Dieting, breastfeeding and child's sleep.

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krokus99
krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am looking for some help. I am breastfeeding a 6.5 mts baby (approx 9 kilos / approx 19 lbs), of course he is getting food also at this age. He was a good sleeper / until I started dieting 2.5 weeks ago.
Since then he is waking up 5-6-7 times a night, I am in the zombie-mode.
Now, I have no idea if it is caused by my nutrition (with much reduced CH, and calories reduced to approx. 1500) or it is just accidental, and he is waking up because his teeth - or maybe because he eats other stuff than milk?
Was anybody in this situation and what was the solution?
Thanks!

Replies

  • ericatoday
    ericatoday Posts: 454 Member
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    Yes i had this issue. You really should be at maintenance since bfing burns calories. And you should be logging your bfing too. I cut my calories when i bf my son and my milk went down and the same thing happened it got better when i started eating more.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I would reduce the deficit for a while, till you're getting more sleep. Are you accounting for the breastfeeding?
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
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    Thank you!
    Yes, I add breastfeeding to food, as -350 kcal, so at the end of a day I am at about 1200 kcal, with about 1500 consumed.
    Sleep-deprivation kills me, I had the same issue with my daughter, 4 years ago, with no dieting, and i am panicked to repeat that...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    krokus99 wrote: »
    Thank you!
    Yes, I add breastfeeding to food, as -350 kcal, so at the end of a day I am at about 1200 kcal, with about 1500 consumed.
    Sleep-deprivation kills me, I had the same issue with my daughter, 4 years ago, with no dieting, and i am panicked to repeat that...

    A few weeks at maintenance won't do any harm in the long run
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
    edited August 2016
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    "A few weeks at maintenance won't do any harm in the long run"

    I know... it is good also not to gain more weight.
    Oh, and I am starving.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    krokus99 wrote: »
    "A few weeks at maintenance won't do any harm in the long run"

    I know... it is good also not to gain more weight.
    Oh, and I am starving.

    That's not surprising, net 1200 cals isn't really loads!
  • OblasMummy
    OblasMummy Posts: 40 Member
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    I ate around 1800-1900 calories when breastfeeding and managed to lose without my supply suffering. So my deficit could be anywhere between 350-500, my maintenance is around 1900-2000, depending on how much he fed that day. Also there is quite a big development leap for babies around that age which can really affect their sleep.
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
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    I will do the same, thank you.
    You know, I got that extra-weight on me while those sleep-issues with my daughter. I mean I ate because I could not sleep enough. And never could get rid of them, until my second pregnancy. Now I weigh 6 kilos less than before getting pregnant with baby nr. 2, but I still have a 18-20 kg plus.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Sleep whenever he sleeps. Prioritize your sleep over everything else.
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
    edited August 2016
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    RodaRose wrote: »
    Sleep whenever he sleeps. Prioritize your sleep over everything else.

    I cannot. I have a 4.5 years old, who does not sleep during the day, and I have no help, husband is working. :( My only sleep would be the night, and now it is disturbed.
  • Woozer123
    Woozer123 Posts: 7 Member
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    Your body uses nutrients to make your milk over and above anything else. Although the quality of your milk is likely unaffected, unless you're starving yourself, you'll be feeling the reduction in calories as there's maybe not enough good stuff left for you! Maybe you could try a multi vitamin or increase your intake a little?

    I should say, I'm a breastfeeding mum of a 14 month old girl and she now sleeps through. She hasn't always though! We've had ups and many, many downs! Google the Wonder Weeks and have a read, it explains different developmental milestones can affect behaviours and sleep patterns. I found her sleep crappy a few weeks before a tooth would pop through too. Hope the sleep improves, it's killer, I know!
  • auzziecawth
    auzziecawth Posts: 244 Member
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    My son started doing this as well at around 6 months and it didn't stop till he was about 2 and a half. It was a freaking nightmare I've never been so miserable in all my life. Talk about sleep deprivation. I feel your pain!! (Nothing I did helped and his doctor just always said he would grow out of it :/ ) probably a big factor in why I never really lost the baby weight, hard to when you are absolutely exhausted for over a year.
  • krokus99
    krokus99 Posts: 35 Member
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    My daughter (she is 4.5 years now) from the first day had an awful sleeping pattern until she was 8 months: she woke up EACH night 6-8 times. Then, from 8 months until about 2 years she woke up only 3-4 times.
    My son, who was only breastfed until 2.5 weeks ago needs much milk, he was big, huge at birth - 4.66 kilos. (more than 10 lbs). Even now he obtains most of the calories he needs from my milk (he eats only 2 times a day: once instant cereals (Nestle) and then fruits and biscuits).
    I thought, the problem might be that he does not get all the CH he needs and he needs to have milk more often, as its characteristics changed.
    I try now to eat more CH and try this. If his sleep will not improve in 3-4 days I will cut back again calories. If I can, because it is awful not to sleep and not to eat at the same time...
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I'm actually going through something similar.. my son turned 6 months a few weeks ago and has been waking up a lot more than normal. I usually attribute it to teething, sickness (he has a little cold), growth spurt or learning a new skill (he has just started crawling). It could be your diet and milk supply though.. 1200 is not nearly enough when you are breastfeeding. Try to take care of yourself during this time.. it is hard work!
  • nicolecfut
    nicolecfut Posts: 14 Member
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    Thats good, I'm so glad he had a better night. I would say keep your calories up and eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables that are low in calories but are great for your milk. My daughter is a year now so she's eating quite a bit of her own food and only nursing 3 times a day but when I wanted to start losing weight and cut calories doctor told me to worry about nutrition first. She said at least 2,000 calories. Baby stayed happy thru the night and I eventually lost weight. Now I'm trying to wean her, which is a bummer too cuz that's the easier calories burning I've ever done lol:-) Good luck to you!

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