Can breastfeeding make you loose too much weight?
Tamsyn asked:
Before it is pregnant, I weighed 125 pounds, the "perfect" weight for my height. My child from 9 months? in good health and I feel fine, but now weight 117 and I don 't feels like I should be losing weight. I want another baby, but I 'm. afraid of endangering my own health. I have a healthy diet, but probably don 't eat enough? Council?
April 16th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Sounds like you need to eat more. Lucky! Wish I had that problem.
April 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Just a thought, you may want to have your thyroid levels checked.
Try increasing the calories you take in daily and see if that has any effect. How is your milk supply?
April 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Breastfeeding takes alot out of you. You should eat about 300 – 500 calories per breastfeeding child in addition to your suggested daily intake.
Also, the type of calories makes a big difference…lots of fruits and veggies especially leafy greens, high protein foods, healthy carbs, and very important: healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, cashew nuts, etc)
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 am
It may be that your not eating enough of the rights foods and all your nutrients are going to your milk supply. Change the type of food you eat, or eat more of it. I got on the shot and that kept me from losing weight while breastfeeding, i hated it so i wouldn’t recommend it, but maybe if your not on a birth control, you can get on a temporary one that might help keep you gain a little weight, or keep you from losing it. I am 5 5 and I weighed between 105-115 the first time i got pregnant, and I was healthy.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Being a new mom also means a lot of things change, including when and what you get to eat. If you don’t have time to eat a little more, keep some quick snacks available like yogurt, cheese, sandwich meat and fruits or even some of those premixed meal replacement shakes and grab one of those when you don’t have time for anything else!
Also most women gain back a little (maybe 5 lbs) after they finish nursing. Don’t worry, you aren’t endangering your health or your baby’s as long as you keep eating healthy. Just eat up!
April 25th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Checking your thyroid is an excellent idea. A very large % of women have problems with this after a pregnancy. Nothing life threatening, but definitely an imbalance in your body.
I would encourage you to eat more… you’re providing nurishment for 2 people. And also, as soon as I stopped nursing, I gained 5 lbs back… I think my body started storing fat again, instead of using it for the baby.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’m with you. I am now ten pounds lighter than what I was before my six month old daughter was conceived. (I’m six feet tall and weigh about 160.) I eat whole real foods. No animal or animal products; Nothing with corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, hydrogenated oils (I don’t care if it is technically trans fat free; If it reads, “partially hydrogenated oils, I don’t get it), enriched flour (even if enriched flour comes after whole grain, I don’t get it), artificial colors and flavors, anything that looks as though it was created in a lab by man (or woman) and not in nature by God.
As I was reading your question and the previous answers, I was eating a whole wheat pita with Smart Balance spread. I had just come from a walk. While I’m probably at a good weight, I have not been walking. I don’t think I walked a half mile, but walking with a baby stroller is more of a workout than just walking.
Like somebody said, I figured I would put on more weight as my daughter ate less. Not so much. She’s on solids now, too and not always nursing as much. I’ve lost weight since she started solids. I eat plenty– Three meals with lean protein, whole grains and a couple of steamed veggies (if lunch or dinner) and snacks. I guess I’m not eating enough Smart Balance, avocados, olive oil, nuts and peanut butter.
I hope this has been of some help. I lost my train of thought when my daughter kicked over my coffee mug (I didn’t think I would be holding her and didn’t put the lid on) and spilled coffee on my desk. Sigh.