I guess I did this differently. I just change my calories to 2000 a day. To be honest, I didn’t log a lot the first few months but I was always hungry. The first few months of breastfeeding I ate more that when I was pregnant and still dropped pounds. Now that my little one is 10 months I am starting to log everything again to try to drop the last 5-7 lb.
  • oiseau17
    oiseau17 Posts: 142 Member
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    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??

    The average weaning age (globally) is between 2.5 and 5 years. Some children nurse even longer. I'm still happily nursing my three year old.
  • IIIIISerenityNowIIIII
    IIIIISerenityNowIIIII Posts: 425 Member
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    You burn up to 500 nursing exclusively, so if your baby is exclusively nursing then yes add 500 calories burned and eat that amount back. Once your baby is nursing half the time and eating solids the other half of the time just adjust the calories to 250. If the baby only nurses once a day I would set it to 100. I think a good guess would be about 100 calories per nursing session.



    About 6 months...babies should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months (or a bit longer!) before introducing solid foods slowly. By the first birthday, babies should still be getting the majority of their nutrition from Mom, but practicing with solids. The World Health Organization recommends that children nurse until a minimum of two years and beyond. Breast milk is the most nutritious food in the world, and the benefits to the nursing child continue as long as the nursing relationship continues.
  • purpledaisy4
    purpledaisy4 Posts: 15
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    when i breastfed i logged 500 till six months 250 from 6months till a year and from then till i quit at 2 years i didnt log any extra as it was only one maybe two feeds a day
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
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    I absolutely count breastfeeding calories! Your body is working a lot harder than you think to produce that milk - it isn't "cheating" at all. My son is 13mo & still nurses 4-6x a day, so I take the "Older Baby" cut of 300cal. I'm averaging 2lbs weekly weight loss
  • momma2azoo
    momma2azoo Posts: 50 Member
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    I was just wondering (not a mom here) but is the cut off from BF is 6 months??

    What do you mean 'cut off'? There is no cut off.

    The WHO recommends no solids before six months and breastfeeding for a minimum of a year. Solids before a year should be just for fun, not nutrition. Breastmilk is the most nutritionally perfect food for babies through a year and beyond. After a year, solids can be transitioned to more of a meal than a snack. It should be done gradually though. Many toddlers still nurse heavily and that's just fine and healthy. The world average weaning age is 5 years. The normal weaning age in the US is not founded on biology, but convenience and a lack of cultural awareness.

    As for calories, how many you need while nursing depends a great deal on your current weight. As with all things, if you're obese you probably don't need the full 500 extra calories to maintain your milk supply. If you are thin, you may need to add more than 500.
    Remember that's an average number, not a static absolute.

    I found while nursing my young babies (I'm still nursing my 5th, she's almost 2 1/2) that I was always ravenous and that my body really held onto weight. Like, ferociously held onto weight. I gained more weight while nursing than while pregnant. So frustrating!! Once my babies started eating more solids and my periods returned (usually around 2 years after having a baby) my body FINALLY starts feeling 'normal' again. I'm not starving, I loose weight finally. It's crazy, but a lot of women have similar experiences. To the extent that I wish breastfeeding proponents would STOP saying nursing helps women loose baby weight. For so, so many women the exact opposite is true. Their bodies fight to maintain excess 'emergency' weight in an effort to ensure a good milk supply. It's a great evolutionary tactic, but it sucks if you're trying to get back in shape. Don't let that discourage you though (maybe you'll be one of the lucky gals who find nursing melts weight off them)....and keep nursing!! The benefits for you and your baby are worth some stubborn pounds if you're one of the women whose body likes to keep them around. But be aware that while nursing, your body is in a different hormonal state and that impacts how you loose weight. Be gentle on yourself if you find it hard to loose. Keep working out, be active. It'll make weight loss so much easier when your body is finally ready to let those pounds go.

    Oh, my toddler is still nursing 5+ times a day but she also eats like a horse. I don't add extra calories. I have my activity set to lightly active and figure that's part of the extra calories I get from that setting (vs having it set at sedentary). If your baby is under a year and still nursing as their main food source add specific calories for nursing. If your baby is over a year and still primarily nursing, also add extra breastfeeding calories. If you are supplementing heavily with food or formula, don't add extra calories unless you are underweight.
  • ChristyB1117
    ChristyB1117 Posts: 51 Member
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    I still BF my 18 month old a couple of times a day - so I use the Older Baby 200. Some days I may still have that left over at the end of the day, so I don't get it every day.

    That said, I am also one of those women that have a really hard time losing weight while breast feeding. Part of the reason why I count it is to be sure my calories don't get too low, then I'm ravenous the next day and I have a hard time sticking to my plan.

    Here's to hoping I get to lose that excess 5-10 lbs of hormonal fat after he weans.

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