Breastfeeding and Weight Loss

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sparkyntiger
sparkyntiger Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
Hi! I am somewhat new to MFP and was wondering if anyone has lost some of their milk supply due to dieting and exercising? I started using fenugreek yesterday and it takes about 3 days to increase your milk supply. I thought I would see if anyone else was going through this.

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  • BrickHouse2011
    BrickHouse2011 Posts: 91 Member
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    this happened to me in December. And i used Fenugreek and Blessed thistle when i was breast feeding. BUt remember when breast feeding you are to eat more calories than normal at least 100-200 more calories.
  • oddyogi
    oddyogi Posts: 1,816 Member
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    Pretty sure while breastfeeding you're supposed to be doing "maintenance calories" and then ADDING 500 calories.. because when pregnant you're supposed to add 300 calories. I'm not so sure it's healthy to try and cut calories while breastfeeding.

    If I were you, I'd set my calorie goal to the maintenance weight for the weight you WANT to be, and then add 500 on top of that. Exercising shouldn't be a big deal, and don't worry, if you breastfeed AND exercise, not cutting back calories shouldn't matter.
  • italiabella
    italiabella Posts: 19 Member
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    I agree. You must increase your calorie intake and water. I lost weight just from breastfeeding. I also would check with your doctor before dieting. You don't want to cheat your baby out of any nutrients.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    I haven't noticed any decrease in supply...baby isn't complaining. I think if you make sure to eat an extra 300-400 calories a day, you shouldn't see much change in supply. If you lose too much weight too quickly you might have issues. Good luck!
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
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    I am always afraid of this, but have not developed a problem with milk supply at all. So I don't know. I did buy some tea called Mothers Milk. You are suppose to drink it 3x/day. I only have used it once. As BrickHouse said you are suppose to add on a few more cals to your diet.
  • sparkyntiger
    sparkyntiger Posts: 5
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    I definitely eat at least 1800 calories a day and drink 8 glasses of water, but I should probably drink more. I am trying to get back to my normal fitness routine and that is where I seemed to notice the dip in supply. I wear a heart rate monitor when I workout so that I get the most accurate information. I'm also on a very restricted diet due to what my daughter can have. I don't eat any dairy, soy, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame and humus. I am slowly trying to incorporate these foods to see how she does, but until then, I can't eat a lot of it. Yes, it's tough but she's definitely worth it!!
  • sparkyntiger
    sparkyntiger Posts: 5
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    I forgot to mention that I noticed the dip in supply when I pump at night and in the morning. She doesn't seem to complain during the day when I feed her. I know this is just me being paranoid as a first time mommy! :smile:
  • mjaef
    mjaef Posts: 4
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    I haven't noticed a decrease in my supply but I just recently realized that you can type in breastfeeding in your food search and it adds extra calories depending on how often your nursing. If your baby isint complaining then it's probably your body adapting for her. Hope that helps and feel free to add me as a friend if you would like.
  • fitandactivemom
    fitandactivemom Posts: 6 Member
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    I also am on a very restricted diet - the same things as you plus a few more. It makes it challenging, but worth it to be able to breastfeed. Have you tried eating beans? I'm eating a lot of black beans, brown beans, garbanzo beans - all plain and rinsed very thoroughly. Someone told me that they aren't passed into the breastmilk so won't make the babies gassy - I find it helps me to feel more full. Just a thought. Also, I heard eating a bowl of oatmeal everyday will help increase your supply (I eat with unsweetened almond milk).
  • x3mommy
    x3mommy Posts: 73 Member
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    I did notice a decrease when I first started to exercise/cut calories. Oatmeal and fluids helped me the most along with eating all my calories... don't go under!
  • sparkyntiger
    sparkyntiger Posts: 5
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    Thanks you guys!! I never thought about beans (because I was afraid to have my daughter deal with tummy issues) and I will try oatmeal since I didn't know about that!

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