breast feeding and weight loss

OK, Just signed up with calorie-count and had my 4th child 3 months ago.  I have been a dancer my whole life and am at my highest weight now.  I am nursing but this doesn't seem to help along with my 11/2 hours at the gym 4 times a week and still teaching dance classes.  Does your body just slow down at a certain age?  I am exhausted all the time and probably not eating what I should to feed my child properly but still not loosing the weight nursing every 3-4 hours.  More work outs?  Diet?  I just don't know where to go.  I am 5'8" and 168 lbs.  My goal weight is 150lbs for now.  Any suggestions???

:) i would love to have 4 kids! for now i have none so i don't really know anything from my experaince but i just want to tell you it seems to me you have a wonderful life - with being a dancer and the family :) sounds awesome! sorry can't really give you any solutions...

lots of questions.  yes, your metabolism naturally slows down at several points as you age (the first around 30).  you can boost it through exercise and nutrition, but it sounds to me like you need to slow down and focus on taking care of yourself and your baby.  relax!  skip the gym and get outside for a walk.  eat!

it sounds like you're feeling a lot of guilt.  try to let that go and enjoy being a mom. 

incidentally, we're the same height, i've never had a kid, and a little over a year ago i was 164.  you're not fat; you're normal.

Just a wild guess here - I think it's because you are exhausted all the time.  Could you consider using a pump and letting Daddy feed the baby a couple nights a week so you can get some sleep?  Or, have a grandma spend the night once a week and give you a break?

i breastfed through only one child at 40. I was completely exhausted from feeding all the time. (loved every second, even the milk blisters...lol(

Be careful, where you can, with overdoing the exercise and calorie thing, if only cause a fast drop in cals or a fast gain in exercise can drop bad tastes into your milk, sometimes setting off colic in the babe. And NOBody wants a cranky, can't sleep baby.

Seriously though, give yourself a couple more months. You've got a lot on your plate. By six months, the babe will be feeding much less, you can get some sleep,and your milk will undergo another change.

And gods yes. I have been having a much harder time losing weight this time around. It's like I'm working three times as hard as I did 5 years ago. My body underwent a massive estrogen injection...lol.

Good luck. Let it go a bit, if only for your own sanity.

:)

zoe

Weight loss from breastfeeding usually occurs from month 6 onwards. That's because the baby's caloric needs will dramatically increase around that time. They say that if you breastfeed for one full year, you will lose all the weight you gained while pregnant. Worked for me, with both my kids.

Make sure you are taking in enough calories, plenty of fluids, and ample iron. Have you had your iron tested? Watch out for anemia.

I just had my 3rd son 2 1/2 months ago.  I too am exhausted.  I am trying to lose 1-2 pounds per week, mostly with diet as having 3 kids under 4 (boys to boot) leaves me little time for "organized" exercise.

If you only have 8 pounds to lose, it might not all come off until you're done breastfeeding -- at least that's what I've heard is that your body may want to hang on to some extra.

I'll also say be careful of too restrictive diet and too much exercise.  Good luck.
-caroline

I breastfed both of my daughters up to one year old, and I was ravenous with hunger through both.  I think it's just your body's way of making sure you're taking in enough calories to feed you and the baby.  I didn't recover my pre-pregnancy weight until I stopped breastfeeding.  If I were you, I would try to relax, enjoy your little ones and try to eat healthy. . .the weight will come off. 

With 4 children, including a 3 month old, it's no wonder you're tired, but it's also possible that you've developed hypothyroidism (I did after the birth of my second child).  It's an easy thing for your doctor to check...just a blood test.

Good luck!

are you eating enough?

heres a calc for breastfeeding intake:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/tools/calories-b urned

you really shouldnt diet until you stop breastfeeding.
its not good for the baby.

You sound really normal to me.  I breatfed for over 2 years, jogged and biked regularly and always felt tired. 

I found protein shakes really helped: 1/2 cup yoghurt, 2T nutritional yeast, 2T wheat germ, 2t black stap molasses, 3/4 cup orange juice, 3/4 cup milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla.  Looks a little gross, but is satisfying. 

If I could do it over again with hindsight, I would try to get more sleep and allow myself more times of rest.  I was so driven - it was at this time that my body just gave up sending hungry signals and just felt tired all the time.  I don't think I was feeding myself well enough, I never lost the pregnancy weight, and just kept on gaining...

Take care of yourself and just play with your kids. 

I've been breastfeeding for 9 months now and haven't been able to loose a pound since my initial post-baby weight loss. I've been exercising daily (walking at least 1 hour at a good clip) and have been eating very healthy (2000 calorie diet for first 6 months, now 2200 calories). It sounds like a lot of calories, but you need to eat healthy to make sure you baby gets the right nutrients and you aren't depriving yourself either.  I had cut my calories to 1600 at one point, desperate to loose some extra weight, but nothing happened. After speaking to my doctor, he said I needed at least 2000 and 2200 after 6 months. He also told me that I really shouldn't be trying to loose anything while breastfeeding. Your body is still in baby mode  and if you try to over-do it, you'll affect your milk supply and quality.

My suggestion, do as I'm doing, eat healthy, exercise, get some sleep (I know hard to do, but sneeking in even a 15 minute nap will help) and concentrate on the nutrition and health of both you and your baby. According to my doctor, the weight will start to come off once I'm done breastfeeding. My body will be out of baby mode and I'll be able to safely cut my calories a bit more and since I already have the healthy eating and exercise in place and my hormones will become normal again, it will be much easier to loose the weight. Oh...my goal is to loose 100 lbs. (currently at 230, want to get back down to 130-my college weight, which was only 5 years ago).

I'm experiencing the same as you.  I exercise hard 1 hour at least 5 times per week and I'm nursing a 12 week old.  I eat very healthy yet the weight isn't coming off.  This is my third child and I keep reminding myself that it doesn't come off until they are about 6 months when the baby needs more calories that your body needs to make.  Also, with breastfeeding in the first few months, your body actually holds on to the weight especially in the stomach hip and thighs to make sure it has enough to feed the baby.  I actually think if I lessen my hard workouts my body may not be so resistant to weight loss.  I nursed my daughters until a year, of course they weaned a few months later and my weight returned to normal.  Eat healthy (don't starve or your body will resist the weight loss more, ie slow metabolism), exercise smart, drink a lot of fluids, and try to have the best sleep.  Lack of sleep and stress also contributes to weight gain.  I bet in a few months we'll be saying how we can eat anything and the weight is just falling off. 

 You should talk to your doctor plain and simple. For the very reason that you're breast feeding. Dieting solo is one thing. However, dieting while carrying a child or while breastfeeding can be dangerous.

First...I'd be willing to be bet this might be your last baby. So enjoy every moment.

I enjoyed breast feeding...but it is taxing on your body. So if you are keeping THIS active, sounds like your body might be fighting to hold on everything possible.

Please examine your diet. You are an athlete and do not need someone to tell you what to eat. I suspect you are not eating enough total and not enough balanced meals either...you MUST take care of yourself.

Concentrate more on the quality of your food and getting ENOUGH calories...the weight will just naturally follow.

Mother nature will reward you for being so faithful in your breastfeeding efforts. Now is the time when most mommies throw in the towel! You can do it...I believe!

Chubby

I've breastfed 4 children total.  I always lost a lot of weight right away, and then after that gained if anything.  I think that our bodies are designed to maintain, so your body will tell you to eat more to make up for the breastfeeding calories as well as the exercise ones.

I wanted to address the issue of exhaustion.  I don't know if your baby is still waking at night, it's pretty normal for a breastfed baby to need to feed at night.  Anyway, when I tried getting up to feed with my oldest I thought I'd die from exhaustion.  When I finally just popped him in bed with me and nursed lying down we'd both quickly go back to sleep and I ended up barely being tired at all, I'm serious, with this last child I don't know that I ever really even took a nap.  I'd go to bed a bit earlier, but I got enough sleep from day one that way.  Just an idea.

Jenny