Breastfeeding/weaning

papple227
papple227 Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone! I am 8 months postpartum and currently breastfeeding. After I gave birth I stopped counting calories because I was just so hungry all the time and couldn't figure out the right amount while maintaining supply for baby. Usually I just eat and snack when I feel hungry. Luckily, it's been working for me and I am 10lbs under my pre pregnancy weight. However, my baby is starting to eat more solids and taking less milk. I contribute most of my weight loss to breastfeeding and I'm worried that I will start gaining as she continues to wean. Even though baby is taking less milk my appetite is staying the same. Is there a way to find a balance between calories and producing milk? I added 500 calories to my diet in the beginning because that is what people recommended, but I started losing supply. I've been eating about 900 (rough estimate) extra calories to my diet since she's been born.

Replies

  • _ankylosaurus_
    _ankylosaurus_ Posts: 28 Member
    I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I breastfed all four of my kids (now 14,12,5 and 3) and I couldn't really eat at a calorie deficit and maintain supply. I know conventional wisdom is that the weight melts off if you breastfeed, but that simply was not the case for me at all. I wasn't able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight until they were each finished nursing.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I wouldn't worry about it until I started to plateau (no weight loss for 4+ weeks.) If that happens, drop by 100 calories, wait a week, do another drop if necessary. Most babies are still getting the vast majority of their calories from milk at 8 months so this may not happen soon.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    Just log your food without trying to reduce calories or even maintain for 1-2 weeks. Weigh yourself. If still losing, don't change anything but continue to log. Once your rate of loss slows, then you can start to fiddle with calories. Make sure your minimum is at least 1800 and only drop by 100 calories at a time--trial your new level for a week before dropping more.
  • wittelaura
    wittelaura Posts: 1 Member
    I'm 1 month postpartum and 4 lbs from pre pregnancy weight. In in same boat, I loose my supply when I cut calories although I was still going for 500 more calories. I'm going to eat a lot of healthy food, so there is loads of nutrition and I can pretty much eat non stop without depriving myself.
  • riley4785
    riley4785 Posts: 7 Member
    My baby turns 10 months old this week and I still have to maintain 1800-2000 calories a day. I'm still losing weight. I'm down 50lbs now which is awesome! I track my food and started walking with my babies at the beginning of the school year. My baby tuggs and tries to eat me every 2 hours if I try to eat less.
  • stephanie20314
    stephanie20314 Posts: 81 Member
    Still bf at 22 months. I'm just now able to drop to 1600 without feeling like I'm dying and can manage on 1400 some days. Try for an overall weekly goal instead of daily. My child still nurses 2-5 times a day and overnight.

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