Feeling like I have to choose between breastfeeding and losing weight

duckykissy
duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've got a 7 month old, an ok milk supply (I'm not great at pumping), and 20kg to lose for my goal.

To make matters tricky my shrink does not want me to actually count calories and I took away my scale so everything is a "sure that's about x cups and this sounds close enough" I've set my active up higher than it is and for a month things were going great. I was losing slowly and keeping up with feeds. Then my milk supply started decreasing. I boosted my calories, boosted my pumps but I'm barely making half of what my baby drinks and I'm maintaining this week. I mean I guess it's better than gaining and it has only been a week of extra pumps but I'm feeling a bit discouraged. I'm wondering if maybe I should just wait until he weans.

Replies

  • malou1985
    malou1985 Posts: 138 Member
    I am in the same boat as you. I'm trying to find the balance. This week I'm going to focus on more water, and adding some exercise so that my calories can stay the same
  • Lindsay375
    Lindsay375 Posts: 49 Member
    What are your breastfeeding goals? If you’d like to continue breastfeeding I’d recommend aiming at maintenance and worry about weight loss after weaning. Stress doesn’t help milk supply or weight loss, so I’d focus on short term BF goals. Aim to make it to 9 months, then set your goal to 1 yr. At 1 yr food becomes more important and you can make start setting weight loss goals. Lots of water and power pumping helped me. I gained weight while BF, but am now back to my pre-baby weight after 2 years.
  • rach3116
    rach3116 Posts: 35 Member
    I’m postpartum 6 months and breastfeeding too! I’ve had supply issues all along and now shes getting 1/3 from breast and then supplemented. I JUST found the calories point where I’m losing now. I was scared I’d lose my milk so I came into this with higher calories but after no results and lowering slowly week after week- finally I’ve found the magic number and it’s only 100-150 over my normal cut weight balance. 🙄
    it sucks, the hormones are real. I gained 40# from fertility treatments and now have an extra 25 from pregnancy sitting on me so I’ve got work to do too!
  • duckykissy
    duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
    Lindsay375 wrote: »
    What are your breastfeeding goals?

    My goal is self weaning between 2 and 3 years. With my first I ebf for 9 months and then mix fed until she self weaned when my second was born just after 2. So I know I can do it considering I bf throughout pregnancy. Also I had to go to mixed feeding before partly because I was working full time and didn't get enough time to pump. Now I'm just studying or have the kids at home so it's a little easier to get time to pump. I also have the baby in care only 2 days ago so I don't have to express many bottles.

    If I have to choose between breastfeeding and losing weight I'll choose breastfeeding. I'm already under my pre-pregnancy weight but I'm still around a bmi of 36 so I don't want to wait upwards of 2 years if I don't have to.
  • duckykissy
    duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
    rach3116 wrote: »
    it sucks, the hormones are real.

    Oh dear lord are they ever! Fortunately (thanks to severe morning sickness) I didn't gain too much during my pregnancies and (thanks to my thyroid going silly) I lost my pregnancy weight by 6 weeks pp this time. But now my Dr may have cut my thyroid meds back too much. Just can't win sometimes. I guess at least I'm not gaining.

    Honestly I think I also need to be patient which sucks because I don't want to.
  • AlisaRN
    AlisaRN Posts: 65 Member
    Honestly, I had no luck untill I weaned a couple weeks ago. I cut calories and added exercise for a month while nursing and I didn't lose any weight And my supply dropped. My baby is 15 months, I weaned him and have lost 8lbs by doing the same thing I was doing before weaning. If I were you, I wouldn't stress about it until you are done nursing.
  • InspiredBrunette
    InspiredBrunette Posts: 43 Member
    I’ve previously lost plenty of weight while breastfeeding
    In 6 months I lost 65lbs eating at maintenance
    I’m currently 4 weeks pp and since giving birth I’ve lost 30lbs and I’m overweight still
    I gained 40 while pregnant please add me I’d like more breastfeeding friends
  • VinnietheHorse
    VinnietheHorse Posts: 1 Member
    As an older mom as well, who also did longer term breastfeeding, there are a few foods that can increase your milk supply. Hoppy beers are one. The old midwife tail of drinking a Guinness to bring in the milk is true, but any hoppy beer worked for me. Beer is also fairly low in alcohol. Only drinking one will not effect your milk supply negatively. My first post baby beer had such a dramatic effect that my baby couldn't keep up with the flow. Hope that helps, good luck with nursing.
  • duckykissy
    duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
    [quote="katiesmom_99;c-43903237"
    Take care of yourself, concentrate on getting adequate nutrition, hydration, rest, and exercise. Feed your babies, carry a little extra padding on yourself. In a hot minute, that precious little boob-leech is going to be going off to kindergarten, a first date, homecoming, college. [/quote]

    I think this is what I'm coming around to. More exercise, and desperate to eat well if I lose, I lose. Baby is nearly a year already. It goes so fast.
  • duckykissy
    duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
    VinnietheHorse wrote: »
    there are a few foods that can increase your milk supply. Hoppy beers are one.

    I'm gluten free 😭 I'm really allergic to wheat so I'm off the gluten because even traces of wheat make me crook. Although there is a shop that does do gf beer that may be worth a go. Besides that I've got my gf boobie bikkies and nutritional yeast flakes and fengreek pills (which unfortunately causes baby upset tummy but I'll keep checking).
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I lost weight with no problems while breastfeeding, but I was overweight (obese BMI) and had a lot to lose.

    Some people do find their body "hangs on" to some of the weight/fat, which I think is a part of breastfeeding. Your body doesn't want to lose it's extra milk-making fuel.

    I started exercising at 6 months PP, calorie counting at 8 months PP. I ate 2400 for two months, 2100 for 2-3 months, and 1900 for the last couple of months (I'm 5'0", taller people will have larger numbers) so I never really cut my calories down that much. The absolute last month I did 1650 on non-execise days and over 1900 on exercise days, it was getting harder to lose weight. Did that for 6-7 months, lost the bulk of my weight. Got into a healthy BMI and then did maintenance for a while.

    In the spring I decided to really slow lose a little more weight, I've lost about 1lb a month since then, so I'm barely eating under maintenance. I'm still breastfeeding (baby will be 2 in August).

    I didn't really lose a lot of "excess fat" in the first 6 months loss - I still had boobs, I still had fat in my face, etc. The last 10lbs, which I've lost much slower and over a long period of time, have really changed my body composition. My body fat has gone down (according to measurement-based estimates, not that accurate), my boobs completely deflated, my face has hollowed out and looks completely different.

    I'm not sure if it was the slow loss/recomp/exercise, or just my fat redistributing itself after my initial loss, or both.

    Anyway, I was able to lose weight while breastfeeding. That doesn't mean everyone can. Hopefully, my experience can help someone though.
  • sydneyck91
    sydneyck91 Posts: 3 Member
    I gained so much weight breastfeeding my kid until she was two, and I tried really hard after she hit 1 year to lose weight. I couldn’t do it. I finally had to breathe and think about what was most important; loosing the weight, or a happy fed baby (she wouldn’t take a bottle or formula even if her life depended on it). I chose the baby. When we weaned and got through our extra cuddle phase around 2.5. I started my weight loss journey, and it’s been sooooo much better this time around. Just take care of little one and stress about weight later. Being a new mom is stressful enough.
  • sydneyck91
    sydneyck91 Posts: 3 Member
    Also, for supply issues fenugreek is a great non gluten alternative for a supply boost. The only thing though is it makes you smell like maple syrup, and can make little one a little gassy

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