caloric intake when breastfeeding
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JaymeColby
Posts: 5 Member
How many calories should I consume daily to maintain my milk supply? Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!
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Replies
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It's supposed to between 400 & 600 more than your usual intake: they recommend 1800 for the average female, so that's a minimum of 2200 per day. Also at least 2 liters of water which is about 8 glasses.0
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I'm in the same boat! I wish mfp would give an option for breastfeeding!0
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Same here!! Im breastfeeding a 5 month old (no solid foods yet) and I'm doing t25 and I'm really unsure where my calories should be to maintain my supply- but I really want to work on losing the extra baby weight. I've been aiming for 1800 and I haven't seen any impact on supply. But not losing much weight either!0
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Hi kitteh6, how are you managing 1800? I'm averaging around 2000 and starving and exhausted! (Lack of sleep isn't helping). Though about 500 of that is chocolate
. I have serious willpower problems and a house full of chocolate. I'm trying the 2 5 as well. Just started though. On my fast day I did about 800, another fast day tomorrow... Dreading it! How long have you been doing it? 0 -
Depends on your activity level. La Leche League recommends no less than 1800 during weight loss, so combine that with increased exercise and you should be good. I'm not counting calories for weight loss (yet), I know I am eating well around 2500 a day and maintained my weight for the last 4 months while EBF. It's crazy how much we can eat!! http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvoctnov97p115.html0
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I am exclusively nursing my 2month old. And I have mine set at 1600 and log breastfeeding under meals and that subtracts 500 so if i was to reach 1600 I actually ate 2100. My problem is with cutting out all the bad food (processed, junk, sweets) i always come way under my calorie goal.0
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try this calculator
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm0 -
I should also mention that I have 2 1/2 yr old twins in addition to my 5 month old so I'm pretty busy which doesn't leave too much time for snacking. Also I breastfed my twins until 11 months without many supply issues (bottle of formula before bed so I wasn't constantly hooked up to the pump or babies) so I'm kind of relying on that fact but I didn't really exercise or count calories their entire first year. Don't want to take too big a chance this time around with supply issues because my little one won't take a bottle! But really want to get my body back after all these babies. Feels good to hear from other mamas in the same boat
I've been doing t25 lazily for 2 months, but since the new year I've been following the program every day (5x week). Loving how I feel! 0 -
stephekc20 wrote: »I'm in the same boat! I wish mfp would give an option for breastfeeding!
Agreed! Google says about 2000-25000 -
Hi kitteh6, how are you managing 1800? I'm averaging around 2000 and starving and exhausted! (Lack of sleep isn't helping). Though about 500 of that is chocolate. I have serious willpower problems and a house full of chocolate. I'm trying the 2 5 as well. Just started though. On my fast day I did about 800, another fast day tomorrow... Dreading it! How long have you been doing it?
My baby is 2 months and I, too am exclusively breastfeeding. I produce A LOT of milk. I seriously pumped 12 oz from one breast a couple of days ago. I am STARVING all of the time and I've gained weight since having my baby. Hard to lose weight right now. You aren't alone!0 -
I am exclusively nursing my 2month old. And I have mine set at 1600 and log breastfeeding under meals and that subtracts 500 so if i was to reach 1600 I actually ate 2100. My problem is with cutting out all the bad food (processed, junk, sweets) i always come way under my calorie goal.
How do you log breastfeeding in MFP?0 -
JaymeColby wrote: »
How do you log breastfeeding in MFP?
I asked the same question in a separate post and have not received a response.
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I finally found it under the food section. So go in and add it under any meal and it is -500 calories.0
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Awesome good find! I just added it and it's listed as -500 cals, but it doesn't actually give you +500 calories on your total. What's the point? I wonder if I'm not looking at this right- it is only 7am 0
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There are multiple breastfeeding options you can find as a negative calorie "food". Just search for breastfeeding when you go to add a food to your diary. Generally, if your baby is not eating solids and EBF you should add 500 calories to your daily allowance. After you introduce solids and/or your baby decreases their nursing frequency you could change to using a different breastfeeding option that adds less calories to your allowance. I believe there are 400 cal, 300 cal and 200 cal options as well. I would only experiment with that if you're trying to lose weight.
It's also important to pay attention to your output. If it seems like your baby is having trouble getting full, you may need to increase your calories, or just pay attention to the content of your calories. Getting enough protein and water are very important for breast milk production. I would also keep weight loss slow and steady while BFing. Don't set MFP to lose 2lbs a week. That deficit is just too drastic imo.
In the end, hitting your numbers on MFP aren't as important as how you feel and how you interpret your progress. You'll have plenty of time to lose the baby weight, there's no rush. I learned this the hard way with my first, but the most important things are spending time with your kids and feeling good. Dieting while sleep deprived or trying to over-exercise a bad diet are just recipies for disaster when you have a baby at home.
I always find that kellymom has great info on breastfeeding.
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/0
