Any other moms currently nursing or tried low-carb while nursing a little one in the past?
DianaElena76
Posts: 1,241 Member
I've tried posting on some of the "new moms" and "breastfeeding" topic boards, but 1) most of them are pretty dead and 2) I haven't found anyone low-carbing on those boards. I don't really care most of the time but find I am hitting a brick wall in terms of breastfeeding in that my supply has decreased quite a bit since beginning this WOE. On my "mommy" (non-diet-related) online groups, a lot of moms recommend eating donuts and other grossly high-carb/high-sugar foods to help their breastmilk supply (which is why I gained TONS of weight during and between pregnancies over the past few years). I don't want to quit breastfeeding, but I am SO SICK of being fat and tired and eating carbage. On the Atkins website they recommend the "Atkins 40" plan for pregnant and breastfeeding women, so I set my macros based on a carb goal of 40 (with the understanding that this is net, as I haven't found a way to set a net carb goal) and using the keto calculator. I'm still struggling with supply issues. Can anyone weigh in here with some advice or at least commiseration?
0
Replies
-
Hi.
Really wish I could help but seems like a lot of research would be needed.
It seems like water requirements go up on low carb (nothing about keto so maybe higher than keto).
Here are a lot of people asking the same question with too many responses to go through
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=breastfeeding+&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all
0 -
I can't give you personal "this worked for me" advice because I quit BF before I started to low carb again. I had issues with supply from the get-go. I have heard many of the things to boost supply are going to be carb heavy like oatmeal (and Guiness). Have you tried supplements like Fenugreek and/or Goat's Rue? Cutting calories may cut production though even with these supplements. Make sure you're still eating enough.
0 -
My daily calorie goal is 1418 (random number, I know, but I used a keto calculator that included a calculator for determining your daily calorie expenditure) but I add 300 to that for breastfeeding, so technically I'm allowing myself over 1700 calories per day (and definitely getting close to that most days!). My son isn't exclusively breastfeeding anymore, and my supply had dropped a bit before I changed my diet, so we were already supplementing with formula (only when I'm away from him at work or wherever). I do have some herbal capsules left from the last go-around I guess I should try. I also have fennel essential oil and just haven't been using it.0
-
Thanks, @middleagedmeh!0
-
Someone just posted a link in a few of the posts here or the keto group about it. I'll see if I can find it. The only thing I can think of is to make sure you jump your fats! Babies need that "back milk," the last third of it, because it is loaded with milkfat and is what leaves them full, satisfied and flourishing. I had a friend who overproduced badly, and she had to pump and freeze a lot just for her son to get to the "back milk." If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me know...
I haven't looked lately, but what the hospital fed me as a nursing mom was a modified LCHF diet anyway. about the only things they added not on a normal LCHF diet were some milk and yogurt for balance, but you could easily replace those things with LCHF friendly variations. Now you've got me wondering if La Leche League or anyone has decent info...0 -
I'm familiar with hindmilk, but I'm not sure how much there should be or how to tell. I do pump at work and can see the separation of the fat from the rest of the milk after it sits in the bottles, but I'm not sure how much should be there compared to the rest. Hmmm, time to ask Dr. Google!
0 -
I did check La Leche League and found a bit of info. I can't remember what, now, but obviously enough to convince me that it is safe to go down to about 40g per day.0
-
One side effect of being a new mom I'd downplayed before but am now realizing, painfully, is the memory problems! Good golly, if I don't write something down it may as well not have happened! I know it's more about stress and multi-tasking than anything else, but I cannot remember a dang thing lately!0
-
You might want to bump your calories a bit more. It's been a while since I nursed, but I seem to recall that Dr Google favored closer to 500 calories to support breastfeeding.0
-
@Mami1976D LOL. Yup, hindmilk. I couldn't remember the real term (see, the memory difficulties arent' just yours. LOL). Depending on the age of your baby and whether exclusively breastfeeding, you can know s/he is getting enough by how long s/he is going between feedings, and how well s/he is maintaining on a growth chart relative to starting point (keeping percentages similar, not worried about getting in a better range).
When my daughter was under 9 months old, I still pumped 3 times a day, 30 minutes each, counting set up and clean up. I think I would normally use different bottles each time, but might combine in storage, though not too much, because of wasting that precious fat. I stored in the zipping bags for freezing sometimes, too.
I seem to remember in the little Medela bottles that came with my pump, which if I remember right were 4 oz. bottles, that the hindmilk was 1/8" at low end and up to 1/2" if I combined more than one pumping session. 1/4" was fairly standard for me when combining both sides into one storage bottle either once (my first session of the day and last one were usually more productive, as I recall. I would say as long as you're getting enough to notice the hindmilk and to not have to search for it and worry about how much is there, you're good.
My daughter was always better at extracting the hindmilk than that pump, as she was always more satisfied nursing than taking a bottle from someone else. Btw, she is 14 now, but I did nurse for almost 18 months, and pumping, as you know is quite the experience, so it's pretty etched into my brain. LOL
So long story way too long for others...lol, I would up your fats, regardless of your carb levels, and up your water, and see if your supply increases again.0 -
Thanks so much for the feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to tell me your story. I had no problems breastfeeding my oldest got the first year, but I was a stay at home mom then, and for me that makes a huge difference. I will try increasing my fat and water. If I drink enough water, though, I will need to make a pit stop halfway through my drive home! Another unpleasant effect of having all these kids. LOL0
-
I think it is just a fact of life that the less you breastfeed, the less you produce. And the pump isn't the same as the baby. I've done low carb while nursing, but also nursed on demand and if I wasn't with the baby, the baby got formula (I wouldn't pump unless I was desperate for it, my body just acclimated to nursing only in the mornings and evenings). I had supply issues with one child and tried every trick in the book, the only thing that worked was Reglan (prescription with terrible side effects). I don't see in this thread if you mentioned the baby's current age, but if he is eating more food, you may just produce less. How are you gauging your change in supply? Has he lost weight? Or just based on what you are pumping?0
-
He is 5-1/2 months old, just starting to eat food, and gets formula sometimes when I'm at work (because I only pump once in the 11ish hours I'm away from him, and I'm not pumping as much as he eats during that time). He is not having any growth issues, but I have noticed increased fussiness at the breast and assume that means he's not getting as much as he wants in a feeding. I've also noticed fewer wet diapers (although just as many dirties as before). I'm only basing this on his fussiness at the breast and what I'm pumping. It's up and down lately. One day I get 5oz, the next two days I get 2oz total, and then today I got around 6oz (but he was at Grandpa's and I didn't have time to pump this morning, so that's not unexpected). In addition to my diet, I'm trying to be better about feeding him as soon as I get home and more frequently on the weekends. He's such a good/content baby that it's easy to just leave him to play while I tend to the older, more active, much more vocal girls!0
-
I had supply issues after each of my six kids, regardless of my diet, except the final one--I ate high fat and lots of it, I didn't exercise hard, and I didn't bother with losing weight. That's right--I chose to be fluffy for the sake of my baby. We made it 11 months before I had to wean her for an emergency dental treatment. After weaning, I intensified my exercise and cut calories drastically, and the weight dropped off.
I think for me, my body started fending for itself in the face of calorie reduction--cutting milk supply was the first thing to go as a non-essential to survival.
FYI, my third baby really suffered between ages 4 mo and 6 mo. He exclusively breastfed, and dropped from the 90% growth range to the 10% growth range. The pediatrician didn't seem bothered, but we switched to formula immediately and he bulked back up. I also noticed NO weaning symptoms in myself, and I feel certain I was starving my poor boy, drying up without even realizing it. When we started him on table food, he ravenously inhaled more than I would eat!! He's a huge 8yo now with no residual trauma. lol.
Good luck! Don't loathe yourself if you find it necessary to completely wean. We hear "Breast is best" and feel guilty for formula use, but breast isn't best if it's not doing its job. In that case, thank God for formula and enjoy motherhood.0 -
One day last week I got a great pump--I had downed more than a gallon of water the previous day and taken my "more milk plus" herbal supplements. I also know I've been really bad about drinking too much coffee lately, and that definitely affects my supply. I think I just need to be better about 1) letting him nurse more often, 2) drinking enough water and not overdosing on coffee, and 3) getting enough overall calories. I was able to breastfeed my first baby until almost 1 year of age but struggled with supply for my second and third babies. So far things were going well with my son--my fourth (and last) baby--but sleep deprivation, returning to work, being so busy with the other kids I barely have time to pump or let him nurse, and dietary concerns have now started interfering with my production. I guess 6 months isn't a bad go at it if we do need to start supplementing more and even if my supply dries up, but I do hope to at least be able to keep two nursing sessions a day (morning and before bed) until he's closer to a year.0
-
My body adjusted really well to morning and evening sessions, I think my daughter was about 9 months or so when she did this, and still was able to nurse on weekends on demand. I was only managing one child, so it was far simpler. @Mami1976D I have to say that no matter how inconvenient it seems to stop and pee more often, if continuing to nurse is important to you, you have to figure out how to up your water. Also, you say that you are so busy with the other kids that you don't have time to pump or nurse (I never really pumped at home, letting my daughter nurse was much quicker). Have you ever considered a nursing sling? You can adjust to to the right settings, set him to suckle, and still keep active/covered and nurse on the go. I have never had to do this myself, but I know literally dozens of real life friends who have done this. I had to enlist my (now-ex) husband to make sure the nursing happened. He had to handle things that we're his normal duties, and he had to lose some sleep, but 30 minutes here or there was something we made the choice to do together. I don't know how your schedules play out, but you might look back and see if anything can change. If not, I'd say you've already done beautifully, and your goal of continuing at least morning/night feedings for a long while is great! You do what you can do. I've always said that the best arrangement for feeding is the one that makes both mom and baby happy - and that isn't always the breast. (hugs)0
-
Aww, thank you for your support and encouragement, @KnitOrMiss!! I do sometimes put him in my ergo baby carrier for on the go nursing, but if he isn't fussy I just leave him to play. I guess what I was trying to say is he's not going hungry by any means but the absolute best way to increase supply is, in most cases, to increase demand by putting baby to the breast as often as possible, and that's the part I'm missing. If he were my only little one or even if it were just him and one of the others I would sit with my feet up letting him nurse most of the evening, but I can't deprive the older ones of mommy just to reach some arbitrary goal of breastfeeding to a certain age. They all need me. I am open to slowing down, but I'm going to give it my best shot first. 0
-
Try some of the non-carby suggestions for boosting supply. Applying Young Living or DoTERRA fennel essential oil (using coconut oil as a carrier) and massaging into breasts (avoid the nipple area) and armpit areas worked well to help boost my supply (which was crappy to start with, thanks to my PCOS). Also try Mother's Milk Tea/Yogi Nursing Support Tea, Motherlove More Milk extract (essential oil you can add to your nursing tea), Fenugreek (didn't work for me, but works for some people - you need to take a LOT of it though!) I ended up stopping after 3 months because it was such a struggle for me (this was before getting back on the Low Carb wagon, and we'd been supplementing with formula from the get-go because my supply didn't come in right away). Hang in there, Momma! And good luck. 0
-
Thanks, @elleykat! I do have the Motherlove More Milk Plus capsules (which are basically the tincture, sans alcohol, encapsulated--personally I'd rather have the liquid, as I tend to gag on pills lately, but it's what I've got!) and some fennel essential oil. I have tried both but not simultaneously. They work when I use them!
0 -
Fenugreek and I were not friends! I ended up making bottles half breastmilk and half formula because my daughter always seemed to want more for a bottle than she did straight from the source. Overall, I hated supplementing, but as it was only part of time, I lived with it...
Haven't heard of most of these others, but I was also breastfeeding 13-14 years ago. I was lucky enough that my company let me split my lunch break to combine with my 15 minute breaks, so I had 3-30 minute breaks and was able to pump three times a day. I took the 15 minute paid break, 15 minutes of my "lunch, then later, 30 minutes for lunch, then repeat the combo in the afternoon. That gave me 3-20+ minute sessions, plus set up and clean up time, and enough time to cram down a snack... @Mami1976D If you employer is flexible at all, you might request this as an option. Pumping all the time sucks, but...it is what it is...lol
Also, have you considered reverse cycle nursing, or would that disrupt your sleep too much?0 -
I kind of thought he would reverse cycle when I started working again (almost 3 months ago now), but he hasn't. I started a new job right after maternity leave (went back and gave my two weeks' notice on my second day back at work, LOL) that starts an hour earlier than my last job, so I'm already not getting enough sleep (which can also be a factor in supply from what I've read) for getting up at 4am every morning. Plus if he does nurse during the night, he doesn't get a good morning feed before I leave for work. This kid likes to sleep from around 10 until I get him up ~4:15-4:30 to eat. Even then he's mostly asleep still when he latches on.
I have often wished my job could be more flexible in regard to pumping. It's not the boss/supervisor, it's the nature of the job. The problem is that I am THE vocational evaluator at this practice, and my clients are here 4 days a week from 9-3:45 with an hour break at noon and two 15-minute breaks at 10:30 and 2:30; what that means is, since 15 minutes isn't long enough for me to set up, pump, and clean up/put away, the only time I really get without asking to modify the entire voc eval setup is from 12-1. Some days I could probably get away with pumping around 8-8:30 before the clients begin for the day, but that's the only time I have to consult with my supervisor on previous and current clients, and there are often other employees coming in and out of my area to ask questions, bring me documents, etc. My point is, I probably COULD squeeze in another pump in the morning and maybe one after my workday ends before I leave for my hour-long drive home, but both pose additional complications I'm not really willing to deal with at this point. If the baby were younger and I were still trying to exclusively breastfeed, I would feel differently about that, but at this point it doesn't seem worth it. Oh, and I'm about to complete my 90 day probationary period at this job TOMORROW! I didn't want to come in and immediately start asking them to rearrange the way they do things here, you know?0 -
Sounds like you've thought this all through and have a great plan. 0
This discussion has been closed.