Calling all Breastfeeding mummies!

niknak2308
niknak2308 Posts: 315 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I have a little girl who is nearly 13mths, and I breastfeed her throughout the day and night. However, she does also have three solid meals as well as munching on healthy snacks and drinks extra water in the day.

So I'm wondering exactly how many cals I should be logging to counter what she's having?

I used to give myself 500 as I thought "Breastfeeding - Exclusively" meant breastfeeding without formula top ups, but I've now changed this and add 200 manually each day instead.

What age is your little one(s), how often do you feed and what do you add for your breastfeeding allowance? Would like to know if I'm on the right track!

P.S. She is a chunky little thing and developing nicely, so am absolutely certain she is thriving regardless of my slow weightloss :wink:
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Replies

  • silver1976
    silver1976 Posts: 1 Member
    My Lucy is nearly 6 months and I am still exclusively breastfeeding (no solids at all yet) so I have been giving myself the 500 cals extra.

    xx
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    Breastfeeding exclusively = no formula, no solids, nothing but breastmilk. If baby uses some formula or eats some solid foods, 200-300 is probably a good amount to credit yourself. :-)
  • nshartley
    nshartley Posts: 9
    I breastfeed my almost 5 month old exclusively. However, I rarely "give' myself those extra calories. I am sticking to what MFP recommends for my calories without giving myself the extra for bf'ing. I am losing about a pound a week and haven't noticed a dip in supply, but I am also drinking more water than I was before. I think I would give yourself the extra calories at first and then gradually work it down to see how your supply goes??? Just wanted to throw that out there. I know that I have the HARDEST time losing weight when I am bf'ing (this is baby #3) so I don't need any extra cals. good luck!
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    Sounds like 200-300 calories is probably where you should be right now... but watch your weight loss.... every mama is different. If you start to lose weight too fast, eat more. Make sure you stay hydrated.
    Keep up the hard work
  • nallbaby10
    nallbaby10 Posts: 86
    My son is almost 3 months and im giving myself the 500 extra and losing about a pound a week :-)
  • CherryPie606
    CherryPie606 Posts: 44 Member
    My baby is 6months old and on 2/3 small meals a day. I use "Breastfeeding 3-5 times a day" I think it is and that gives me an extra 300 cals. He's a snacker so I feed him a lot more than that lol! I rarely use all those extra calories though. If I did, I'd just be eating for the sake of getting all my calories in and I feel thats pointless.
  • mission2loseit
    mission2loseit Posts: 5 Member
    Brinley is 6 months old and is ebf still, no formula and we slowly are trying foods but not enough really to count. Like less than 1/2 tbsp that she spits and drools most of it back out anyway lol. MFP gave me 1320 calories at first and I adjusted it to 1800, I'm usually under in calories though (only been tracking on here for a few days, used another site previously) I think that 200-300 sounds about right though, just keep an eye on your supply and your body. :) Congrats on going past a yr breastfeeding! that's wonderful!!!
  • cassellmomof7
    cassellmomof7 Posts: 6
    My son is almost 8 months, eating a bit of solids...I give myself 300 calories
  • mamaBof3
    mamaBof3 Posts: 4
    My daughter is 18 months and nurses about 6-8 times day still. I haven't been changing my allowance because I hadn't thought of it!

    I don't know how many calories I am burning, but I am not losing. Thank you for posting this question! Now I need to try to figure out how many calories she is helping me burn.

    Cheers!
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Thank you all for breastfeeding. You are giving your babies the best possible start to life. Make sure you are eating real, whole foods and getting plenty of saturated fat. That is the main ingredient in breast milk and good for a growing baby!!

    Stay away from processed foods and chemically processed vegetable oils! All those chemical ingredients and bad PUFAs will end up in your milk and in your baby!!
  • niknak2308
    niknak2308 Posts: 315 Member
    Thanks for all your replies ladies, nice to see some other women in the same boat! I'm guessing I'm probably on track then with the 200, nice to have it confirmed!

    Feel free to add me if anyone wants to :flowerforyou:
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    I breastfed my son for 8.5 months, at the end only nursed before bed and ate rest of his meals with reg food. During that time the wt just fell off and if I had know how easy that made wt. loss I would have signed up to be a wet nurse. Seriously, when you are nursing I think you can pretty much eat whatever and I remember that I was never without water, drank it like a fish. Anyhow, you have a built in calorie burner so enjoy.
  • xraychick82
    xraychick82 Posts: 10
    DD is only 3 weeks old. I am set to 1 lb a week and eat the 500 extra calories. This is baby #2 and Ive noticed this time I sweat like crazy when I bf. I drink 4 L of water a day I get so thirsty! I seemed to have evened off from losing the weight from delivery (30lbs) and I would like to lose 25 lbs by the end of 2012 to get to my wedding weight again. I cant wait for my 6 wk check up and slowly start exercise again. Feel free to add me! I need all the support I can get!
  • HeidiHoMom
    HeidiHoMom Posts: 1,393 Member
    My baby is 11 weeks old and I excusively BF. I have been losing about 1.5 lbs per week and I am eating the 500 calories extra.
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 962 Member
    watch your weight loss.... every mama is different. If you start to lose weight too fast, eat more.

    ^^^ ditto to that. And "too fast" while b/f means more than a pound or two a week.


    By that point I stopped trying to consider extra calories and just made sure that I was well-nourished and was drinking enough water. "Eat to hunger, drink to thirst" was the advice from our b/f support group.
  • laurenrenee1025
    laurenrenee1025 Posts: 100
    I think adding around 200 is a great amount if you are not exclusively breast feeding. I just quit in december after breast feeding for 11 months. I have already lost 13 pounds. How wonderful it is that you are still going strong, great job!
  • niknak2308
    niknak2308 Posts: 315 Member
    Have to agree we all deserve a pat on the back lol :laugh: Thanks again everyone!
  • CyanideCyster
    CyanideCyster Posts: 119
    My daughter is 18 months and nurses about 6-8 times day still. I haven't been changing my allowance because I hadn't thought of it!

    I don't know how many calories I am burning, but I am not losing. Thank you for posting this question! Now I need to try to figure out how many calories she is helping me burn.

    Cheers!

    Pleased to know I'm not the only one still breastfeeding an 18 month old! He nurses a lot still also. Hoping he grows out of it soon!

    On topic- I don't give myself the cals if I feel I don't need them but if I'm hungry I'll dip into them and I use the night time only feeds option in the tracker. Think it's about 170 cal.
  • unco12
    unco12 Posts: 3
    Could someone pls tell me how we add breast feeding to our calorie intake.. is it under food or exercise?? sorry i just can't find it!
  • shoppie
    shoppie Posts: 618 Member
    My bubba is 11 months and I allow 200 calories a day if I need them. Being honest I think by this age a. they aren't taking much and b.what they are taking your body has become extremely effective at making so I really don't think it burns much.

    My weight loss has ground to a halt, I'd like to shift about another 10 lbs, but I am well within acceptable BMI. I have heard it might be easier when I give up completely which I'm hoping to start encouraging her to do once she is 1.
  • jfluchere
    jfluchere Posts: 346 Member
    Thank you all for breastfeeding. You are giving your babies the best possible start to life. Make sure you are eating real, whole foods and getting plenty of saturated fat. That is the main ingredient in breast milk and good for a growing baby!!

    Stay away from processed foods and chemically processed vegetable oils! All those chemical ingredients and bad PUFAs will end up in your milk and in your baby!!

    Yes!!!
  • shalinimunjal
    shalinimunjal Posts: 192 Member
    My baby is 20 months old and she nurses in the evening and at night..so she's nursing 3-4 times a day. I hadn't thought of giving myself calories because she eats full solid meals and drinks whole milk during the day when she's at the sitter's. I lost weight initially but it has stalled now...no loss for almost 2weeks. Glad to see others are nursing toddlers here!! Feel free to add me.
  • jfcameron23
    jfcameron23 Posts: 44 Member
    My doctor told me 1 ounce burns about 20 calories.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    My daughter is 18 months and nurses about 6-8 times day still. I haven't been changing my allowance because I hadn't thought of it!

    I don't know how many calories I am burning, but I am not losing. Thank you for posting this question! Now I need to try to figure out how many calories she is helping me burn.

    Cheers!

    Pleased to know I'm not the only one still breastfeeding an 18 month old! He nurses a lot still also. Hoping he grows out of it soon!

    On topic- I don't give myself the cals if I feel I don't need them but if I'm hungry I'll dip into them and I use the night time only feeds option in the tracker. Think it's about 170 cal.

    My little guy just weaned at 21 months. It got down so low the last few months that I stopped accounting for the breastfeeding - he was only usually nursing once or twice a day, some days it might be 4 or 5 times if he was having a rough day but then some day's he'd skip a day, too. On the days that he was really high-needs, I often allowed myself an extra snack of 100-200 calories and just didn't bother logging it. LOL
    Could someone pls tell me how we add breast feeding to our calorie intake.. is it under food or exercise?? sorry i just can't find it!

    When you go into your food diary, click 'add food' just like you do to log your food, only in the search box type in 'breastfeeding'. Several options pop up in the list, they are mainly user-entered so check the 'nutritional info' for the ones that sound like what you need and choose one that seems right. Some are listed as exclusive and give you 500-520 calories, some are listed as 'mom of older baby' or something like '3-5 times per day' and give around 200-300 calories. There's at least one in there that bumps up your protein goal, too.
    My doctor told me 1 ounce burns about 20 calories.

    Yep, and for any mamas that are pumping, you can actually account for it by the ounce in your food diary - there are one or two options I've seen where you enter it in by the number of ounces and it gives you 20 calories per ounce. :-)
  • AmyJo527
    AmyJo527 Posts: 90 Member
    My daughter is almost a year old and still breastfeeds frequently throughout the night and day, as well as eating quite a bit of solid food. I allow myself 300 extra calories a day, and I have been averaging a 1-2 lb loss per week. I have heard that any breastfeeding mom, whether exclusively breastfeeding or not, shouldn't drop below 1800 calories daily.
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
    I commend you for even doing this!! When my daughter was breastfeeding (2 years) I could NOT cut back on calories and lose weight. My hormones would kick in and tell me to EAT EAT EAT. I was starving all the time!
  • unco12
    unco12 Posts: 3
    My daughter is 18 months and nurses about 6-8 times day still. I haven't been changing my allowance because I hadn't thought of it!

    I don't know how many calories I am burning, but I am not losing. Thank you for posting this question! Now I need to try to figure out how many calories she is helping me burn.

    Cheers!

    Pleased to know I'm not the only one still breastfeeding an 18 month old! He nurses a lot still also. Hoping he grows out of it soon!

    On topic- I don't give myself the cals if I feel I don't need them but if I'm hungry I'll dip into them and I use the night time only feeds option in the tracker. Think it's about 170 cal.

    My little guy just weaned at 21 months. It got down so low the last few months that I stopped accounting for the breastfeeding - he was only usually nursing once or twice a day, some days it might be 4 or 5 times if he was having a rough day but then some day's he'd skip a day, too. On the days that he was really high-needs, I often allowed myself an extra snack of 100-200 calories and just didn't bother logging it. LOL
    Could someone pls tell me how we add breast feeding to our calorie intake.. is it under food or exercise?? sorry i just can't find it!

    When you go into your food diary, click 'add food' just like you do to log your food, only in the search box type in 'breastfeeding'. Several options pop up in the list, they are mainly user-entered so check the 'nutritional info' for the ones that sound like what you need and choose one that seems right. Some are listed as exclusive and give you 500-520 calories, some are listed as 'mom of older baby' or something like '3-5 times per day' and give around 200-300 calories. There's at least one in there that bumps up your protein goal, too.
    My doctor told me 1 ounce burns about 20 calories.

    Yep, and for any mamas that are pumping, you can actually account for it by the ounce in your food diary - there are one or two options I've seen where you enter it in by the number of ounces and it gives you 20 calories per ounce. :-)

    thanks so much for your help!
  • granolagrl85
    granolagrl85 Posts: 135
    Way to go for giving your little ones the nutrition nature intended! I breastfed my daughter for 4.5 years. I was lightly active when she was small and exclusively nursing (until 12 months) and gradually decreased my calories to 1200 to lose 1lb a week without it damaging my supply.
  • granolagrl85
    granolagrl85 Posts: 135
    Wow! Those babies were eating a lot! My daughter had a few bottles of formula at 10 months old while she stayed with my mom for a weekend. She drank 16 oz in a 24/hr period.
  • blueblueberries
    blueblueberries Posts: 12
    I'm breast feeding my 22 month old day and night although it's not 100% essential as at this age she has cows milk and 3-4 meals a day. I have 1000-1200 calories a day, and exercise an hour each day.
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