HELP! A question for nursing Mothers & weight loss!

JavaStar
JavaStar Posts: 19
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
FIRST I AM NOT ON A DIET! I AM MAKING SURE I EAT HEALTHY (No Diet Foods). & I AM JUST MAKING SURE I WORKOUT WHEN I CAN. Now, I'm breastfeeding my son (who is about a month old), like I did my Daughter. I am ALSO trying to loss the last few baby pounds I have. BUT, I feel like I am gaining weight INSTEAD of losing it. My QUESTION(s) are... 1.) Do you have more weight on you due to the breastmilk? 2.) Should I go by inches now istead of weight because of breastfeeding? 3.) Do you have any suggestions for me?

Replies

  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    The best suggestion I can give you is to eat healthy, exercise, and ignore weight entirely. I know women, particularly those who have breastfed their babies will tout how wonderful breastfeeding is for weight loss. I heard all that too. So many told me how the weight just fell off when they fed their babies. Well yippee for them. It isn't a given for us. It might happen for someone women, but it's most certainly not the rule for all women who breastfeed. I breastfed both my sons and in both cases I gained about ten pounds during the 6-9 months of doing so. In both cases I ate as healthy as a person can when typically reduced to eating whatever can be held in one hand and exercising as much as able.

    So, the best thing to do is forget weight loss. Just track your food so you know you really are eating healthy, follow the pediatrician's recommendation for what that should be. Exercise well. And don't worry about the rest.
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    Some people will hold on to the last few pounds until they are done nursing, and others will lose them more while nursing. It really depends on you. If you are eating healthy and adjusting your calories to include at least one additional serving of a dairy (milk, yougurt, etc), that will help. You are giving your son a great gift, so don't be too stressed if the last 10 lbs are slow in coming off. You are giving him a much better chance at a lifetime of health.

    Hang in there. :flowerforyou:
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Congrats! Good for you for keeping your focus on eating healthy. If you aren't already, add in the breastfeeding calories, you can either enter it as a food (just search for breastfeeding), or some people add it as exercise. If you don't eat enough, your body will hold onto the extra fat stores it laid down during pregnancy. You can focus on either the scale or inches, and just have patience.
  • angelew
    angelew Posts: 133 Member
    Well said, ladies! Take care of yourself and the babies...I bet your body will release the last 10 pounds when you finish nursing.
  • kewalker09
    kewalker09 Posts: 8
    Hey,

    I am in the same boat, my DD is about 3 months now. I'm definately not an expert or anything, but I can tell you what has worked for me.

    I started logging my calories daily (when I started, I had no idea, but I was eating around 3000 a day... now if I really splurge its about 2400, but normal is about 1700), I made sure to incorporate a lot more veggies and fruits than before (but really, as a new mom this probably wasn't as much as a "normal" person:) ) and when I can I do something for 15-20 minutes to get my heart rate up etc. If you have a workout that you like, maybe do that or walks.

    I know that breastfeeding adds about 500 cals a day so what I did was set my goals and such in MFP and then I know that I have about 500 or so more cals than that everyday. Sometimes I log it as walking as I'm sure I get it in with the baby now, but most days I just let it say that I went over my calories.

    I wish they had an exercise called "breastfeeding-full time", would make this a lot easier.

    Best of luck to you!

    And just in case, the above has really worked for ME, and since march 22 I have lost about 13 Lbs (2 months), 8 of which are now below my pre-pregnancy weight. I am sure someone on here will have proffesional advice for you though, I hope it all helps. :)
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Many women stall out after a little while while breastfeeding (they'll lose for a while, then it stalls, then lose again when they wean), so it's normal.

    Question - are you ACTUALLY gaining (as in, have you been tracking your weight and finding that, yes, it's trending upward over several weeks), or are you just imagining it? As you're probably aware, you're going through a rollercoaster ride of hormones, which can screw with the other factors that will affect the individual number on the scale, that's why it's important to look at the TREND and not the individual numbers. Yes, breastmilk can affect that. If you weigh when you're full, then it's going to reflect on the scale. Additionally, it takes resources to make that milk, so you might be retaining water, which will add to that number.

    Breastfeeding burns around 200-400 calories per day, so you can eat at what would be maintenance if you weren't breastfeeding, and you should still be able to lose weight (and some exercise, of course, will simply add to that). That's probably a good way to go about it right now, and don't worry too much about the weight. Just enjoy these first couple of months with your newborn. :)

    Keep in mind, too, that even when you're not breastfeeding, the tape measure is generally a more accurate measurement of your progress than the scale. Using the scale only as part of your calculations for other things, like body fat percentage, is generally the better way to go so you don't drive yourself crazy.
  • kandy221
    kandy221 Posts: 79
    Trying to lose weight while nursing can be a difficult thing. Balancing getting enough calories to make milk, but not too many. I found it very difficult to lose weight until no longer nursing, but some people are able to. This is a great site, but does not have the nutrition needs for nursing moms. Weight Watchers does have a program for nursing moms, making sure you are eating enough calories for proper milk production. My suggestion is to try WW for nursing moms, good luck & congrats on your new edition.
  • sarahreischel
    sarahreischel Posts: 18
    I'm a personal trainer and I work with a lot of new moms. What I suggest to those who are breast feeding is to do exactly as you wrote-- eating healthy, working out regularly, and going by inches. Occasionally women who are breastfeeding who are overweight are able to lose some weight and keep breastfeeding. But if you are at a healthy weight or moderately high for your height, focus on your health and not the scale. Measurements will allow you to realize how exercise is changing your body. Good luck to you!
  • lwoods34
    lwoods34 Posts: 302 Member
    You have gotten some great responses already and I agree that every woman is different. Some women will hold onto the weight until after nursing and some won't. It all depends. My son is 19 months old and I worked out every day til I went into the hospital. I gained 36 lbs and within 1 week after delivery, lost 22 lbs which was mostly water. I breasted for 12 months and was back to pre pregnancy weight by 6 months post partum...you have to just be patient with yourself and your body. You are providing your baby with the best nutrition and you should be very proud of yourself for doing that. I believe that everything will fall into place for you...just continue to eat healthy and workout when you can.
  • cspong
    cspong Posts: 260 Member
    I'm currently breastfeeding my 7 month old and it sucks because I do know that I have to eat the extra calories to keep my supply up. Someone told me that to produce and give your baby about an ounce of milk is about 20 cals burned. So, I count it as an exersize every time I feed her (about four ounces each time, I guessed, its probably more) and that way I know I'm eating right.

    I haven't lost much weight at all (but I've been on here for two weeks), but I know your body tends to store a little more fat to draw from when you're breastfeeding because it's making sure it'll have enough for your baby, so big changes in your diet will take longer to show the difference.

    I've seen huge differences in inches rather than the scale. The scale barely moves but my clothes are baggy and I can see huge differences in my tummy and back and definitely my legs.

    I've sworn off the scale for a little bit. I'm going to a weekly or bi-weekly weigh-in and I'm planning to not weight myself any more than that.

    Not everyone loses their babyweight through breastfeeding (I sure as hell didn't!), but you will see a difference if you keep logging your food and exercising.

    *I'm doing the 30 Day Shred, I've never exercised in my life so everyone can honestly do it. Theres a huge difference in my body and energy levels and it only takes 20 minutes! Long enough to sneak it in during a naptime :) *
  • jules1202
    jules1202 Posts: 65
    Congrats on your new baby!!!! :flowerforyou:

    I really wouldn't stress about it yet. At one month post partum your body is still healing, you are still holding water weight, and your milk supply is still being established.

    Here is a great page with lots of links for additional info on BFing and losing the weight.
    http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/
  • Ifer27
    Ifer27 Posts: 1
    Congrats on the baby! I'm in a similar situation with a 2 month old daughter. I've found losing weight while breastfeeding is a whole lot different than shedding a few pounds pre-pregnancy. It's difficult to ignore the pounds on the scale when you're tracking what you eat, trying to exercise, and taking care of your little one. I'm going with the method "stay healthy" for both me and baby. I'm also hoping to fit into some of my old pants. That's my main goal. Otherwise, I've read online how it'll take 6-12 months to lose the weight or it won't happen until you stop breastfeeding. Either way, stay positive that you'll get there.

    Feel free to add me as a friend (anyone).
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