Breastfeeding and exercising

You may need to adjust your expectations. Losing 2lbs a week while gaining muscle, losing fat and keeping up supply is a pretty tall order. You may need to change one or two of those goals . Which ones will depend on you
I echo above poster to consult your doctor or lactation consultant. And that supplementing will affect your supply.

I'm not an expert, so all I can say is what has worked for me:
I started off with too aggressive a defecit. I lost weight too quickly, felt exhausted and irritable, and it felt like my supply decreased (buns got very cross while feeding, hitting my chest to try to speed things up when she never had previously). So I upped my calories until I settled on eating at "maintenance" and letting the breastfeeding be my defecit. I've lost 15.5 kgs and am still breastfeeding my 20 month old.
Exercise-wise, apart from chasing two young kids around, and walking everywhere, I go to the gym 4 hours a week and run 3 times (about 45km a week).

I've never had to pay too much attention to nutrition, I seem to naturally hit my macros and micros whenever I check.

I totally agree with the others that your goals are too aggressive. Losing weight slowly is the best way to preserve muscle, anyway. It's far better to achieve your goals slowly and sustainably than to go too hard too fast and give up.
Can you talk to a lactation consultant or child health nurse or someone about your concerns about your milk supply?

Don't forget breastfeeding requires 500 calories a day, so you need to make allowances for that.

I would petsonally do the strength training over cardio. Or cut back on cardio.
(You technically can't lose fat and build muscle at the same time anyways)
I did that after this kiddo.
Able to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes and I'm about 15 lbs heavier.
I think I lost more fat this time but maintained my muscle mass better.
I lost while exclusively pumping.
I had to be diligent about weighing and logging food and exercise.
I also knew to not try for such a big deficit.
I think at the end of the day, I would NET 1900.
This was after exercise and counting pumping as exercise too.

I had the benefit of pumping so I knew my output...

It doesn't sound like you're eating enough, especially for your activity level. Adding in healthy fats like avocado and nut butter is a good way to bump up your calories without having to eat a ton of extra food. It's normal for your breasts to feel less full around this age as well. Def compensate for the formula supplementation with pumping or you will lose supply. I think you'd benefit the most from a solid strength training routine, followed by light cardio. I wouldn't suggest you do the cardio first.

Fiftyls2looz wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

How did you come to the conclusion your supply is low? What did you try to boost it? How old is your baby, and how often are you nursing?

I nurse on demand and my baby is 5 months old. My breasts seem empty and floppy/soft very little milk comes out...baby remains hungry and asks for more. Plus no feeling of letdown like usual.

Not feeling full is not an indication of low supply, do nto worry, it is how it works after the first months, since your body adapts to demand and milk production is no longer hormone triggered.
Is your baby thriving? Do you nurse again if your baby seems still hungry? During some brutal growth spurts, literally nursing 20 hours per day or having marathon nursing sessions for 4-5 hours is very common, so do not panic if this is the case. What is usually recommended when this happens is actually taking a nursing vacation for a few days, meanign holding the baby as much as possible, even staying literally on the couch/bed and pretty much constantly nursing. It usually fixes the problem in a couple of days.
Also did anythign else change? Any medication you were not previously taking? Any pumping sessions added or solids?

Your baby's diaper output/growth is the only reliable indicator for milk production. Not pumping, how your breasts feel, or how much you can hand express. When you diet while breastfeeding, you have to compensate for the necessary calories needed to produce an adequate supply. Breastfeeding alone burns about 500 calories a day. That means that you need to add an additional 500 or so calories to your diet on top of your deficit. Some people CAN diet themselves into reduced milk production. Also, all those fat stores you gained during pregnancy are what your body uses to produce milk. If you're burning fat through diet/exercise, you need to compensate for it by adding it back into your diet. Some women are more sensitive to dietary changes and milk production. I am one of them. I am just now at a real deficit to take off the final 10 pounds that has clung to me for a year (after losing 40 from breastfeeding as my deficit) and my nursling is 23 months.

Also, here is some advice from the doctor I saw who specializes in lactation, and founded the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, Dr. Anne Eglash http://www.bfmed.org/About/Founding.aspx:

Babies experience many growth spurts, and can leave you feeling like you may not be providing enough breastmilk since they want to feed more frequently during these times. This is normal, and the growth spurts commonly occur:
-the first few days at home
-at 7-10 days
-at 2-3 weeks
-at 4-6 weeks
-and at 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months

Many moms worry they are not making enough milk for their infants. The majority of times, this is not true. The key is that supply = demand. Usually increasing the frequency of feeds for a few days will catch both of you up. If you feed your infant "on-demand", when they first start to show signs of hunger, your body will automatically adjust the amount of milk it produces to keep up with your baby's needs. This can be tough to do for moms who are separated from their infants for a period of time, or work outside the home. Following are some common misconceptions about milk supply, and things to look for if you're concerned that your infant isn't getting enough breastmilk:

Common Misconceptions that Your Supply is Low:
1. Breasts feel softer - the initial engorgement after birth is an "overproduction", your
body then does an excellent job of matching production to baby's needs, which
means your breasts become less engorged after the first week or so.
2. Baby feeds more often - probably a growth spurt!
3. Baby takes less time to feed - baby has actually become much more efficient, and
needs less time to feed.
4. Baby seems unsettled - very common, many infants become "colicky" from 2-4
months of age.
5. Baby settles better on infant formula - breastmilk is digested faster than formula,
which means that formula may make them feel "full" longer, it doesn't mean that
they're not getting enough breastmilk. Breastmilk is still best!
6. Growth slows after 3 months - this is normal.

Reliable Signs that Breastmilk Supply is Low:
1. Infant has not reached its birth weight again by 2 weeks of age
2. From 2 weeks to 3mos the infant should gain about 20grams/day, less weight gain
may signal a problem.
3. Small amounts of concentrated, yellow, strong smelling urine, <6 voids/day
4. Infrequent small amounts of hard, dry, green stools
5. Lethargic, sleepy, weak cry
6. Dry skin and mucous membranes (mouth, nose, etc), poor muscle tone


Whether you feel you need to increase your supply to keep up with baby's growing demands, or are trying to regain lost supply because of separation from your infant/having to pump more than nurse, following are some helpful tips for increasing and maintaining your milk supply. If you remain concerned despite trying the suggestions below, talk with you doctor before considering herbal supplements or other medications aimed at increasing breastmilk supply. Remember to avoid sage, as this herb is a powerful milk supply reducer.

Demand = Supply!!!
Aim to keep the breasts as empty as possible throughout the day
**Can take 3-4 days to see increase in supply


Breastfeeding is more stimulating than pumping
Your body knows that the pump is not the baby.
Exclusively BF when home with infant
Consider reverse-cycle feeding if you're gone a lot during the daytime. This means having more nighttime feedings (caution fatigue!). Works best if baby is close to your bed.
Consider a day or two off to exclusively nurse and catch up supply

Empty the breasts more frequently
BF “on demand”; ≥ every 3 hours while awake for young infants
Pump between nursing sessions if baby empties breast well to stimulate additional let-downs and keep breasts empty, which will stimulate more production
May need to add back a nighttime feed/pump
BF/Pump right before bedtime or right before leaving for work
Car adaptors and hands-free systems are available for pumps, which can make it easier to multi-task while pumping
** You can make your own hands-free pumping bra by taking an old sports bra and
cutting out holes over the nipple areas. Then connect breast shields to connector
pieces through the holes.
“Power pump” – off/on in 10min intervals for 1 hour, once daily to help increase supply

Empty the breasts as thoroughly as possible
Make sure the infant is awake, alert, with adequate suck/latch
Use breast massage and compression - start at outside breast and massage toward nipple
Use an efficient, double electric pump if away from infant or using to increase supply
Offer both breasts at each nursing; wait until infant is finished with the first
Pump right after nursing if infant doesn’t completely drain the breast
Allow the baby as long at the breast as he/she wants

Maintain hydration & rest; Try to reduce stress
What really needs to get done at home/work?
Who can help? Division of responsibilities at home?
Drink to satisfy thirst
Identify a breastfeeding mentor/support person. Share ideas that make being an efficient, multitasking, mom easier!
Relaxation techniques, soft music while pumping/nursing

How to increase your supply for pumping at work
Don’t be discouraged if the amount of milk obtained is small at first. With practice, many mothers are able to pump 3 to 4 ounces in fifteen or twenty minutes.
Even if nothing comes out of the nipple while you are pumping, pimp for at least fifteen minutes on each breast to stimulate an increase in your supply.
Establish a routine.
Pumping both breasts at once saves time.
Try to have a relaxing, comfortable place to pump in.
Bring a photo of your baby to look at while pumping.
Think of how your baby smells and how much you love your baby while you pump.
Visualize an outpouring of milk.
Do not go more than 3-4 hours at work without pumping.
Massage your breasts during pumping.
Make sure you don’t stop pumping until milk stops coming out of the nipple.
Formula has many harmful effects on baby. Do not give formula unless you know your baby is loosing weight and your doctor or lactation consultant tell you to.
If your baby is older then 3-4 months, and seems to need more milk than you can pump, talk with your doctor or lactation consultant about starting some solids. It is safer to give the baby mashed banana or cereal than formula.
Many babies prefer to go all day without eating anything, then they nurse all night while you are home and together. This is natural and safe, as long as your baby continues to gain weight.

My personal training certification is not through ACE, but they have great articles and information.