breastfeeding and losing weight

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  • MelanieMamaof5
    MelanieMamaof5 Posts: 75 Member
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    Why yes...I do have experience....a LOT of experience breastfeeding and losing weight (5x's).

    Others have said not to worry about losing weight while you are breastfeeding. I agree and disagree. First of all, we all want to look good and feel good again after having a baby. That's only natural. Just as when we were pregnant, however, we still have this little one that is dependent on us and our bodies for their health. My advice would be not to "worry" about losing weight but to go ahead and "be smart" about it.

    Cutting calories too low and/or cutting out too much good fats and dairy from your diet AND/OR working out to vigorously WILL affect your milk supply. You will either lose it altogether, or it will become watered down (like feeding your baby skim milk) and not very nutrient dense. This can result in your baby being very hungry and wanting to eat WAY MORE OFTEN than it normally would, had it been fed a more "filling" meal, or it will not gain weight like it should. You don't want that.

    Here would be my advice....which has worked for my 5 times over, try to eat a moderate diet, get regular exercise (the more rigorous, the more water and calories you need to consume), and watch for clues that your baby is satiated (gaining weight, going 2-4 hours between feedings, etc).

    If you need a "number", try setting up your MFP account with your usual statistics (weight, height, your weight loss goal, etc) then add to that 500 calories (if you are exclusively breast feeding. If you are supplementing with formula or once your baby starts on solid foods you will want to decrease that number down to between 300-400 extra kcal). (example---is 1200 calories is the number MFP sets for you, bump it up to 1700kcal, if exclusively BF-ing---if not, set your goal at 1500kcal-1900kcal)

    Give that number a go and see if it works for you.

    If you continue at 1200 calories I can almost guarantee you will lose your milk supply and/or your baby will have a difficult time thriving.

    Excellent question!
  • jke78
    jke78 Posts: 59 Member
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    JustinAnimal wrote: »
    Guiness (which is relatively low cal) and other dark beers are supposed to promote breast milk production. Capitalize on this. And for the love of God, you need food to make milk for your baby. You are the food factory!

    Brewers yeast or fenugreek are much better ways of doing so.... A nutritional expert at Texas Children's Hospital told me this.
  • lindsayrcarlson
    lindsayrcarlson Posts: 1
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    I created an "exercise" called Breastfeeding and gave it about 400 calories, and I just log that in to my day each day. My daughter is 18 months now, and still nursing a lot! I love the Moms into Fitness workouts for post-partum and nursing workouts and info! The best thing is to eat nutritious, healthy foods, and if you're more than 6 weeks postpartum and have the ok, start working out, but listen to your body. I still don't feel good doing a lot of jumps, it's like I still have loose joints from pregnancy. ;-) Good luck!
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    Colemanlo1 wrote: »
    I might add that they were OB doctors at that.

    OBs are generally not very knowledable about breastfeeding oddly enough....It was in the past thought to help supply, but it has been found that it actually can harm a weak supply. Alcohol inhibits let down and slows it down.

    that said there is nothing wrong with a breastfeeding mother drinking, but its best to make sure her supply is well established before she seriously indulges.

    There are a lot of other things that a mother can consume to boost supply, however most women don't need the help, they just need to nurse, nurse, nurse. The best thing for a low supply is a nursing baby, making milk is about supply and demand. The more you remove the milk, the more your body makes. If you have a low supply you need to see an LC and check out the baby's latch first and foremost.
  • MelanieMamaof5
    MelanieMamaof5 Posts: 75 Member
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    Another note,
    #3 out of 5 babies was very touchy. If I lifted weights too much (resulting in a lot of lactic acid build up (aka really sore muscles)) he would reject my milk. It's almost as if the acid in my body changed the taste and he didn't like it.

    Also, with #4, I was unable to do ANY type of chest exercises (push ups, chest presses, etc) without causing clogging of the milk ducts, which is excruciatingly painful. Again, the swelling of the chest muscles, plus the build up of lactic acid, would cause the ducts to swell and become clogged. Very painful. I didn't have any such problem with any other baby.

    Keep your chin up. Keep in mind that not one body, or baby, is alike and it will take a bit of trial and error to figure it all out.

    Good luck!!!!!! :)
  • NiceSmile17
    NiceSmile17 Posts: 16
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    veganbettie wrote: »
    jenniferstlaurent907 wrote: »
    You should def be taking in more calories because bf burns a lot of calories. Are u exclusive or supplementing? Either way eat more lol and be careful with ur diary intake. It may cause fussiness in ur baby Espically if he/she is young, they can't digest it efficiently and it does pass to them from the milk. Of course I have to day as a mother of 2, just weaning my daughter from bf, keep up the good work! It is so demanding and u should be proud! (I only was able to make it 2 months, she is now all on formula)

    Most mothers can eat dairy just fine without it affecting their little ones. This is only really true for babies that have an intolerance or an allergy. Which is

    False- my child does not have an allergy but was very fussy/gassy when I over did it with dairy products. Espically cows milk. Just some advise not looking to be black and white here.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
    edited January 2015
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    jenniferstlaurent907 wrote: »
    veganbettie wrote: »
    jenniferstlaurent907 wrote: »
    You should def be taking in more calories because bf burns a lot of calories. Are u exclusive or supplementing? Either way eat more lol and be careful with ur diary intake. It may cause fussiness in ur baby Espically if he/she is young, they can't digest it efficiently and it does pass to them from the milk. Of course I have to day as a mother of 2, just weaning my daughter from bf, keep up the good work! It is so demanding and u should be proud! (I only was able to make it 2 months, she is now all on formula)

    Most mothers can eat dairy just fine without it affecting their little ones. This is only really true for babies that have an intolerance or an allergy. Which is

    False- my child does not have an allergy but was very fussy/gassy when I over did it with dairy products. Espically cows milk. Just some advise not looking to be black and white here.

    it is not false....most mother can eat dairy just fine with out it affecting their children. There is no reason to tell a mother to cut it out of their diet unless there is an allergy.

    Babies are gassy creatures, humans are gassy creatures. Babies get fussy because they aren't used to having gas bubbles in their body so they need to work it out and get used to it. The best thing that you can do is help your child work through it by bicycling their legs, or rubbing their belly, eventually in most cases if there is no allergy or intolerance your baby won't get fussy or upset when they are gassy.

    If cutting out the dairy worked for you, that's awesome, but most women do not need to watch their dairy intake.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    MelanieMamaof5 wrote: »
    Another note,
    #3 out of 5 babies was very touchy. If I lifted weights too much (resulting in a lot of lactic acid build up (aka really sore muscles)) he would reject my milk. It's almost as if the acid in my body changed the taste and he didn't like it.

    Also, with #4, I was unable to do ANY type of chest exercises (push ups, chest presses, etc) without causing clogging of the milk ducts, which is excruciatingly painful. Again, the swelling of the chest muscles, plus the build up of lactic acid, would cause the ducts to swell and become clogged. Very painful. I didn't have any such problem with any other baby.

    Keep your chin up. Keep in mind that not one body, or baby, is alike and it will take a bit of trial and error to figure it all out.

    Good luck!!!!!! :)

    huh that's interesting I've never heard that before.
  • thekillingmoon777
    thekillingmoon777 Posts: 8
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    veganbettie wrote: »
    hollydubs85 wrote: »
    My other advice is this: Don't try to lose weight while breastfeeding. It's stressful and frustrating, both of which can affect the union you and the baby have while breastfeeding.

    Focus on feeding your child, eating foods that meet yours and his/her nutritional requirements.

    I agree to an extent. Wait a long time to start trying to lose weight. Don't focus on calories, focus on your baby. This is one of the only times in a woman's life where she can eat a good deal and not gain weight. When your baby is a newborn you don't get that time back, it's best to spend it focusing on your child and loving every second....or trying to...

    If you're still nursing passed a year and you still want to try to lose weight....i'd say go for it. Even passed 6 months. but not in the beginning.


    My baby was 1 in December :)
  • thekillingmoon777
    thekillingmoon777 Posts: 8
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    I realise I didn't include much information in my post, my supply is well established as my baby is 1, and having 3 meals a day herself as well as her milk.
  • AbsoluteTara79
    AbsoluteTara79 Posts: 266 Member
    edited January 2015
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    My youngest just turned 1 in December as well. (Which coincides with when I started seriously committing to MFP and losing). I eat between 1700-2000 a day and have been losing steadily. My baby nurses morning/bedtime during the week when I'm working and about 4x a day on the weekends. I quit pumping at work. I don't know your current weight/height and activity, but I'm sure that you could bump your calories up and still lose (and have an easier time sticking to your goals).

    Also - you don't need extra dairy. That is purely preference on your end.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    That's great OP!!! Good for you for full term breastfeeding!!! :)

    You could totally cut back on calories, but there is no reason at all to get down to 1200 unless you're extremely short. :)

    So what are your stats? height? weight?

    You could probably eat at least 1600 and still drop weight and probably more.
  • thekillingmoon777
    thekillingmoon777 Posts: 8
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    Thank you you've both been really helpful
    I'm 5 foot 5 and weigh 11 stone 7

    Ah I thought I needed extra dairy because slimming world and weight watchers both allocate an extra portion for bfing members.

    To be honest, I thought I was being really healthy? I've eaten twice as much fruit and vege already this week. + last night after all the comments I bad already finished my diary but I had a go ahead bar even thohgh i wasmt hungry cause I was worried I hadn't eaten enough
  • MelanieMamaof5
    MelanieMamaof5 Posts: 75 Member
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    veganbettie wrote: »
    MelanieMamaof5 wrote: »
    Another note,
    #3 out of 5 babies was very touchy. If I lifted weights too much (resulting in a lot of lactic acid build up (aka really sore muscles)) he would reject my milk. It's almost as if the acid in my body changed the taste and he didn't like it.

    Also, with #4, I was unable to do ANY type of chest exercises (push ups, chest presses, etc) without causing clogging of the milk ducts, which is excruciatingly painful. Again, the swelling of the chest muscles, plus the build up of lactic acid, would cause the ducts to swell and become clogged. Very painful. I didn't have any such problem with any other baby.

    Keep your chin up. Keep in mind that not one body, or baby, is alike and it will take a bit of trial and error to figure it all out.

    Good luck!!!!!! :)

    huh that's interesting I've never heard that before.

    It WAS really interesting veganbettie. I totally agree.

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