Breastfeeding 3 weeks postpartum

Options
geegeegummy
geegeegummy Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Looking to lose 15 to 20 lbs but not sure how many calories I should be taking in when breastfeeding to lose weight without affecting my milk supply

Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
    Options
    You will soon be burning 500 calories/day breastfeeding. Set your MFP to "maintain weight" and you should lose at roughly 1 lb/week. Congrats! Take it slow and be kind to yourself.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
    Options
    At 3 weeks post partum your milk supply is still being established. Now is not the time to be restricting your intake. You should be eating at 500 calories above maintenance and feeding on demand

    Im still breastfeeding at 14 months so my supply is well established but if i drop my calories too far below maintenance my supply dips (i express after i feed, first because my son was being tubefed and now to use in his porridge)
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Options
    At three weeks you'er about to hit a major growth spurt, if you haven't already. Your hormones are also still settling out and your body is still shifting modes.

    Relax, take it easy, and work on getting through the transition to motherhood until at *least* 6-8 weeks....
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Options
    3 weeks is still way too soon to be thinking about cutting calories. You should wait at least 6-8 weeks and after you get the all clear from your OB.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Options
    Take it easy and enjoy your baby. No rush for anything else.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Options
    Agree with everyone. Take your time, you just had a baby your body is still getting back to normal...definitely don't cut cals before your milk supply is established.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
    Options
    savithny wrote: »
    At three weeks you'er about to hit a major growth spurt, if you haven't already. Your hormones are also still settling out and your body is still shifting modes.

    Relax, take it easy, and work on getting through the transition to motherhood until at *least* 6-8 weeks....

    Oh gosh that week 4 growth spurt! My son fed continously from 4pm till 11pm for 2 weeks straight, daddy had to spoonfeed me dinner lol
  • BrookeRunningMom
    BrookeRunningMom Posts: 156 Member
    edited April 2017
    Options
    Keep eating enough like 2200 2500 calories. Until you at least established your supply at 3 month mark, then if you feel you and baby are doing good then you can start eventually downing your calories I am currently weaning and was eating 1500 calories and breastfeeding my 13 month old. (Drink a lot of water too! ) but we already established our supply.
    I also lost weight when breastfeeding not even meaning too. Just eating really healthy. Enjoy the newborn time don't try to jump back to quick, plenty of time for that
  • merewen314
    merewen314 Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't risk cutting calories at three weeks when breastfeeding. Your body needs those calories to feed your baby. Also, you don't know what your body is going to do. With my first, I lost all of my baby weight just from breastfeeding. Concentrate on establishing that milk supply before trying anything.

    Even then, you'll probably need a fair amount of food. I'm breastfeeding (a bit older baby) and eating 2300 before counting exersise calories and losing at a fair pace.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    Options
    I will share with you what I know. It is generally recommended that moms account at minimum 300 calories up to 500 calories a day for breastfeeding. I think it would be best to not lower your calories too much and maybe just start working out? Because honestly the health of your baby is #1
  • Mogan82
    Mogan82 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    I waited until 12 weeks postpartum and then tracked what I was eating and what I weighed each morning for 2 weeks before coming up with a weight loss plan. I was able to eat 2500 calories a day and lose 1.5-2lbs a week while nursing each of my children. Everyone is different but nursing made me burn A LOT of calories. I actually had to increase my calories to 3000 at 6 months with my oldest after dropping to an unhealthy weight. Give your body time to adjust and enjoy the new baby!
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Options
    I know that people often say "don't cut calories" when you are nursing a newborn. But I do have to say that cutting calories doesn't necessarily mean starving yourself. You can still cut calories to a reasonable deficit while nursing. I started trying to lose weight on mfp at 4 weeks post partum. I ate 500 extra calories for breastfeeding. Once I started exercising, I ate back exercise calories. I was often eating 2000-2200 a day and losing easily. My milk supply never so much as dipped. If it would have dipped, I would have added an extra 100 calories a day until it stabilized. I lost 90 lbs total while nursing my baby the whole time. For me it was healthier to start losing weight than to stay obese longer.

    I can understand the advice not to jump into calorie counting too quickly but I think if your milk supply is established and you take things slowly, it can be done in a healthy way. Original poster, with only 10-20 lbs to lose you will want set a goal to lose only a half pound per week and also eat back extra calories for breastfeeding. But wait until you feel your milk supply is well established and certainly don't feel any rush.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    You are 3 weeks postpartum. That 'extra' weight isn't all fat. Your body takes more than a few days to reduce your blood volume back to non-pregnant levels and you still have increased uterine mass (and I would assume some additional glandular tissue in your breasts). Chill and take care of your baby. You might be surprised and lose most or all of it without counting calories.
  • nrbutton
    nrbutton Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    This is the calculator I used with both my last two pregnancies and with breastfeeding. I followed the recommendation for breastfeeding calories to lose 1 lb per week while breastfeeding and my supply was completely unaffected, in fact I was making twice as much milk as I needed and was able to donate the surplus.

    https://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm

    Congrats on the new little one. I'm 5 weeks postpartum tomorrow
  • tiffanybrooks530
    tiffanybrooks530 Posts: 140 Member
    edited April 2017
    Options
    Im 6 weeks Pp & got my clearance from my Dr to resume normal activities. I read not to go below 1800 calories so that's what I'm doing. pls feel free to add me. Im 5'9, & topped 215 when I gave birth in March. Been off​ mfp for a year prior, now im down to 188 & my goal is 150lbs. Since I'm home with no other help, hubby works, & breastfeeding around the clock, I find it difficult to work out consistently so I'm focusing on diet since I love to eat everything :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Options
    Yes - I'm commenting because I haven't seen it mentioned yet.

    Great advice I saw given and many comments of success, so I've passed it on with many having success.

    Set MFP to Lightly Active - because you will be.
    Set MFP to Maintain.

    Log any purposeful workouts or walks with baby, ect, accurately.
    If you walk for 1 hr and cover 3 miles, that obviously 3 mph avg walking pace. That applies to treadmill. (yes, only spelling it out because I've seen people fail on math for this - just because you hit 4 mph at some point doesn't mean it was the whole time).
    Spin class or similar with no level of effort, take 75-50% of the suggested calories from the database.
    DO log your workouts.
    Do reach the eating goal that is given - 50 over is better than 100 under.

    Do NOT account for the breast feeding - that creates your deficit.
    More at first when you have more to lose and that is best way to do it.
    Less deficit later as not producing as much when you have less to lose.

    And then pay attention if producing enough, and may need to eat a tad more as you could be more than truly Lightly-Active.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Options
    geegeegummy wrote: »
    Looking to lose 15 to 20 lbs but not sure how many calories I should be taking in when breastfeeding to lose weight without affecting my milk supply

    At 3 weeks pp I would not restrict calories. Focus on being active - if/when you can - and getting in plenty of fluids, nutrients. Maybe at 6-8 weeks if you feel milk supply is well established, but not to consume less than 1700 if breast feeding. (And that might be too low depending on your stats.)

Categories