If I wean my baby will it be easier to lose weight?

billyjoebob
billyjoebob Posts: 72
in Health and Weight Loss
My daughter is 13 months, I was planning on weaning her at 12 months but I really enjoy the extra calories I get for nursing:) I've been having a harder time losing weight lately, and was wondering if I weaned her if my body would let go of the weight easier. I'm 5'8, weigh 165, and I eat 1590 calories a day to lose a pound per week, and I add 300 calories for nursing each day for a total of 1890 calories per day. I also eat back my exercise calories.
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Replies

  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 961 Member
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Maybe. I had a hard time losing weight while nursing. It seemed to just make my body hold onto excess weight. I also couldn't cut calories without it drastically effecting my milk supply.

    Your baby is 13 months, she obviously doesn't need to be breastfed anymore but part of me thinks weight loss is kind of a silly reason to wean, but like you said you were going to do it anyway.
  • AllisonMS
    AllisonMS Posts: 104
    My body held onto 10 pounds while nursing, then dropped off as soon as I stopped.
    I LOVED nursing, kept going thru a second pregnancy even.
    It will come off, don't worry!
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    Weight fell off of me when I was nursing (on demand until 12 months then slowly tapering until weaned at 24 months) - but I never enjoyed the extra calories that I burned when I was doing it.

    I didn't count calories at all but only ate organic whole foods, vegan, and exercised A LOT.

    I gained 65 pounds while pregnant and lost it all except for my F cup nursers within 5 months. :wink:
  • mamalade1
    mamalade1 Posts: 42
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.

    Yes to all that, especially the last bit about the recommendation to nurse until at least 2 years of age.
  • mommymeg2
    mommymeg2 Posts: 145 Member
    I don't think it'd change anything as far as weight loss goes. Maybe try bumping your calories down just a little and see what happens? If you enjoy nursing and enjoy the added mommy perks that come with it (extra calories) nurse away! She is still receiving a ton of benefits from it and you are as well :)
  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
    Don't wean just because you want to lose weight. Wean when the baby and you are both ready.
  • kyrstensmom
    kyrstensmom Posts: 297 Member
    I would guess that the 300 cals for nursing is an overestimate for a 13 month old who is probably eating more table foods than nursing. If both of you are ready to wean, then do it, but otherwise, try changing up your calorie intake/exercise and see if that helps at all.
  • melrose09
    melrose09 Posts: 271
    Maybe. I had a hard time losing weight while nursing. It seemed to just make my body hold onto excess weight. I also couldn't cut calories without it drastically effecting my milk supply.

    Your baby is 13 months, she obviously doesn't need to be breastfed anymore but part of me thinks weight loss is kind of a silly reason to wean, but like you said you were going to do it anyway.

    I had the opposite experience. I couldn't keep weight on when I was nursing my son. They 5-8 month stretch was the worst. I dropped to 87 pounds. It may also have been the combination of the stress of my husband's deployment, too, but either way I looked gross. But I've definitely heard that it is not uncommon for a woman's body to hang on to that extra energy stores. But if you and your daughter are still enjoying nursing, I wouldn't stop just to lose weight. If you are both ready to move off the breast, than go for it. Sullivan started self weaning at 10 months and within a week he was formula only.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.
    Winner!!!!
  • Aphreal
    Aphreal Posts: 103
    You are loosing weight at the rate recommended so why wean? If you truly enjoy the experience, Wean when your sweetie is ready to wean.
  • shellyhef1
    shellyhef1 Posts: 33
    I nursed my daughter for 13 months. By the time she was two months old, I was smaller than I had been in years!! When I stopped nursing, everything seemed fine. She is now 18 months old, and I am 20 pounds heavier than I was 5 months ago. Nursing does allow you to eat a bit more, but it can become a habit. And unfortunately, I didn't change my eating habits when I quit nursing. Nurse that baby as long as you want to!! But when you do stop, minimize your caloric intake by about 300-500 calories. Good luck!!!
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    You can always lose weight later. But this is the only time you can provide the best and most perfectly tailored nutrition to your child.

    And speaking from experience I was at my goal weight when I was exercising/watching what I was eating and nursing my then one year old. When he self-weaned I put weight on ridiculously fast.
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
    Just my opinion, but I GAINED weight each and every time I stopped breastfeeding my three children. (They are four years apart, each, ages 8-12-16 now.) Of course, I wasn't on any diet plan and probably just was eating the same and not burning up those extra calories.
  • SagaciousMarie
    SagaciousMarie Posts: 6 Member
    With me it was the opposite. When I nursed I burned so many calories that I lost weight quickly after I weaned my son I started to gain weight cause I didn't change my eating habits. nursing makes a huge difference. My thought is your baby will tell you when they are ready to wean. There is still a lot of nutrients in your milk and there is nothing wrong with continuing to nurse your child
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.

    Perfect!!! I nursed my daughter until just before her second birthday. Those last few pounds hung on until she weaned, but it was totally worth it to give her that extra healthy start. Also, I could have tried harder to cut calories in the meantime, but dealing with a baby is hard enough without being tired from calorie cutting.
  • CapsFan17
    CapsFan17 Posts: 198
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.

    This ^^^ IMO the health benefits for you and your baby will be worth the delayed weight loss, if its is delayed at all. I know moms who gained weight after the weaned. Each body is different. Good Luck! :smile:
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
    You're nursing a baby that has teeth? You're brave.
  • mirrim52
    mirrim52 Posts: 763 Member
    It didn't make difference for me. I was hanging on to this extra 10-15 lbs while nursing. When we weaned at 14 months, I was hoping I might drop the extra weight, but no such luck. I stayed exactly the same.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123


    Your baby is 13 months, she obviously doesn't need to be breastfed anymore but part of me thinks weight loss is kind of a silly reason to wean, but like you said you were going to do it anyway.

    According to whom? You? Certainly not nature. Do the research. During extended nursing (or what I refer to as full term breastfeeding), the concentration of nutrients (including antibodies) becomes higher and more concentrated; therefore, offering the same benefits even though there are fewer nursing sessions. There is research to show that breastfed children are better psychologically adjusted and healthier. Mom's benefits continue on as well-the longer a woman breastfeeds, the lower her chances of all female cancers--cervical, uterine, and breast. Just because goofy people say that at 11 months and 30 days it's okay to breastfeed but on that 12 month birthday, a child needs to be on cow's milk (hello-breastmilk of another mammal NOT specific to humans) doesn't mean it's true.... you should research things before you speak of them. :)


    PS. I'm a nursing mother of five--currently nursing my four year old and 20 month old tandemly. I have nursed through two pregnancies, and nursed two of my older children until age four. I also volunteer for WIC as a breastfeeding peer counselor.
  • beckywilkeherbst
    beckywilkeherbst Posts: 139 Member
    That depends who you ask. For me, extended nursing burned into some deeply-rooted fat that I hadn't been able to get off before then. Others say the last ten pounds hangs on til you stop. Either way, it would be worth it to continue as long as you can, for the health benefits to your baby. :smile:

    The WHO recommends nursing til two years if at all possible.

    Excellent! Love this! Thanks for being educated!
  • ♥PrincessSaraGarcia♥
    ♥PrincessSaraGarcia♥ Posts: 33 Member
    Maybe. I had a hard time losing weight while nursing. It seemed to just make my body hold onto excess weight. I also couldn't cut calories without it drastically effecting my milk supply.

    Your baby is 13 months, she obviously doesn't need to be breastfed anymore but part of me thinks weight loss is kind of a silly reason to wean, but like you said you were going to do it anyway.

    So is continuing to breastfeed to get extra calories...let's be honest!
  • Mama_CAEI
    Mama_CAEI Posts: 235
    Don't wean just because you want to lose weight. Wean when the baby and you are both ready.

    ^^ THIS times a million!! Enjoy every precious moment. :heart:
  • annah78
    annah78 Posts: 2
    When I breastfed my first daughter, I lost all my weight and was even a little bit below my pre-pregnancy weight. When we stopped feeding at 12 months it slowly started to creep back on.
    This time round with my second daughter it is different. The weight has hung around and I'm almost 1 stone heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight still. She is 13 months now. I'm allowing myself 200cals for breastfeeding. She currently feeds first thing in the morning, before she goes to bed, and then up to twice during the night.
  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
    I honestly don't think so. I had no problem maintaining a very healthy weight when I was breastfeeding my kids, and when I weaned found myself 20 pounds heavier suddenly and alas here I am :)

    Good luck with your decision!
  • Kekibird
    Kekibird Posts: 1,122 Member
    Nursed my son till 21 months. The nursing helped lose all the baby weight and then some but I did plateau and started to focus on building muscle.

    When we stopped, it didn't go any lower. My body seemed jolted by the change and I was able to maintain but no longer lose. Then I began to gain it back (due to the weaning and some emotional complications that came up around the same time).

    For me nursing helped a lot and weaning did little to change that. If anything it made it harder to maintain and adjust to my body's changes.
  • mariholm
    mariholm Posts: 50 Member
    nursing takes up time and you're sitting not burning any calories :) So I think you'd burn faster after weaning.
  • healthyJenn0915
    healthyJenn0915 Posts: 185 Member
    I didn't change my calorie intake when I was nursing, just stuck with eating when I was hungry, but I wasn't counting calories then. My personal experience with my second child was I was exercising regularly, and the weight didn't start to drop until after I stopped nursing her at 14 months, but I think a lot of it had to do with hormones. My persnal opinion is if you are still comfortable nursing, keep it up. Otherwise go ahead and stop, and the weight may or may not come off. Good luck!
  • Mama_CAEI
    Mama_CAEI Posts: 235
    During extended nursing (or what I refer to as full term breastfeeding),

    [snip]

    PS. I'm a nursing mother of five--currently nursing my four year old and 20 month old tandemly. I have nursed through two pregnancies, and nursed two of my older children until age four. I also volunteer for WIC as a breastfeeding peer counselor.

    I think I have a crush on you. :flowerforyou:
  • Mama_CAEI
    Mama_CAEI Posts: 235
    I recently stopped "adding back" breastfeeding calories because I have hit a plateau. We co-sleep, so my 15 month old nurses a lot during the night, but I don't think it's enough to justify consuming extra calories. I'm still at a plateau, but oh well.

    I also agree with all the moms who say weight crept back after they weaned: be aware of that! When my twins were a year old, I was 10 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight. As they nursed less and less, I kept eating the same way and by the time I got pregnant with #4, I was 30 lbs heavier.

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