How many calories do I add for breastfeeding??

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MFP says I should be at 1530 a day, but I am nursing my 9 month old and I know I need to have more calories for that. Anyone know how many I should add?

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  • tpittsley77
    tpittsley77 Posts: 607 Member
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    If you are fully breast feeding, and cannot measure the breast milk, then you can guesstimate. Add it under food. Breast feeding is in foods. I was pumping exclusively so I could measure exactly. It adds 20 cals per ounce pumped. I logged everything I pumped and ate those calories back.
  • tpittsley77
    tpittsley77 Posts: 607 Member
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    Also, if you know you areproducing adequately,you can just add breastfeeding -500cals under food. Make sure you eat them back. If not, your production can suffer.
  • mandy_lynn
    mandy_lynn Posts: 165 Member
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    I always thought it was 500 calories. You could always keep an eye on it and if your supply drops, add more food in. Make sure you are eating some oatmeal for breakfast or a snack and that should help.
  • majordlite
    majordlite Posts: 266 Member
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    Go to the food database, look up breastfeeding. It will give you different calorie amounts for different levels. My daughter is older, with fewer feedings, so I only get 200 calories a day. Newer moms get 500 calories a day. When you add it to your food diary, it will SUBTRACT the calories and commensurate nutritional values (weird, I know)
  • colechartier
    colechartier Posts: 12 Member
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    for older babies look in cardiovascular workouts under "breast feeding older baby"....it gives me back about 300 cals a day for 3-5 sessions
  • paperstars
    paperstars Posts: 76 Member
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    The standard figure is 300-500 per day, depending on how often and how old your baby is :)
  • cspong
    cspong Posts: 260 Member
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    The avg is 300 per day :)

    I'm bfing my 9month old too! Coincidence :D