Does breastfeeding really help you to drop the baby weight?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 | Newborn & Baby
I’ve gained 35 pounds so far in my pregnancy, which is ok according to my doctor. I’m planning on breastfeeding and supposedly that helps you lose your baby weight relatively fast. Has anyone else found this to be true? If so, could you share your epxeriences with me?
I’m not exactly “concerned” about my weight and my baby’s health is my #1 priority. I just wanted to know if this concept was fact or fiction.
21 Comments to Does breastfeeding really help you to drop the baby weight?
February 26, 2009
March 1, 2009
I have an almost 7 month old and I am still breastfeeding.
In the beg. I did loose a lot of weight fairly quickly, (it’s great at making that uterus shrink) but then after a while it tapered off. (At 10 lbs above my original weight!) So now I have to kick it into gear and start the good old fashioned exercise, but, hey those two walks a day with my sweet baby makes it much more fun than if I was walking alone!
Remember, you do loose the weight, but you have to eat more in order to supply ****** milk, so eventually it starts to even out.
March 3, 2009
March 6, 2009
March 8, 2009
haahha that’s a tough question indeed! i am a mother of eight and i ****** fed them all. frankly, yes it really does help to loose weight and to cramp (in a good way) the uterus which promote healing. however, you may find that you are MUCH more Hungary than before. so eat well. and good luck!
PS keep in mind that the 1st month can be hell and no matter how many babies you nurse it hurts at first every time. truly, i am glad i did and it is helpful in many ways. just don’t expect it to feel any thing like it does when your husband nibbles or even when he ***** as hard as he can. it does not feel the same at all. it first hurts (sometimes for many days) then it is numb (thank God!) and again, good luck!
March 11, 2009
March 11, 2009
March 12, 2009
Initially breastfeeding does help you to drop some weight quicker than a non-breastfeeding Mom. This is because breastfeeding burns so many calories. However, once you get to a certain weight (everyone is different) the weight loss evens out. While you are nursing your body will keep a storage in typical female areas: hips, abdomen, and buttocks. The truth about losing baby weight is it takes time. If you eat right, and are moderately active, the weight will fall off and you will be left with a pooch and wider hips. Losing weight is the LAST reason you should choose nursing. It is simply best for the baby. Weight isn’t as important as health, for you or the baby!
March 16, 2009
March 17, 2009
I breastfed my daughter until she was 18 months old. In the beginning I noticed that I did “drop” the baby weight faster then I had anticipated. When breastfeeding your body uses 500-600 calories everyday. However, you need to make sure you are taking in enough calories to keep up your milk supply as well as enough nutrition for yourself to be able to function to take care of the baby. I would get so involved in taking care of my daughter I would forget to eat. After a few hours I would wonder why I was getting so tired and I notice my milk supply started to decrease. I thought something was wrong. I just needed to eat more. Through out my pregnancy I gained 26 pounds. I lost all the baby weight in about 6 months. I hope this helps!
March 20, 2009
I was 170 at 9 months pregnant. I had gained 35 lbs.
Within 2 days you couldn’t tell i had ever given birth. (i seriously got funny looks like i stole a baby!) and by 6 months i was down to about 110lbs.
I also had to eliminate dairy because of an allergy in my son… so that limited what food i could eat, and i started eating better in general.
March 21, 2009
March 23, 2009
It’s fact in that your body is burning energy to produce the milk. As a diabetic, I saw how my blood sugars were lower while breast-feeding, but when the babies were weaned, my sugars went up.
However, in the same way that you can’t necessarily rely on breastfeeding as a form of birth control, using breastfeeding as a form of weight-loss isn’t reliable.
March 23, 2009
March 25, 2009
Yes, it is true! I gained 60 lbs in my pregnancy and lost all the weight by 4+ months. My shape wasn’t back to normal yet, but the weight was.
Breastmilk is full of calories (being taken away from your body) and it takes calories to make breastmilk, so for both of these reasons, your body is losing calories MUCH more than if you weren’t breastfeeding.
Make sure you eat healthy while you’re breastfeeding and don’t diet! Even eating more than normal (similar to when you were pregnant) you can still lose that baby weight, and by the way, it is best for the baby too! Perfect!
March 27, 2009
March 27, 2009
It is absolutely fact, although not everyone is the same. If you supplement or only breastfeed for a short period of time, you might not get the same results.
I lost all of my baby weight from both of my children very quickly when breastfeeding, but I was also a stay-at-home mother who breastfed her children exclusively with no supplementation. My daughter breastfed with no solids for six months, and then continued to nurse until she was 11 months old (when I got pregnant again). My son was breastfed exclusively with no solids for almost 8 months. He’s 16 months old now and still breastfeeding.
I think if you talked to different people who breastfed, you might find that their results correlate with the extent to which they breastfed (for instance someone who only breastfed for two weeks will probably complain that it wasn’t true for her).
March 28, 2009
March 31, 2009
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February 26, 2009