Breastfeeding and gaining weight!

Gingersnaps703
Gingersnaps703 Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So, I am breastfeeding my 3rd baby and have the same problem I've always had.....I CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT! And what's worse is with this one I'm gaining! I realized I wasn't eating enough and upped my calorie intake. According to fit pal I would need to consume 1,700 to lose 1lb a week. I add 500 to that to accommodate for being a nursing mother. I'm packing on the pounds!!! I'm so frustrated! I know I probably messed my metabolism up while not eating enough. So, here's my question....how long after increasing your calorie intake does it take to start losing weight? I have a fit band....I burn 2,400-2,550 on a regular day and am consuming 2,200-2,300 calories a day. I should be losing 1lb per week.....but I'm friggin' gaining!

Replies

  • KLangleydoula
    KLangleydoula Posts: 1,494 Member
    It can take a couple of weeks to see what your body is going to do with those extra calories and to adjust. I'll help encourage you, feel free to add me!
  • Gingersnaps703
    Gingersnaps703 Posts: 8 Member
    I had c-sections with my first two and thought that was the problem. The only way I could make sure a c-section didn't happen this time was to do a home birth with a midwife. Of course that's not the only reason I went for a home birth. I was successful in my HBA2C. I really thought that going the natural route would make this different than the first two times. I'm happy to EBF my baby girl...now 12 weeks. I just hate feeling so fat. Seriously....I'm creeping up on my full term pregnancy weight here! Was losing for the first 4 weeks and just started gaining after that. Then, of course, I thought I was eating to much and cut back, making the problem worse.
  • MomTo3Lovez
    MomTo3Lovez Posts: 800 Member
    Unfortunately it's going to take trial and error until you find out what is right for you, just make sure you are getting enough for both you and your daughter and if anythign else talk to your doctor about it, they may be ablet o steer you in the right direction for losing the weight without taking away the nutrition both you and baby need. Congrats on your baby!
  • Gingersnaps703
    Gingersnaps703 Posts: 8 Member
    I'm going to stick with 2,200-2,300 for a week or so more and see how it works out. I know for a fact I'm burning between 2,400-2,550 per day. So, I'm not thinking I should need to increase any more. We'll see!
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    MomTo3Lovez wrote: »
    Unfortunately it's going to take trial and error until you find out what is right for you, just make sure you are getting enough for both you and your daughter and if anythign else talk to your doctor about it, they may be ablet o steer you in the right direction for losing the weight without taking away the nutrition both you and baby need. Congrats on your baby!

    I agree. It's going to take trial and error.

    I've breastfed 4 babies. The 500 calories is an average. Some women burn more breastfeeding, some burn less. I would decrease it by a couple hundred and see what happens. That won't be enough to affect your supply adversely. So try finding a middle ground between where you were not losing/not gaining and where you are gaining. It's really best to not lose too much until the baby is 6 months. At that point, the milk machine is humming, your hormones have probably leveled out some, you are no longer as tired, and supply would take an act of Congress to disrupt. Unfortunately, regardless, you are going to have to tweak some to find your personal BFing calorie burn and your sweet spot for how your metabolism is currently affected by post-birth and BFing hormones. Make sure you get plenty of water, and track carefully, as well. And rest as much as you can.

    And congrats on the successful VBA2C. And a homebirth. That's impressive.
  • northlandmum
    northlandmum Posts: 91 Member
    That is unfortunate. I'm with the others, a bit of trial and error. Sound like you're eating a good amount to keep the factory going. Breastfeeding is so good for your baby I hope you keep going despite your problem, ie don't give it up because you want the weight off more. After my 3rd baby it took until I stopped breastfeeding her at 10 months for me to lose the rest of the baby weight, the weight just wouldn't budge during that time.
    Great to hear you had a home birth after the c sections :smiley:
  • Gingersnaps703
    Gingersnaps703 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks ladies! I held on to a good amount of weight while breastfeeding my first two. After 1 year I weened them and it ams off relatively easy. I would never ween my baby just to lose weight. I've never gained weight while nursing though. It's frustrating to see that number on the scale climb ever so closer to my pregnancy weight. I am 1lb lighter today than I was 2 days ago. Let hope i'm actually making progress and it's not just water weight.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    Gingersnaps703 wrote: »
    I am 1lb lighter today than I was 2 days ago. Let hope i'm actually making progress and it's not just water weight.

    Thumbs up to that!
  • LCroft411893
    LCroft411893 Posts: 20
    Hi! I'm a breastfeeding mom, had my baby in August, and would love to be in your support network. Please add me if you're interested!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    Gingersnaps703 wrote: »
    Thanks ladies! I held on to a good amount of weight while breastfeeding my first two. After 1 year I weened them and it ams off relatively easy. I would never ween my baby just to lose weight. I've never gained weight while nursing though. It's frustrating to see that number on the scale climb ever so closer to my pregnancy weight. I am 1lb lighter today than I was 2 days ago. Let hope i'm actually making progress and it's not just water weight.

    This was me. I EBF and then BF my second (my first I had issues, so he ended up being FF after the first three months - after which point I had NO PROBLEM losing weight). I wasn't gaining but wasn't losing, either. I hated having to suck it up and stay fat for a year until we weaned. I did have success for a month or for a couple of weeks at a time, then I would maintain or gain back what I lost. It was a year of a lot of ups and downs on the scale.

    I would say trial and error, but I did all that and couldn't come up with a solution. Hopefully you'll find your magic number! There's a group on here called Breastfeeding Mamas that I found very helpful, if only as a place to vent.

    We weaned almost 5 months ago, and I've since lost almost 25 lbs :)

  • Gingersnaps703
    Gingersnaps703 Posts: 8 Member
    Adjusted my calories again today. Trying 2,100 this week. Trial and error right? Hope it works!

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