Hey ladies, I was wondering how you go about loosing weight while you are nursing? I Know that its a calorie thing so if you eat healthy sometimes that isnt enough calories but youy dont want to cut your calories b/c you burn so much off with nursing but you also NEED calories to make milk.. and if you exercise you burn calories and those are calories you need to make milk, right?? I am just paranoid about my milk dropping.. i already feel like it is b/c I am mostly pumping during the day.. I just dont pump well.. I get about five ounces each time but when my son want a bigger bottle...(he is only two months old now) then I wont have enough.. so how do you loose weight and nurse with the whole calorie thing being a factor? Thansk!
If you nurse alot (on demand), try not to use formula, and eat healthy nourishing foods your milk supply should be fine. You should be eatting 500 calories more than normal when nursing. I would think exercising would be fine in moderation. On nice days get out the double stroller and walk.
Good luck and congraduations.
Frankly, J., I would concentrate MORE on eating healthy enough to feed the baby. When your son is no longer nursing and getting his nutrition from his own solid food is the time that you can start "worrying" about decreasing the # of calories you are eating. Believe me, having 2 babies 15 months apart.....you're going to be doing LOTS of RUNNING in just a few months (when the baby is crawling and his sister is running in opposite directions!). And it will only get "worse" when he is up and running on his own! :)
Eat the healthy foods your LC and Doctor have recommended, and avoid the foods/drinks you shouldn't have, and your weight will come off sooner than you think!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
~J.~
The 2500 calorie nursing standard is a myth. My doctor told me to make sure i got plenty of fluids. I was on a 1500 calorie diet when i was nursing my daughter and i didn't lose my milk at all. Hope this helps! Like i said, drink plenty of fluids!
I wouldn't worry about counting calories right now. Your baby is only 2 months old. He will increase his milk supply by nuring more and longer without you having to worry about using a breast pump. By now your supply should be sufficient to take care of him without any outside supplements. As for exercising, you will using extra energy up that would be used to make milk. This also goes for housecleaning. Ever have a burst of energy and want to clean only to find that half way through it you wondered why did I start? It's because you are producing milk. If you eat proper meals daily your weight should come off because your body is making milk.
I ate good sized meals without any junk and had a bottle a beer a day while nursing (brewers yeast) and when summer came, I was back into a 2 piece swimsuit without any extra fat. My neighbors were envious and I didn't do exercises just did normal housework and chased after a 3 1/2 year old. It is after you stop nursing you need to watch what you are eating and exercise more.
My skin was the clearest it had ever been while I nursed because of all the extra liquids you drink to make milk. You must remember it took you nine months to loose your shape it will take you about that time to get it back.
Enjoy this time in life as they grow reall quickly and this will be a fond memory.
If you are only 8 weeks pp, I would not worry about weight loss yet--think of that when he start solids. Focus on whole, healthy foods, esp. oatmeal which increases production, and you will be fine.
Also, he will always be able to nurse more than you can ever pump out so don't use a pump as your production indictor.
I also would not focus on losing weight, but on eating healthily and exercising regularly. I was never able to lose all of my baby weight while I was breastfeeding despite working out 5 days a week - your body will hang onto the fat to ensure the baby gets nutrients. So, I would just focus on getting in regular exercise. Over time, you will go back to a healthy weight. Exercise did not impact my milk supply as evidenced by my second's sons prolific weight gain. I was never good at pumping as I could not get a good letdown with the pump. Also, the baby is far more effective at getting your body to produce milk than the pump, so I would just recommend nursing frequently to build your milk supply.
