Breastfeeding?

Is anyone else on here trying to lose weight while breastfeeding?

I am trying not to really lose weight fast, I want to lose it fairly slow with breastfeeding.  And Trying to keep my calories up 500 for breastfeeding.  But I am wondering how will you know when you are dieting too much with breastfeeding? 

Right now I am eating between 1400 and 1800 calories.  My BMR is 2050 ..and I have lost 4 pounds in the last 1.5 weeks.  I still have about 20 pounds of pregnancy weight to lose before I get to my regular weight to lose (50lbs total to lose). 

Some days I am just starving on 1400 calories...and I am wondering maybe it isn't enough calories.  My supply has been good though and is still keeping up with what he is eating. 

 

Breast feeding alone whould get rid of most of that weight.  My mom actually had to stop breastfeeding us kids cause she got too thin.  Also when she was still a stay at home mom she used to put all our clothes away 1 item at a time.  One sock, one shirt, etc.  and our bedrooms were all upstairs!!  She was always super tiny

I breastfed all three of my kids for two years each..I did nothing but gain weight... once I weaned them the weigh melted off.  I gave up on trying to lose weight while nursing..I had a lot of cravings while nursing too sweets were my downfall hence the weight gain.  While I wont blame nursing for my gain(it was my eating habits)I was hungrier while nursing...maybe you should focus on eating healthy for now and wait untill the baby is weaned to start losing weight   I hear  weight watchers has a program for nursing moms

I really don't know anything about breastfeeding, but my guess is that I would look at your analysis and worry mostly about reaching at least 100% of your vitamins, iron, calcium, etc.  If you are eating healthy you can do that without going overboard on your calories.

I too am trying to lose weight while breastfeeding.  My dd is nearly 7 months now and I just started to count cals & exercise about 5 weeks ago.  I am not nursing exclusively so this throws a monkey wrench in my plan, but try to keep my calorie range anywhere between 100-500 above what cc suggests due to the fact that it does not take nursing into account.   I try to focus on getting 5+ servings of veggies/day and 2+ fruit, keeping calories under control, working out, TONS OF WATER, and a little more protien than cc may recommend.  I'm also trying for a slower loss due to bf and have seen a rate of about 1 lb per week.  My suggestion is that if your hungry, eat, but keep it healthy (lo-cal, high nutrition).  Also, if you've just started dieting, your initial weight loss may just be water and will slow down in about a week or so.  Just remember to enjoy this time as that is most important.  :)

"But I am wondering how will you know when you are dieting too much with breastfeeding? "

To answer that... watch the consistancy of your milk.  It should be thin and watery at the beginning of a feed, and thicker and creamier at the end of the feed.  If your milk is thin and poor consistancy, you need to increase your calories.

Hi!  Congratulations on sticking with breastfeeding... it's a rewarding but sometimes complicated process!

I nursed my son for a looong time (several years), read a ton of literature, etc... I learned a couple of things:

First, it's generally not considered a great idea to diet while nursing.  You need extra calories and nutrients while you create this important nutrition for your kid(s).  Breastfeeding is enough of an extra load on your system, be careful not to overstress your body at this important time. Everyone's in a hurry to drop baby-weight, but it will happen in due time if you're patient.

I got very skinny and sickly for the first year I nursed because I wasn't eating enough calories to account for milk production.  I do relate to the other post about the cravings, though!  It's different for everyone, of course. 

You can actually calculate how many extra calories you'd need -- breastmilk is about 20 cal's an ounce, so you can figure out approximately how many cal's you're creating -- ex -- 7, ~3 oz feedings = 21 oz x 20 = 420 calories. That's one example of how much extra you'd need to sustain your weight over and above your normal BMR. 

Remember how much energy that is -- it's equivalent to jogging for an hour!  Take it easy while you're nursing -- it's not forever, and you need to take extra-good care of yourself, eat really well, and get plenty of sleep.

Regarding the last post -- I'm not sure the consistency of your milk is an accurate test of your caloric needs -- if the hindmilk isn't appearing, there may be other things interfering with the letdown process, such as stress, illnes, etc.. That may be a sign of a larger problem, so I'd see a doctor about it right away.  (As mentioned, you make different kinds of milk at different stages of each nursing session:  "...foremilk (the thin, sweet milk produced at the beginning of the feeding that is high in lactose but lower in fat) and hindmilk (the higher calorie, thicker milk that is produced as the milk lets down and moves through the ducts, collecting fatty particles)".  (from breastfeedingbasics.com).  It does take a few minutes for the letdown process to complete the feeding cycle so the baby gets both the hydration and the calories (s)he needs.)

There's great advice here --

http://www.lalecheleaguecanada.ca/

Good luck!

:oD

Tara

I have always read to keep a 300-500 calorie buffer on your calorie limit.  As long as you're eating right, you don't need to worry about prenatal vitamins.  I'm still breastfeeding and losing!  Good luck!!  

I've seen research on loosing weight while breastfeeding that indicates toxins, normally stored in fat, can be released into breastmilk. So it is best to have a slow and steady approach. The best thing to do while breastfeeding is to eat good healthy food when you are hungry and drink good healthy drinks when thirsty. This is not always as easy as it sounds.

Some one suggested contacting La Leche League - a great idea. They have some great information at their disposal. www.llli.org will help you find a group close to home (or work).

 good luck,

Sherry 

i went to kellymom.com and it said to never go under 1800 cal. a day or it can hurt your milk supply and you body. anything under that will be to big of a drain on your body. it also says to make sure you exercise as soon after a feeding as possible that way you have awhile before another feeding because sometimes after a really hard work out it can release toxins into your milk and you so you don't want to have to feed right after a work out.

Ya.. that's all great info! 

Just don't do what I did and try to whip yourself back into shape too fast! 

This time in your life is so precious.. just give yourself lots of time to recover and build back your strength. 

*Humerous note* Someone said the word "thirsty" and immediately conjured up images of me, my nursing son, and my tall glass of icewater always juuuuuusst out of reach.. haha -- !  I was always SOOO incredibly thirsty when I was nursing!  I wished I had one of those 'Camelback' hydration packs so I could carry 4 litres on my back and sip it through the tube all day, haha!

 

lol - taranimator!!!  I feel the same way.  My water is always just beyond reach and if I move around too much, she tries to keep my nipple in her mouth and I end up getting bit.  I've often wished for a "camelback" for the same exact reason.  Maybe this should be the new "it" baby-shower gift!

Last week I started really watching what I would in take, protein shake, fruits, vegestables, yogurt, (1 caramel candy :( sometimes).  For dinner I have a healthy meal, if I'm really hungry through out the day I'll have chicken noodle soup.  I'm pumping every 2 hours and feed every 2 hours at home evening/nights ( I have a 4 month old).  I just starting exercising riding my bike to my daughters daycare to feed her about a 5 min ride (can't run yet due to small surgery) anyhow, I've seen the weight coming off, and I'm not starving or feeling light headed at all.   However, everybody is different, if you need to snack choose something healthy.  I have 13 more lbs to loose, but 25 lbs till I get to the weight I want.  Hang in there.