HELP from the ladies.. prob. TMI for the guys

merceah
merceah Posts: 51
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
SO I am a nursing mom, well actually I am an exclusive pumping mom (not by choice) bad lactation advice!!! anyways. i pump over 70 ounces a day!! yes 70... I feed my baby and build a supply for her in the freezer with the excess... problem, based on "possible statistics" 70 at 20 cals per totals 1400 caloires!!!!! I am currenly not logging that many extra calories, that sounds stupid in my opinion... i am supposed to consume 1200 to lose 2 per week, I need to maintain my supply where it is becaue pumping is not as effective as nursing so if I let up too much my supply could really suffer... how many calories would you count? Half maybe?

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • dannylives
    dannylives Posts: 611
    Yeah that's too much information. :)
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    I'm a little confused by your math, but this sounds like something you may want to talk to your PCP or pediatrician about.
  • Phoenix1401
    Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
    Ugh ^^^ men! -_-'

    Anyways. Have you called your local WIC office ? They will definetly help you out!
  • countinonme
    countinonme Posts: 85
    Feed that baby! I'd say half to count may work ok.. Just don't make your supply suffer..
  • luvmycandies
    luvmycandies Posts: 489 Member
    I would do half of it. And I would definitely not lose your supply. It is rec to now breastfeed/ give breast milk up to 12-18 months if possible. Have you tried kangarooing to increase actual breast feeding? I work a lot with nursing mothers in hospital as SLP. Just a thought.
  • HolleeERL
    HolleeERL Posts: 313 Member
    I'm definitely no expert, but I would imagine that losing 2 lbs per week is too agressive a goal if you are nursing or trying to keep up your milk. I've always heard that you need an extra 500 calories perday if you are nursing.
  • DaniellePF
    DaniellePF Posts: 308 Member
    I would definitely talk to your doctor about that, or a lactation expert (a good one) :-). I know your first priority is eating enough to keep your supply, so I guess finding out exactly what that needs to be and work from there. Good luck and good for you for sticking with it--I was pumping for the last 4 months that I was breastfeeding my daughter. It was a pain in the butt sometimes but I'm glad that I did it.
  • luvmycandies
    luvmycandies Posts: 489 Member
    I'm definitely no expert, but I would imagine that losing 2 lbs per week is too agressive a goal if you are nursing or trying to keep up your milk. I've always heard that you need an extra 500 calories perday if you are nursing.

    This true, and actually having good nutrition. What you take in, your baby gets. You can call the La Leche League in your area for advice also. Feel free to add me if any questions.
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
    While an additional 1400 calories probably isn't necessary, I'd ask a good lactation expert, because I have to question whether seeking to lose while struggling to feed your baby is your best choice. I know that getting the weight off is a priority, but starving your body means that it will shut down anything unnecessary for ITS survival. Definitely ask a reputable expert about whether it might not be entirely better to put off trying to lose -- ESPECIALLY aggressively, which is the only way you'd be on a 1200 calorie diet.
  • Jeepinmom4
    Jeepinmom4 Posts: 298 Member
    I'm definitely no expert, but I would imagine that losing 2 lbs per week is too agressive a goal if you are nursing or trying to keep up your milk. I've always heard that you need an extra 500 calories perday if you are nursing.
    this! Also like another person said,call your o.b. or local wic office,one of them will help ya! Gl
  • judkinsjenny
    judkinsjenny Posts: 220
    lol to the guy ^ haha! what i do since i highly doubt i really burn 500 a day for my milk, is i eat the cals i should (minus the BF cals which is about 1550) then add about 300 and see where that takes me in weight and milk production. If my milk is still good, AND im losing the weight i desire, then im golden. You will also need to take into account exercise. watch your production closely, and if you gain, then you know you can let go a little if you lose too much, you know you can eat a little more. in my opinion, 2 lbs a week is too much. i lose my milk on that. i had to take it back down to 1 a week. I also have to be careful with my exercise. if my body thinks im running from danger all the time ie just a little exercise, then it will stop making milk to compensate. our bodies still think its 10000 BC ;) This may take a few weeks to tinker with, but its worth it.
  • jule_sea
    jule_sea Posts: 33
    The 1200 calories that you are talking about does not include what you need for milk production. I believe that you need an additional 500-700 calories a day to be able to nurse.
  • merceah
    merceah Posts: 51
    I would do half of it. Have you tried kangarooing to increase actual breast feeding? I work a lot with nursing mothers in hospital as SLP. Just a thought.


    I did everything, I worked with her for 5 months endlessly and tirelessly... she had an undiagnosed tongue tie... she became a hyper-billi baby becasue she chould not transfer... well instead of the LC checking her mouth for issues she game a nipple shield without telling me what it would do.. my baby was five days old... well she ended up with severe nipple confusion...and her tongue tie did not get fixed till she was 7 weeks old.. well that is where it lands... I tried and tried, we both cried for days weeks and months.. I finally got her nursing at nine weeks onld until my gallbladder failed two days after she mastered the skill and I was in so muc hpain I could not hold her.. well there goes the bottle again!!! so again we start from ground zero!! this went on for so long I decided as hard as it was it was better to have a happy baby and a healthy well rested mom than to nurse... Soooo I pump... She is almost seven months old now, she is a happy healthy and thriving lil angle!!!! IF I could nurse her I would... I nursed my others and the crappy part about the whole thing is, she is the only one I got to be a SAHM with I have all the time in the world with her and I cant nurse her... my others I went to school worked and still was able to nurse exclusively... one of lifes funny jokes I guess :(

    Thanks so much for the help though!
  • merceah
    merceah Posts: 51
    While an additional 1400 calories probably isn't necessary, I'd ask a good lactation expert, because I have to question whether seeking to lose while struggling to feed your baby is your best choice. I know that getting the weight off is a priority, but starving your body means that it will shut down anything unnecessary for ITS survival. Definitely ask a reputable expert about whether it might not be entirely better to put off trying to lose -- ESPECIALLY aggressively, which is the only way you'd be on a 1200 calorie diet.


    I appreciate the advice, and the thoughts... I am overweight though by a large margin I weigh 200 poiunds, I can stand to lose the weight and still maintain a health supply for my baby, I eat healthy and have clearance from both my PCP and her ped! I feel safe losing weight the healthy way, I just want to make sure she comes first by maintaing a good supply... but in most cases you are right losing too much is not good while nursing. :)
  • merceah
    merceah Posts: 51
    lol to the guy ^ haha! what i do since i highly doubt i really burn 500 a day for my milk, is i eat the cals i should (minus the BF cals which is about 1550) then add about 300 and see where that takes me in weight and milk production. If my milk is still good, AND im losing the weight i desire, then im golden. You will also need to take into account exercise. watch your production closely, and if you gain, then you know you can let go a little if you lose too much, you know you can eat a little more. in my opinion, 2 lbs a week is too much. i lose my milk on that. i had to take it back down to 1 a week. I also have to be careful with my exercise. if my body thinks im running from danger all the time ie just a little exercise, then it will stop making milk to compensate. our bodies still think its 10000 BC ;) This may take a few weeks to tinker with, but its worth it.


    Man I must be lucky... my milk supply has never suffered from working out or weight loss that was reasonable (2lbs)... when I first joined this site I did not add in bf cals... never even crossed my mind I was losing like 5 lbs a week and my milk decreased so I quit using the site.. then I talked to the DR and he said just make sure I eat enough to cover breastfeeding... he did not know what to say about the fact that I produce about three times what a baby actually eats! lol ... which left me at a loss and looking for help from you guys :)
  • merceah
    merceah Posts: 51
    The 1200 calories that you are talking about does not include what you need for milk production. I believe that you need an additional 500-700 calories a day to be able to nurse.

    yep.. Iknow... I have been eating about 1700 plus any exercise cals which is about 650 a day extra... so damn I end up at around 2200 a day!!! thas seems like so much, and If I were to count the amount of ounces I actually make I would be needing to eat even more!!! that is the problem... I need to know if I can just log 500 cals like a normal BF mom or if I have to consider the fact that I produce three times that amount... hope that makes more sense.
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