nursing a newborn...

mommyjos
mommyjos Posts: 98 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all! Just had my little guy and want to jump back into mfp. I have my settings to lose 1lb a week, and wanting to know if anyone has a suggestion or articles for how much additional needs to be accounted for while nursing. Thanks in advance! :)

Replies

  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 526 Member
    I've heard/read between 300 and 500 extra calories a day. And drink lots of water!!!

    ETA: Congratulations!!!
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    There's breastfeeding entries in the food database that you can enter and it will give you more calories. Monitor your intake and your milk production and increase your calories if you notice that your milk is dropping due to calories being too low.
  • mommyjos
    mommyjos Posts: 98 Member
    Thanks! I didn't know that was there! :)
  • Krys052490
    Krys052490 Posts: 72 Member
    I would also suggest a minimum of 400 extra calories due to nursing.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Be sure you are getting enough fat in your diet. Drink water like it's your job.

    Oatmeal, fenugreek coupled with blessed thistle, and brewers yeast can be effective in helping boost supply, if needed.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Hi all! Just had my little guy and want to jump back into mfp. I have my settings to lose 1lb a week, and wanting to know if anyone has a suggestion or articles for how much additional needs to be accounted for while nursing. Thanks in advance! :)

    Have you talked to your doctor about it?
  • JesiDM
    JesiDM Posts: 268 Member
    My daughters 3 weeks old and I was wondering the same thing!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    300 cals roughly.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Congratulations!!!
  • zjpq
    zjpq Posts: 198 Member
    for a newborn? about 500. But be careful, the second I started to cut calories my supply plummeted so wasn't able to really 'diet' till she was over a year and not dependent on me anymore, worth it though <3
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    If your baby is really young and you're BFing full-time, you should probably eat 400-500 extra a day. During the first few weeks, your baby is going to be trying to increase your milk supply to meet his needs and you don't want to risk decreasing your supply by eating too little. I would be really nervous about eating too little at first for that reason.

    I started MFP when my baby was around 5 months old and ate 500 extra calories a day, and was losing weight quickly but my milk supply was going down too. He started waking up at night a lot more to eat and my pumping output at work went way down, so I got nervous and quit counting calories. Now he's 15 months old and I'm still nursing around 4 times a day. I eat an extra 200 calories a day for that and it's been going great this time around!
  • rachelg145
    rachelg145 Posts: 185 Member
    Keep a stash of small snacks that you can eat right after you nurse handy for night feedings along with some water. I always kept the 80 calorie chewy granola bars next to the glider and would eat one after each night nurse. I know they aren't the healthiest but there were satisfying, low cal, and easy to get down quickly at night without giving me acid reflux, i.e. I could go right back to sleep. Otherwise I'd just be too hungry after nursing and way too hungry in the morning.

    Eat when you are hungry - just don't eat a bunch of junk like fast food and cracker-like snacks that don't have protein or fiber because they are quick and easy. You can't keep up enough energy to nurse if you don't eat enough and eating often including the snacks at night will keep hunger from ruling the day.

    Congrats on the baby! Pretty awesome!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I would set it to a half pound a week while nursing.

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