I can't lose the weight. Frustrated. Moms help?

I have had 3 kids, one of whom breastfed for 3 years. I never lost a pound while breastfeeding. The weight fell off as soon as I stopped. I know that is not typical, but it isn't unheard of either.

The benefits of breastfeeding are wildly over exaggerated. There's a lot of propaganda out there that is hurtful to moms and babies who struggle.

Don't beat yourself up if breastfeedimg isn't quite as utopian as the lactation consultant promised. It's just another bodily function.

Actually, saying you lose more weight while breastfeeding isn't true. Your uterus shrinks back more quickly, making you appear smaller, but your body does need to hang onto fat for milk production. Studies have shown that most nursing mothers hang onto roughly 10 extra pounds until they are done nursing.

I have breastfed all three of mine (currently nursing) and was able to fully take the weight off only after I was done nursing. I was able to lose while nursing (as I am now) but at a slower rate. I know I won't fully be back to my goal until he is weaned, and I'm fine with that. The benefits that we both receive from nursing far outweigh my desire to wean prematurely. Trust me, the time goes by so quickly that it isn't as much of a sacrifice as you might think.

I think the previous poster saying that the benefits of breastfeeding are grossly overestimated is proven wrong by just about every medical study ever done (I say just about every, because I'm sure somewhere out there you can find one that contraindicates breastfeeding, if that's the case...look at the source). The benefits of breastfeeding are many for both the baby and for you. I'm not going to get into a breastfeeding debate but please do your research before you decide to wean such a young baby.

I nursed all 6 of my kids and gained never lost when breast feeding

I actually gained weight breastfeeding as my supply was so crap that my babies lost weight (my first lost 30% of his birth weight) so I took fenugreek, nursing tea, even domperidone with my second. Apparently fenugreek and domperidone can cause weight gain, and I can't believe, looking back, how quickly I piled on weight. It seemed to happen overnight. So with all three of mine I started to lose, then suddenly gained a load. And my supply was still crap, so I ended up supplementing with formula more and more and eventually at 3 months with all of them had to give up on bf entirely. I have to admit I was heartbroken about it, and I'd have given anything to have been able to bf.

So, as I was mix feeding I was able to be back in the gym early on as hubby could give a bottle, and I was calorie counting. I still only lost an average of 1lb a week.

Make sure you're eating enough, but try to increase your activity level. Lots of walks with your baby. I loved that with my first, I walked every day on the seafront. I still do lots of walking now, but it's not as relaxing with a school run to do, and a threenager in tow lol. My baby is 10 months.

3 months is nothing, and your hormones are still all over the place. Please don't give up on bf for that reason. Be thankful you're able to do it.

breastfed all mine and lost weight while doing so...after i quit is when i gained about 10 lbs each time.

wow i can so relate to what youre going through! i also had a baby just about 3 months ago and cant lose any weight. ive been working out since 5 weeks post partum (running and a mix of jillian michaels and t25) and counting calories since 8 weeks pp. nothing! first i was adding in 500 for breast feeding but then lowered it to 400 and still nothing. i even gained 2 lbs when i didnt log for 2 days (and i dont think i went all that crazy those days at all). if i let up even a little i gain and then cant lose what i gained. i feel like im hanging on by a thread just to maintain. with my previous babies, i gained 10 lbs by the time baby was 6 months old but i was not counting calories or exercising. was hoping it was just that i was eating too much and this time would be different. i guess i should be happy i can at least maintain but it is soooooo frustrating.
i am not willing to wean for my vanity but it is a real sacrifice. i nurse my babies well into toddlerhood because i really believe in it. in the past though, the weight issue did end at some point but not sure exactly when (when i got my period back maybe?).
bottom line, there are definitely women who cant lose (or gain) while nursing and it has something to do with the hormones estrogen, prolactin, and progesterone which are involved in nursing. our bodies hold on to the extra fat so we can make milk. i wish there were a magic answer. if you find one let me know!
btw, are you on the mini pill by chance? wondering if it is connected to that.

I breastfed all three of my kids for around 3 years each. These are some high-mileage boobs, I tell you.

I lost my babyweight FAST about 2-4 months after birth. However, the magical weight reduction powers of nursing really depend on your style of feeding. If you schedule feeds, supplement with formula, or otherwise limit time at the breast? It's probably not burning a lot and your supply will be very sensitive to any reduction in intake. I think the reason I lost so much weight so quickly is that I did more what the LLL people called "environmental breastfeeding," so no schedule, BF on demand, cosleeping, no solids until 8-10 months or later. I was STARVING, ate all the time, and lost the weight fast.

Those factors also determine how nursing will impact your fertility. Lots of people make assumptions and end up with surprise siblings, I on the other hand went a year without a period for my first (when I was still in my 20s and apparently a lot more fertile!) and two years after the younger two.

If you are in the Northern hemisphere, you've also been cooped up inside for a while, keeping baby away from RSV and other nasties, so I'm sure your activity level is less than you'd like. As it gets warmer and baby gets bigger, plan on lots of stroller walks outside, that will help a lot as well! Your older kids will be happy with more park days, too.

12 weeks isn't that long, I'd expect you to still be carrying some extra fluid and fat stores from pregnancy for at least another few months. Some women do carry their fat stores throughout breastfeeding, but not all.

And, finally...this isn't true of everyone, I'm sure...but every woman I know who has more than 2 kids says that it got harder and harder and took longer and longer to "bounce back" after pregnancy. Defnitely true for me, probably a combo of 3 kinds plus age...my body at 28 for the first kid was more resilient than it was at 35 with #3!

sweetpea129 wrote: »

Yeah hoping to get walking once it warms up. Mine are 4 yrs, 5 yrs & 3 months. Not as easy to just go out alone with all 3 but we will when we can

Mine are 5, 3 and 10 months. My eldest goes to school (kids start school at 4 in England) so we have to all be out by 8:20am to get him to school. My husband works shifts so on earlies week he's out the house at 5am so I have to do this on my own. So we've been out walking pretty much every day since she was 4 weeks old (when hubby's paternity leave and annual leave finished). I go out for my own sanity lol, my kids are so full of energy, they need to burn it off.

I didn't lose weight while BFing, but gained about 15 pounds immediately after stopping. You just had a baby! You're a mom of three kids! Don't be so hard on yourself!

Oh leslie sansone walking vids for indoor try thetthree mile one! They are on youtube

I'm a mom of 4, currently BFing my 11 week old. I've lost 17 pounds since I started using MFP when he was 4 weeks old. I love losing weight when BFing because I get to eat more! I give myself 300-500 calories a day extra.

You said your supply dipped, but how do you know? It's normal for supply to fluctuate so even if it's down a little bit, that could be ok. Baby will start nursing more often to increase your supply if it's too low. I've nursed 4 babies now so I've pretty much seen it all. Honestly if I were you I would cut back on calories again and then do things to keep your supply up, like eating oatmeal, drinking tons of water, and using fennel.

Still have not lost any baby weight and I am exclusively breast feeding. However I am finally keeping track of the calories with mfp again so hopefully I can get a better idea how of what is going to work. I have heard breast feeding helps and some people I think it does others it doesn't .

I was actually wondering about the 'starvation mode' theory and how it ties to breast feeding. So if you're not getting enough calories, your supply can take a hit. Well, if your supply is fine, and you are consistently at or under calorie goal (without eating back calories burned through exercise or breastfeeding) and not losing anything, could this be your body in starvation mode? Just curious if anyone else has experienced this. I am getting frustrated too.

You JUST had a baby. Give yourself a little time. If you are not committed to nursing, do what you normally do and formula feed instead.

I lost all my pregnancy weight in 3 months just with breastfeeding and low-impact cardio. But that's just me.