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    Breastfeeding and weight loss

    Posts: 7 Member
    edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
    Hi I was wondering if anyone knows how to account for calories in/out for breastfeeding? I think I'm allowed so many extra calories a day for BFing. How do you account for the actual calories lost though due to nursing?

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    • Posts: 2,694 Member
      edited March 2016
      Until you get a better answer:
      There are entries for breastfeeding moms:
      Ex:
      Breastfeeding -500 Calories
      I think you enter it with the - (minus sign) to give you the extra 500 daily calories.
    • Posts: 234 Member
      I did 500 calories a day for exclusive nursing from 0-9 months, 250 a day once they were eating significant amounts of solids alongside breastfeeding (9-12 months) and no extra calories after 12 months. Obviously you may have to tweak that based on if you are losing what you'd expect, or losing too fast etc.
    • Posts: 596 Member
      I found it under exercise.
      Or maybe I created it.
    • Posts: 1,728 Member
      I agree with KellyKnepper... 500 extra calories a day if you are exclusively breastfeeding. If you are supplementing, or the baby is eating, you get an extra 250. Although, after a year, I'm still taking the extra 250 and it's working for me.
    • Posts: 1,728 Member
      I just set MFP for weightless and then customized how many calories I should get each day by adding the 250 on top of what MFP gave me.
    • Posts: 7 Member
      Thanks girls! So helpful
    • Posts: 915 Member
      500 if exclusively nursing, 300 if baby also eats solid food, 100-300 for toddlers depending on how much they nurse. But these aren't hard and fast numbers. You can increase or decrease by 100 calories a day if you have supply issues or aren't losing weight. Make sure to weigh your food and eat enough protein!
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