Breastfeeding

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fatpannus
fatpannus Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
does anybody know how to make the daily calorie intake take into account breastfeeding? If I follow what the app says then I might not get enough calories to keep up breastfeeding. Or do people just add the extra 500 cals on their own to account for this?

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  • shameika134
    shameika134 Posts: 5 Member
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    This is a great question. I am EBF and am trying to figure this out. So far I have been just adding in 60 minutes of cardio that depicts 400 to 500 calories being burned. I read on here that breastfeeding moms should eat at least 1600 calories.
  • jamie91107
    jamie91107 Posts: 18 Member
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    Hi there I'm a certified lactation educator. Whatever your recommended caloric intake is, add 300-500 extra to maintain supply. I suggest starting off on the higher end and slowly reduce the calories if you aren't seeing results, so long as your supply hasn't decreased.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    fatpannus wrote: »
    does anybody know how to make the daily calorie intake take into account breastfeeding? If I follow what the app says then I might not get enough calories to keep up breastfeeding. Or do people just add the extra 500 cals on their own to account for this?

    I just add 1000 calories or so but my mom is 76 so I'm not sure if that's valid.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
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    Depends on how often you're nursing. My baby is just about 7 months and eating solid foods now so I add 300 extra to my day. I added 500 before he started solid foods. There is an entry in the MFP food database that actually adds calories to your food log so you can eat more. There are several options, just type in "breastfeeding" and choose the one that works for you.
  • cwywrot
    cwywrot Posts: 1 Member
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    Thank you for this! I am so discouraged. My daughter is seven months old and I weigh the same as I did when she was two months old. I find it incredibly difficult to lose weight while EBF.
  • c613477
    c613477 Posts: 296 Member
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    Hi. It sounds counter intuitive but you can find breastfeeding as a food. Search for it and pick the one that subtracts 500 calories a day if you are exclusively breastfeeding. I use the toddler entries of 250 calories since my little one is over 12 months. Hope this helps!
  • AmyG27
    AmyG27 Posts: 23 Member
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    My baby is 5 months old. I add at least 300 total of 1800 to 1900 a day) and make sure to drink almost a gallon of water a day. No issues with my supply and I am at 9lbs gone in approximately 5 weeks. I should also say that some days, I eat 2400. I eat when I am hungry but just make good choices :) listen to your body.

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