Breastfeeding and Weight Loss - Washington,MO

You're not suppose to intentionally diet/lose weight while breastfeeding since it causes your body to release a chemical (into the milk) which is not good for the baby to ingest.

Also, nutritionally speaking, your milk is as good as your own diet... Hence, if you eat poorly, your milk will not contain the essential fat, protein and calories that the baby needs.

My advice is not to diet but to eat better... Meaning no pre-made or processed food; no foods containing high fructose corn syrup; no foods containing nitrites (preserved meats, most lunch meats, hot dogs). Limit sweets and sugar. Instead eat *lots* of fruits, vegetables, broiled/baked meat, whole wheats, nuts, yogurt, cheese. Cut out calories from fast food, junk food and processed food and feed your body clean calories; you WILL lose weight and keep your milk supply.

I did weight watchers with my first, and I too gained 75 lbs during my pregnancy. Went from 125-200, back down to 135 before I got pregnant again. Weight watchers has a program for nursing moms, and it really worked. Best of luck!

I was back to my pre-prego weight about 2 months after leaving the hospital... didn't dry up in the least... I think that as long as you drink enough water, DON'T STRESS over it, and don't try any hard-core diets, you should be good. Just make sure you take your vitamins... Good luck!

My dr said it is totally fine to diet while breast feeding as long as you eat healthy and stay in the right calorie range. So for me I dieted after both my babies and never dried up. I was told you just have to eat 1500 to 1800 calories day and you will loose weight without messing up your supply. It's just if you go below that that you can run into problems. So for me to stay at 1500 calories for the day I did Slim fast. i would have one for breakfast, snack two hours later. Like something with protein cause that helps your supply stay strong so nuts, hard boiled egg etc. Then another shake for lunch, lots of water through out the day, another snack two hours after lunch. Like granola, fruit, yogurt etc. Then just a regular dinner with my family. By doing that I was able to nurse a nice healthy, fat baby and loose all my pregnancy weight. I gained about 25 pounds with that baby so by 6 months I was back to my pregnancy weight but with continuing that diet and nursing but the time I weened my baby at 13 months I down to 107 pounds! So yes you can diet and nurse no problem. good luck!

I am *almost* back to my pre-pregnancy weight (5 months later and about 4 pounds left). No supply issues.

I'm a terrible dieter - I never had the willpower to stick to a diet for more than about 12 hours - so the only way I can lose weight is to adjust slowly to a healthier diet in general. It's slower than a diet, but WAY healthier and easier to do. And will not cause your milk to dry up at all, especially if you keep drinking plenty of water.

While I was pregnant I got really used to eating high-calorie foods in big portions. So losing the weight was largely just a matter of returning to a generally healthier diet and rational portions. (By the way I eat basically whatever I want - ice cream, ribs, you name it. I just try to avoid heavily processed foods and lots of chemicals and HFCS, and keep it in moderation. So I never feel like I'm being deprived.)

I have lost my pregnancy weight while bfing my baby with the help of an organic weight loss tea called mummy magic tea.

It's said you must consume 500 extra calories to sustain your current weight while breastfeeding. I'd lower your caloric intake (of course making sure you ate enough fruits, veggies, whole grains - with minimal amounts of dairy and meats) and drink a lot more water.

I agree that drinking water is the biggest help. Don't drink your calories (soda, juice, etc.) and replace it all with water. This will keep your supply up and also cut out extra calories in your diet. Cut back on carbs and replace with protein, fruit and veggies. These will be simple changes that will help you drop pounds but keep you hydrated enough to make milk.

Breastfeeding always caused me to lose weight, but once I was back to my prepregnancy weight, my milk would dry up. My doctor told me it was because the baby was eating more calories a day than I was. I am still nursing baby #3 and I have tried to keep on an extra 10lbs to keep my milk supply good. I think you'd be okay to lose some weight--just keep drinking lots of water!

Eat whatever you want, but monitor your calorie intake. If you keep it down to 1800 calories per day, you will lose weight even if all you eat is twinkies. I don't recommend eating nothing but twinkies I'm just saying that it's your calorie intake, not what you eat. Keep in mind that while your baby is breastfeeding he or she is also feeding off your calorie intake so you might want to keep it a little higher while you're feeding. Check with your pediatrician to find out what the proper calorie intake is for your little one.

Was at my very thinnest while nursing babies. :)
Only advice is keep up with your prenatal vits and drink a ton of water!

I had so much extra milk that at any given time I had about 100 extra ounces in the freezer (just pumping while I worked full-time). I kept my calories at at least 1500 every day, mostly ate at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies, and drank lots of water. I worked out with DVDs at home for at least 30 minutes 5 days per week, and/or walked on my lunch breaks, fit in small workouts at work (5-10 minutes of strength or cardio), and played with my kids a lot. I went from a size 12 pants/size 14 shirts when I went back to work at 6 weeks post-partum to a size 4 pants/size 6/8 tops within about five or six months. (I do not remember ever being smaller than a size 10 as an adult before that.) I was VERY dilligent with working out and eating my calorie range, though. I also treated myself once in a while and allowed myself a break when I needed it. It helped me to keep a journal of how I felt, how much I weighed, what activity I had done, etc. I am not good at counting or documenting, but a narrative style worked for me. For example, an entry might have been: "DATE, Weight, worked out for 30 minutes last night and used hand weights while watching a cartoon with the kids. Had ice cream with dessert but otherwise ate really well." I now have a nice record of my weight loss to motivate me after my third baby this spring.

Good luck! =)

With my first, I lost weight without trying. I even went below my start weight. This time around I seem to have plateaued at 7 months and am trying to do something about it. Just start slow, drink LOTS of water and pay attention to your milk supply. If you seem to be go down a little, add some fenugreek. My daughter seems to be in a growth spurt and I'm not keeping up (not related to exercise), so I have started some fenugreek to bump up my supply again.