Breastfeeding?

tlflag1620 wrote: »

braleatrahan wrote: »

tlflag1620 wrote: »

I'm nursing my 4th child (nursed all of them for 2-2.5 years, current nursling is almost 1 year old and still going strong). I got back to prepreg weight in about 8 months this time around. I've found a number of things helpful:

1. Don't be too aggressive. Wait until nursing is well established (a good 6-8 weeks) and shoot for no more than a 1 lb per week loss to minimize impact on your supply. Eat back your calories from breastfeeding. Since lactation burns an average of 500 cal per day in the newborn phase, this means eating at maintenance. Don't go lower than 1800 cal per day in any case (this is what most lactation professionals suggest to ensure proper nutrition).

2. Decrease intake gradually - figure out your calorie goal and drop your current intake by about 100 cal per day for a week, than another 100 a day for a week, until you reach your goal intake. This can help prevent drop in supply, as a sudden dramatic drop in calories can reduce supply.

3. Same thing with carbs - if you want to try reducing carbs, do so slowly.

4. Drink lots of water. Breastmilk is predominantly water and you need to stay hydrated. Getting in the habit of grabbing a glass of water every time you settle in to nurse the baby is a great way to start.

5. Eat for nutrition and satiety. It is inherently unfair, but those "extra" 500 cal per day you get for breastfeeding are really for the baby. Treats are fine now and then, but do try to make sure most of your foods are nutrient dense, paying particular attention to getting good sources of fat (your baby's brain needs them) and protein. Foods that are high in fat, protein, and fiber tend to be most filling (which is great during this time - breastfeeding = hunger for many many women). Look at your protein and fat goals as minimums to achieve each day, then fill in the rest with carbs as desired. Keep taking that daily prenatal vitamin.

6. Get active! Try to incorporate some activity most days of the week (once you are cleared by your doc/mw). Even a simple walk with baby in the stroller will help improve your mood, burn some calories, and help restrengthen those muscles that got stretched out by pregnancy. When you can, get out by yourself and do something more intense, but pay attention to form and listen to your body - it takes about a year for the joints and ligaments that were loosened in preparation for delivery to get back to normal. Injuring yourself by doing too much too soon just means you have to wait that much longer to get back into an exercise routine again! So take it slow.

7. Sleep (we can dream can't we, lol). Kidding aside, do make sleep a priority. Sleep deprivation releases stress hormones, weakens willpower, increases hunger, and just makes it harder to stay on plan. Grab a nap whenever you can. Consider pumping so you partner can take the "night shift" at least once a week so you can play catch up on sleep. Relax about the housework - let the dust bunnies do their thing, they aren't going anywhere!

8. If after doing these things, you find that you still aren't losing weight, you can safely drop calories a bit lower - gradually, and with a careful eye towards nutrition - but keep an eye on baby. I wouldn't suggest going below 1800 unless and until baby is well established on solids (of course at that point you aren't using so many calories from nursing anymore, so you likely will have to reduce your intake somewhat).

Lastly - take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and have patience! You just made a person!! You will get your body back (or a close approximation, lol) if you are consistent and give it time. Some women do find the last 5-10 lbs doesn't want to budge until after they wean, but you should be able to get very close to your prepreg weight regardless. Congrats on your little one, and good luck!

Thank you so much! That helped break it down so much better! My baby is 5 and a half months old and I have been fighting tooth and nail to stay nursing. I am so depressed with my weight and the way i look, and i am unfortunately not one of the lucky ones who loses weight while breastfeeding.

No problem. You're doing great to be nursing at 5.5 months! I know it's hard to shed the weight, especially with a baby to tend to, and it's easy to get down for not "springing back" quickly. It took me between a year and 18 months with my first three kids! This time I had a better handle on things (4th times a charm, lol), but I still had to work at it and be careful with my intake. It's so easy to grab just anything when you're tired and overwhelmed and exhausted, but it's a vicious cycle - when you eat poorly, you feel even more tired and overwhelmed! Your baby is at a great age for you to start taking walks (outdoors when the weather permits, try mall walking if the weather is bad). Simply logging your food makes you more aware of what you are eating, and even if you don't make any deliberate changes, just knowing you'll have to log it sets up some accountability, which can lead to better choices. You will get there! Just be consistent and take care of yourself!

tlflag1620 wrote: »

braleatrahan wrote: »

tlflag1620 wrote: »

braleatrahan wrote: »

tlflag1620 wrote: »

I'm nursing my 4th child (nursed all of them for 2-2.5 years, current nursling is almost 1 year old and still going strong). I got back to prepreg weight in about 8 months this time around. I've found a number of things helpful:

1. Don't be too aggressive. Wait until nursing is well established (a good 6-8 weeks) and shoot for no more than a 1 lb per week loss to minimize impact on your supply. Eat back your calories from breastfeeding. Since lactation burns an average of 500 cal per day in the newborn phase, this means eating at maintenance. Don't go lower than 1800 cal per day in any case (this is what most lactation professionals suggest to ensure proper nutrition).

2. Decrease intake gradually - figure out your calorie goal and drop your current intake by about 100 cal per day for a week, than another 100 a day for a week, until you reach your goal intake. This can help prevent drop in supply, as a sudden dramatic drop in calories can reduce supply.

3. Same thing with carbs - if you want to try reducing carbs, do so slowly.

4. Drink lots of water. Breastmilk is predominantly water and you need to stay hydrated. Getting in the habit of grabbing a glass of water every time you settle in to nurse the baby is a great way to start.

5. Eat for nutrition and satiety. It is inherently unfair, but those "extra" 500 cal per day you get for breastfeeding are really for the baby. Treats are fine now and then, but do try to make sure most of your foods are nutrient dense, paying particular attention to getting good sources of fat (your baby's brain needs them) and protein. Foods that are high in fat, protein, and fiber tend to be most filling (which is great during this time - breastfeeding = hunger for many many women). Look at your protein and fat goals as minimums to achieve each day, then fill in the rest with carbs as desired. Keep taking that daily prenatal vitamin.

6. Get active! Try to incorporate some activity most days of the week (once you are cleared by your doc/mw). Even a simple walk with baby in the stroller will help improve your mood, burn some calories, and help restrengthen those muscles that got stretched out by pregnancy. When you can, get out by yourself and do something more intense, but pay attention to form and listen to your body - it takes about a year for the joints and ligaments that were loosened in preparation for delivery to get back to normal. Injuring yourself by doing too much too soon just means you have to wait that much longer to get back into an exercise routine again! So take it slow.

7. Sleep (we can dream can't we, lol). Kidding aside, do make sleep a priority. Sleep deprivation releases stress hormones, weakens willpower, increases hunger, and just makes it harder to stay on plan. Grab a nap whenever you can. Consider pumping so you partner can take the "night shift" at least once a week so you can play catch up on sleep. Relax about the housework - let the dust bunnies do their thing, they aren't going anywhere!

8. If after doing these things, you find that you still aren't losing weight, you can safely drop calories a bit lower - gradually, and with a careful eye towards nutrition - but keep an eye on baby. I wouldn't suggest going below 1800 unless and until baby is well established on solids (of course at that point you aren't using so many calories from nursing anymore, so you likely will have to reduce your intake somewhat).

Lastly - take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and have patience! You just made a person!! You will get your body back (or a close approximation, lol) if you are consistent and give it time. Some women do find the last 5-10 lbs doesn't want to budge until after they wean, but you should be able to get very close to your prepreg weight regardless. Congrats on your little one, and good luck!

Thank you so much! That helped break it down so much better! My baby is 5 and a half months old and I have been fighting tooth and nail to stay nursing. I am so depressed with my weight and the way i look, and i am unfortunately not one of the lucky ones who loses weight while breastfeeding.

No problem. You're doing great to be nursing at 5.5 months! I know it's hard to shed the weight, especially with a baby to tend to, and it's easy to get down for not "springing back" quickly. It took me between a year and 18 months with my first three kids! This time I had a better handle on things (4th times a charm, lol), but I still had to work at it and be careful with my intake. It's so easy to grab just anything when you're tired and overwhelmed and exhausted, but it's a vicious cycle - when you eat poorly, you feel even more tired and overwhelmed! Your baby is at a great age for you to start taking walks (outdoors when the weather permits, try mall walking if the weather is bad). Simply logging your food makes you more aware of what you are eating, and even if you don't make any deliberate changes, just knowing you'll have to log it sets up some accountability, which can lead to better choices. You will get there! Just be consistent and take care of yourself!

One more question, eating to maintain my weight puts me a little over 2700 calories, obviously I am eating more than that now if im gaining weight, but this seems excessive im order to lose weight. Start here and slowly drop my intake?

Given that your baby is almost six months old, I imagine he (she?) is starting solids, or will be very soon. So you may not need the full 500 extra per day anymore. When my youngest started solids I dropped 200 of those extra so I was in about a half lb per week deficit (but still losing about one lb per week). Are you weighing and measuring food, or just eyeballing? I ask because eyeballing can mean a lot of error and eyeballing 2700-ish calories could easily lead to overconsumption.

Try setting your rate of loss for a half lb per week, log everything you eat for a few weeks and *kitten* - are you feeling full and satisfied or do you find yourself hungry and struggling not to go over? Are you losing weight? At what rate (keeping in mind it's normal to see a bigger loss in the first week due to water weight losses)? The goal, really, is to eat as much as possible while still losing about 1 lb per week - that maximizes nutrition (important all the time, but especially when nursing), minimizes hunger, and helps with long term adherence. Remember that as you lose weight, your calorie intake will also need to drop if you want to continue to lose at the desired rate (update your stats every 15-20 lbs).

Hope this helps!