How much to eat whilst breastfeeding?

I'm interested to see the responses here as I'm wondering the same thing. I've lost 15lbs in 2 weeks and am breast feeding my 10 month old. I think the main reason for the mig loss is that I've just started counting cals and have cut right out things like chocolate and sugary juice. I'm thinking that once my body has adjusted to the new regime the weight loss will be more gradual. But I've also worried about my milk supply, so am interested in what others might advise.

At 8 months old, how often is your baby still nursing? Is he/she eating a lot of solids and only nursing a couple of times a day, or is breastmilk still the primary nutrition?

I'm not sure anyone can answer your calorie question with a lot of precision, because especially with older babies who aren't nursing as consistently, it varies so much. (I could have fed triplets, I swear - even when my daughter was a year old, I could easily pump twice as much as she could drink. Yeesh.)

Still, you're losing fast and I probably would add another 250 calories to your daily intake for the next two weeks and see what happens. Adjust from there. One thing I'd say is this - it's not likely that your milk will decrease on 1880 (or even 2000) calories. For the most part, if your baby keeps nursing, your body will keep producing enough milk. But your body will do that at the expense of YOUR nutrition, so keep an eye on your macros while you're doing this.

Also,

I'm like @annacole94, I miss breastfeeding. Not just because I could eat like a linebacker (because I totally could) but because it was lovely. That baby is an obnoxious middle schooler, now. Enjoy the cuddle time.

sonicmermaid wrote: »

JeepHair77 wrote: »

At 8 months old, how often is your baby still nursing? Is he/she eating a lot of solids and only nursing a couple of times a day, or is breastmilk still the primary nutrition?

I'm not sure anyone can answer your calorie question with a lot of precision, because especially with older babies who aren't nursing as consistently, it varies so much. (I could have fed triplets, I swear - even when my daughter was a year old, I could easily pump twice as much as she could drink. Yeesh.)

Still, you're losing fast and I probably would add another 250 calories to your daily intake for the next two weeks and see what happens. Adjust from there. One thing I'd say is this - it's not likely that your milk will decrease on 1880 (or even 2000) calories. For the most part, if your baby keeps nursing, your body will keep producing enough milk. But your body will do that at the expense of YOUR nutrition, so keep an eye on your macros while you're doing this.

I am a stay at home mum. Baby is breastfed around the clock, no formula, and eats some solids 3-4x a day (babyled weaning, so he basically eats a few mouthfuls of whatever I give him then plays around with it). I get through the day without feeling very hungry (although I do snack a lot but I keep it within my allowance). Based on this, should I still up my intake?

I'm certainly no lactation consultant or nutritionist or any other kind of expert - but if baby is nursing around the clock, I'd probably say up your intake. 5lbs/wk is a pretty aggressive loss, and you may be producing a LOT of milk.