Negative calories for breastfeeding

Tarien_Laide
Tarien_Laide Posts: 6 Member
edited November 29 in Food and Nutrition
When my lo was little and nursing all the time, I adjusted my calories by 500 a day to account for this. Now that my lo is a year old and only nursing 3-4 times a day, I am not sure how much to use as my adjustment. Breastfeeding moms, what do you use?

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Try 200
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    I use 389 for maintaining my weight. My lo is 15 months old.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Back when I was nursing I read that your body needs about 20 calories for each ounce of breastmilk produced. If your LO is nursing 3-4 times per day, and at this point they're probably slightly shorter feeds, you're looking at 9-16 ounces per day, maybe? Which would put you somewhere between 180 and 320, give or take a bit. 200-250 is probably a good place to start and you can adjust a little as needed.
  • Tarien_Laide
    Tarien_Laide Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks ya'll!
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    What is a lo??
  • hollytig
    hollytig Posts: 1 Member
    Lo= little one
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited February 2016
    Tarien_Laide wrote: »
    When my lo was little and nursing all the time, I adjusted my calories by 500 a day to account for this. Now that my lo is a year old and only nursing 3-4 times a day, I am not sure how much to use as my adjustment. Breastfeeding moms, what do you use?

    I have never actually counted calories while breastfeeding, but you are supposed to burn more calories nursing a toddler than a newborn, because of how your milk consistency changes. The 500 calories is supposed to be for a baby around 12 months old, not a newborn. Assuming you are not denying feedings.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Keep the same.
  • ashleyminnich1
    ashleyminnich1 Posts: 60 Member
    Breast milk changes over time, and actually becomes higher in fat and calories as babies get older. I know that for me, I did not see much of a weight change until after my daughter was a year of age and my milk changed to fit her needs as a toddler. I lost ten pounds very quickly after she hit a year, and I was eating everything in sight! I couldn't keep up. I would keep it at 500 and just monitor. If you notice that you are gaining or not slowly losing, reduce your intake. If you are losing, losing too fast, feeling like your starving, or feeling just off in general then up your calories more.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    ashleyminnich1 wrote: »
    Breast milk changes over time, and actually becomes higher in fat and calories as babies get older. I know that for me, I did not see much of a weight change until after my daughter was a year of age and my milk changed to fit her needs as a toddler. I lost ten pounds very quickly after she hit a year, and I was eating everything in sight! I couldn't keep up. I would keep it at 500 and just monitor. If you notice that you are gaining or not slowly losing, reduce your intake. If you are losing, losing too fast, feeling like your starving, or feeling just off in general then up your calories more.

    I would do this as well, but it depends on how much of your toddlers diet is from the breast milk. I had a friend who breast fed her son almost exclusively due to his preferences (and she saw feeding herself as feeding him and treated it like a double full time job!) until he was just over 26 months, and she had a hard time keeping weight on! Her supply seemed to stay steady but as he grew so did HER calorie needs. But every breast feeding relationship is different and it's best to see what your body does, even if all the advice is just different opinions. The only real answer is what your body does :)
  • amklein75
    amklein75 Posts: 5 Member
    I'm so glad you asked this question! I just started my diet. I don't want to hurt my milk supply. My lo will be a year next week....it's a hard math puzzle!
  • glitterrainn
    glitterrainn Posts: 73 Member
    My LO is 9 months old and I only eat around 1200 cals. My supply is fine and has never dwindled even when I ate less. Idk if that's odd, but that's how it is for me. He is also eating table foods, but still nurses quite frequently.
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