quick question for breast feeding mums (or anyone who knows

sugabebethe1
sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
What is it important to not cut out when dieting whilst breastfeeding? Gabriella Faith is 5.5 months but was born at 28 weeks so is effectively 3 months behind, she is still exclusively fed with no formula top ups and no solids, i intend to feed her til atleast 18 months and she currently only weighs 10lb 1 oz so really cant afford for my milk to be "less Fattening". any advise??

than ks in advance x

Replies

  • evans72002
    evans72002 Posts: 89 Member
    My son was a 33 weeker and was born last August. I breastfed all of my 3 children. I am impressed that you have the energy to work on weight loss. I think I would try to eat all of your calories, not eat anything low fat or fat free, and focus on exercise and strength training. Jillian's ripped in 30 or 30 day shred dvd's are less than 30 minutes. The thing with breastfeeding is that your body will take whatever it needs for the milk from your body even if you aren't eating it. This can be good, and bad. Of course, drink lots of water and continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Good Luck! You made it through having a preemie, you can do anything!!!!
  • sugabebethe1
    sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
    Thank you for your reply, nice to see another prem mummy :) im not really doing low fat or fat free as thats far too costly with 3 other children who are eating it too and they need the normal stuff, just really cutting down on my portion sizes and snacking. plus of course the exercise, we are walking the 2 mile round trip to school in evenings instead of using the car and i am also leaving an hour earlier to walk/jog n extra mile before getting them just trying to do what i can around the kids!!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Shouldn't you be asking your pediatrician or whatever they're called?
  • lucyliar
    lucyliar Posts: 31 Member
    i am also feeding my child but i have controlled my diet , ensuring that i get good food first as compared to unhealthy food. right now i am on 1600cal diet.
  • durangocal
    durangocal Posts: 90 Member
    I breast fed my three until they were two! Miss those days... Anyway, when breast feeding I believe the average is an extra 500 calories per day. You may want to do a search as I've seen this topic come up before and some great conversations ensue. Good luck!
  • sugabebethe1
    sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
    She has her 6 month check with her neonatal team next week so will obviously ask them then, at the moment im just cutting out the crap that obviously isnt necessary for breastfeeding IE chocolate/crisps/biscuits and cooking everything from scratch without jars of sauces...If the neonatal team sa its ok to take my diet a step further i will but also if they turn round and say i need more of something then so be it, was just asking for opinions on what other breast feeding mothers were doing......
  • sugabebethe1
    sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
    and im currently eating around 1300 calories per day and burning 500-700 with exercise but am not counting any burnt doing housework/everyday stuff just my actual planned exercise so obviously not starving myself!!
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    and im currently eating around 1300 calories per day and burning 500-700 with exercise but am not counting any burnt doing housework/everyday stuff just my actual planned exercise so obviously not starving myself!!
    Are you eating 1300 or NETTING 1300? If you're only eating 1300 and exercising 500-700 per day then you are only netting as little as 600 calories, which is not enough to sustain you and an infant.

    (edit to add that you should also be logging breastfeeding for another 300-500 calories per day...so with exercise you should be eating somewhere between 2100-2500 in order to net 1300).
  • sugabebethe1
    sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
    where do i log breastfeeding, did wonder if there was a way on here, am eating 1300 before exercise so maybe i do need to up it a bit?
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    where do i log breastfeeding, did wonder if there was a way on here, am eating 1300 before exercise so maybe i do need to up it a bit?
    If you click on "add food" from your diary and search for "breastfeeding" it will come up with about 20 different entries that will log as various numbers of negative calories (meaning you need to eat more) depending on the age of your infant and whether or not you are breastfeeding exclusively.

    So if you are only EATING 1300 a day, exercising, and nursing an infant exclusively (-500 calories) then you are leaving only 100-300 calories per day to nourish your own body.
  • sugabebethe1
    sugabebethe1 Posts: 23
    have found it thank you, makes my food diary look like im starving myself, i will work on that basis from now on thank you x x
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    You're welcome - good luck!
  • monkeysmum
    monkeysmum Posts: 522 Member
    i bf my LO for 2 years and trained as a bf support worker bf uses an extra 500 calories a day so make sure to log that as others have said avoid the low fat versions of foods look into making sure you get the 5 portions fruit veg a day and drink plenty fluids to help maintain milk supply avoid any nut products as it can irritate preemie babies more than a full term baby
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