Help, having issues with breastfeeding and weight loss!

skpresley20
skpresley20 Posts: 177 Member
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
So here's the thing, I'm struggling so hard to keep breastfeeding my daughter, but I'm starting to have issues with it and have been having to give her bottles pretty much 100% of the time now. I've been trying to pump regularly these past couple days, and taking fenugreek and milk thistle off and on ( I know I need to take it everyday) but I think one of the things I think that's getting me is that I'm not eating enough. I put it in my diary to make up for 200 calories that way I can eat it to make up for breastfeeding in particular, but I never eat all of my calories back so I don't think its working. Another thing is, If I'm exercising and not eating enough, can that decrease my milk supply? Anyone who has found the perfect balance between keeping their milk supply going and exercising and losing weight PLEASE help!

Replies

  • SaishaLea
    SaishaLea Posts: 333 Member
    Bump... I would like to hear about this too. My milk supply has gone down since I started exercising daily...
  • brianandmarlene2
    brianandmarlene2 Posts: 33
    Your going to have to add more calories then that. How much is your baby eating? With my first child I had to add about 500-600 more calories a day cause he ate so much. Also dont feel bad about it. Your body uses alot of calories to make milk. Drink lots of water and juice.
  • Cysso
    Cysso Posts: 68 Member
    You NEED to eat if you're breastfeeding. If you don't eat enough or drink enough water then it WILL decrease your supply because your body thinks there's not enough food and conserves energy for the mom (that's what I've been told). You absolutely must eat enough to keep your body running as well as produce milk. My daughter is 9 months and I eat an extra 300 cals a day (based on what my lactation consultant says) but she also gets solids three times a day. If your baby is completely breastfeeding then you might need more calories. I think you can search for it on the food section...

    Oatmeal is good for milk production, as well as brewers yeast, fenugreek, blessed thistle, flax seed...and WATER. Drink at least 8 glasses and shoot for a gallon a day.
  • sistergoddess
    sistergoddess Posts: 38
    my Doc said do not dip below 1900 calories while breastfeeding. DRINK tons and tons of water and do the fenugreek everyday. I've been at it for almost a month and have never had an issue.

    Good Luck!
  • newmommynewfitme
    newmommynewfitme Posts: 89
    I pump exclusively, I get between 28 to 35 ounces a day .My supply goes up and down , days I eat less it is down or days I excercise a lot its down. I've struggled from the begining with low supply, so I take fenugreek and brewers yeast daily. Search the food section "breastfeeding" and you will get - calories added to your diary. GL and keep it up !!!
  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
    If you aren't able to keep your milk supply up then you need to eat more and focus more on eating better quality foods than losing weight. My baby is 4 months old. I exercise 3-4 times a week, I eat right and I drink TONS of water. My milk supply hasn't gone down at all. I've also set my goals to lose 1 pound a week. It may take me longer to get to where I want to be but my baby won't suffer for it.
  • skpresley20
    skpresley20 Posts: 177 Member
    You NEED to eat if you're breastfeeding. If you don't eat enough or drink enough water then it WILL decrease your supply because your body thinks there's not enough food and conserves energy for the mom (that's what I've been told). You absolutely must eat enough to keep your body running as well as produce milk. My daughter is 9 months and I eat an extra 300 cals a day (based on what my lactation consultant says) but she also gets solids three times a day. If your baby is completely breastfeeding then you might need more calories. I think you can search for it on the food section...

    Oatmeal is good for milk production, as well as brewers yeast, fenugreek, blessed thistle, flax seed...and WATER. Drink at least 8 glasses and shoot for a gallon a day.
    It's gotten to the point where she's barely eating, I mean, maybe for a minute a day now. It's THAT bad. I'm still supplying a little. I had a problem before where I was producing more milk in one breast than the other, and the other breast was hardly producing anything. So one breast was supplementing and now the dominant breast is starting to decrease rapidly. I can only pump 3oz out of it twice a day. That's it. Think I will try to eat more. I only put 200 for breast feeding because she's not even getting THAT much. 200 was shooting very high. I'm really really trying but I'm so frustrated I want to cry. I'm trying to do better about eating oatmeal, I just have a hard time eating my calories, mostly because I'm scared to because I'm nervous It'll be detrimental to weight loss, and partly because I'm just not hungry.

    What about exercising though? Will me exercising decrease my milk supply, and why?
  • kensky
    kensky Posts: 472 Member
    Exercise should not be an issue as much as caloric intake and --this above everything--putting your daughter to the breast as much as possible. Even more than pumping is important that your baby get mama-nursing time since milk supply is a supply-demand issue. The more the baby nurses, the more milk you will make. If your baby isn't actually nursing from you frequently, your body is less likely to produce as much milk since it's as if there is no "need" to make as much. Also please don't mistake pumping amounts for the amount your baby is actually getting while nursing.

    Oh! You are a Columbia, MO mom! We have an excellent peer-counselor breastfeeding support group in town. You should call a real live trained mama who has been there and done that. Please don't think me pushy if I include a link: http://www.lllusa.org/web/ColumbiaMO.html
  • misty589
    misty589 Posts: 319 Member
    didn't read all of the replies, so sorry if it's repetitive. For me the fenugreek and oatmeal worked great, but you HAVE to eat and drink lots, your body needs enough energy to keep two bodies alive!
  • midwifekelley2350
    midwifekelley2350 Posts: 337 Member
    you do need to make sure you are eating your calories(i wouldn't go under your minimum)but keep in mind that women in developing countries that are undernourished can nurse their babies just fine. the age of your baby matters...there are times when you milk starts to decline in supply naturally, like when they are taking solids. you can boost your supply by nursing more often and pumping if you are away from your baby. there is no reason that you can't do both...breastfeed and lose weight. good luck and keep plugging away...the longer you can do it for your baby, the better off he/she will be (and you...it lowers your risk of breast cancer!).
  • monicamk1975
    monicamk1975 Posts: 298 Member
    I've lost 22 pounds in around 45 days and add the 500 calories recommended but I tend to stay around 1000 to 1200. I do take a prenatal multivitamin pill and a calcium pill and drink around 10 glasses of water a day. I also usually eat over on my protien. I've had no issues with breastfeeding and my little does eat solids, but not enough to stop breastfeeding completely and she is 15 months on the 11th. She still breastfeeds around every 3-4 hours all day and night. I was super worried before and didnt diet at all mostly out of fear. I want to make it till shes 2 years old. Hope that helps!
  • monicamk1975
    monicamk1975 Posts: 298 Member
    I should add that I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast too. I noticed someone mentioned it helped too. I eat Better Oats 100% natural oatmeal with no sugar and flax seed. I do add a little sugar and some nonfat milk.
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    Last January I started eating healthier to lose weight and my milk supply went way down. On advice of my doctor and my own research I realized I actually needed to stop my weight loss journey, eat quite a bit more food, not exercise, eat oatmeal/almonds/drink tons of water, take fenugreek, etc. I was able to continue making enough milk to finish out her whole first year. I now nurse morning and night and it's not a big deal if I don't produce enough.

    I restarted my weight loss journey after I was done nursing and she was 16 months old. I know this might not be the answer you want but you are doing a great thing for your child!!!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Breastmilk > weight loss

    It's a matter of priorities. If you do not get enough calories your supply will be diminished.
  • lovecola06
    lovecola06 Posts: 180 Member
    I am currently breastfeeding my baby that is almost a year old & BF'd my oldest until he weaned himself at 14 months old. I pump every two-three hours while at work & BF exclusively whenever I'm at home & when he wakes up in the middle of the night(STILL!). I never had to use Fenugreek with this child, but I used it several times(in combination with Blessed Thistle) to keep my supply up with my first one. I highly recommend taking that every day, per the recommended dose. You HAVE to make sure you are eating enough calories if you want your supply to stay high. You don't have to sacrifice the weight loss in order to nurse your child. Just add about 300-500 calories to your daily calorie goal. Some people use the food option of breastfeeding to add it to their food diary on MFP- your choice, whichever works best. You can definitely exercise & keep your supply up. I completed Slim in 6 weeks, and the Insanity program & I'm currently doing intense cardio at least 5x weekly. You just have to fuel your body. Don't worry about not losing weight. I read several studies that estimated for every ounce of breastmilk produced=20 calories burned.. I pump out 4 to 5 5 oz bottles a day PLUS what I feed my son directly when I'm home so I conservatively estimate ~400 extra calories burned from breastfeeding. This is not an excuse to eat whatever you want, but you do need to at least eat 1800 calories daily- no exceptions! Good luck & feel free to friend/message me if you have any extra questions:flowerforyou:
  • KristynStephens15
    KristynStephens15 Posts: 843 Member
    My son is currently 9 months, 100% breast fed, other then baby food, and I work out quite a bit. I have a daily calorie goal of around 1400 and i add 300 for breast feeding. I also drink between 10 and 20 glasses of water a day and havent had a problem with my milk. I say eat between 1600-1800 cals a day, make sure you eat back any exercise cals, and most importantly, drink a TON of water. Hope this helps, and good luck! =]

    Edit- I should also mention that in the 9 months I have lost all my pregnancy weight plus 4 more lbs. All while keeping my supply up. But if you are going to pick one over the other pick bf'ing over weight loss.
  • silversong24
    silversong24 Posts: 409 Member
    My son is currently 9 months, 100% breast fed, other then baby food, and I work out quite a bit. I have a daily calorie goal of around 1400 and i add 300 for breast feeding. I also drink between 10 and 20 glasses of water a day and havent had a problem with my milk. I say eat between 1600-1800 cals a day, make sure you eat back any exercise cals, and most importantly, drink a TON of water. Hope this helps, and good luck! =]

    Edit- I should also mention that in the 9 months I have lost all my pregnancy weight plus 4 more lbs. All while keeping my supply up. But if you are going to pick one over the other pick bf'ing over weight loss.

    I also function quite well with a ratio of 1400 for myself and 300 for the baby, which means that I net at LEAST 1700 calories a day. I exercise regularly, but make sure that I increase calories to match what I burn. I have been working at this for 165 days now (at least that's what my day ticker thing says) and have lost 32 pounds so far. Keep in mind though that up until a month ago I was eating 500 for my little one, meaning I was netting at LEAST 1900 calories per day. Remember to drink drink drink the water. I aim for at 10 cups a day. Nurse your baby as frequently as possible. I noticed someone else stated this and it is true. The less your baby nurses, the less milk you will make. Even if she only nurses a minute at a time it is still stimulating the manufacture of milk supply. I also agree with the other poster who said to talk to the lactation consultants in your town. They can be a great resource for nursing mothers. Good luck to you!
  • mestacy010
    mestacy010 Posts: 577 Member
    My son is currently 9 months, 100% breast fed, other then baby food, and I work out quite a bit. I have a daily calorie goal of around 1400 and i add 300 for breast feeding. I also drink between 10 and 20 glasses of water a day and havent had a problem with my milk. I say eat between 1600-1800 cals a day, make sure you eat back any exercise cals, and most importantly, drink a TON of water. Hope this helps, and good luck! =]

    Edit- I should also mention that in the 9 months I have lost all my pregnancy weight plus 4 more lbs. All while keeping my supply up. But if you are going to pick one over the other pick bf'ing over weight loss.

    I also function quite well with a ratio of 1400 for myself and 300 for the baby, which means that I net at LEAST 1700 calories a day. I exercise regularly, but make sure that I increase calories to match what I burn. I have been working at this for 165 days now (at least that's what my day ticker thing says) and have lost 32 pounds so far. Keep in mind though that up until a month ago I was eating 500 for my little one, meaning I was netting at LEAST 1900 calories per day. Remember to drink drink drink the water. I aim for at 10 cups a day. Nurse your baby as frequently as possible. I noticed someone else stated this and it is true. The less your baby nurses, the less milk you will make. Even if she only nurses a minute at a time it is still stimulating the manufacture of milk supply. I also agree with the other poster who said to talk to the lactation consultants in your town. They can be a great resource for nursing mothers. Good luck to you!
    Even though she may only feed a minute every feeding, try feeding her every five minutes to every hour the more your breasts are stimulated the more milk you supply, so try less formula and more of yyour breast and I'm sure in no time your milk will be up again, remember your breast only make as much milk as your child eats!! I read that if you diet while breastfeeding eat at least 1600 to 1900 calories a day and drink at least 99oz of water a day.
  • MereMe
    MereMe Posts: 312 Member
    My son is 5 months and I have lost right at 45 pounds since delivery. I exclusively breastfeed at this time and I add the suggested 500 calories in every day for that. Additionally, I eat almost 100% of my exercise calories. My supply is great most of the time, but I take Fenugreek just in case and I drink 10+ glasses of water each day. Hope this helps and BEST WISHES for you!
  • slbeutler
    slbeutler Posts: 205
    I tried dieting way too early and after 3 months I was only able to pump an ounce at a time and my daughter would not breast feed anymore, probably because she knew she wouldn't get enough and wanted a bottle. If I could do it again, I would not have worried about trying to lose any weight until done breastfeeding, especially if it is important to you. I did not lose any weight breastfeeding with either of my kids, even when I tried to cut calories. Everyone is different.
  • 2xrta4xm
    2xrta4xm Posts: 7 Member
    If you aren't able to keep your milk supply up then you need to eat more and focus more on eating better quality foods than losing weight. My baby is 4 months old. I exercise 3-4 times a week, I eat right and I drink TONS of water. My milk supply hasn't gone down at all. I've also set my goals to lose 1 pound a week. It may take me longer to get to where I want to be but my baby won't suffer for it.

    I just wanted to echo this quote, my baby is 3.5 months old and is exclusively breastfed. I exercise 4-5 times a week and have never noticed a drop in my supply, if I'm hungry I eat more, it's my body telling me that I need to eat. I think the key is to eat plenty of the *right* type of foods, drink plenty of water and not to put too much pressure on yourself. My goal is 1lb a week and it will take ages - but then again it did take me 9 months to put on the weight so I'm expecting about the same amount of time if not more to lose it. I also believe that if you lose it slowly it will stay off better! (thats what I'm hoping anyway!)
  • agadoogirl
    agadoogirl Posts: 36 Member
    Its really important that you go and see a lactation consultant to help you both get through this. Feeding your daughter more frequently and changing sides often during a feed should stimulate your milk production but her not wanting to feed might not have anything to do with your milk. She might not be attaching properly or might be finding it easier to feed out of the bottle (they don't have to work as hard for their food out of the bottle). Do make sure you're eating and drinking enough & check with someone before you keep exercising, it doesn't usually affect an established milk supply but I don't know how it affects a low supply. Not sure how old the info on your profile is but if your daughter is only 2 months old she's still learning how to do it-it can be insanely frustrating but you guys will get there.
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