Breastfeeding and Weightloss

While I was breastfeeding my youngest, I was hungry all the time. I never lost any of the weight until I completely weaned her which was just a few months ago. I have since lost 10 pounds, but I'm not an avid exerciser, nor do I watch what I eat all the time. I am no longer hungry all the time either. I had the same issue with my first, so for those mom's that do lose weight while breastfeeding are VERY fortunate!

I didn't lose weight while I breastfed for 10 months--it is nice to know I am not the only one, as all I heard was how easy it would be to lose the weight. It wasn't/hasn't been for me, but that's another story. I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone :) I wish you all the best!

I gained 46 preg pounds and bf'ed for just over a year. I lost 48 pounds in that year. I didn't exercise more than walking briskly around the block with kiddo in a stroller, but I did managed to eat *fairly* healthfully because, basically, he was drinking everything that I ate. So yes, an occasional apple fritter or small french fries, and certainly a half-decaf low-fat mocha from the coffee shop 4-5 times a week, but otherwise I tried to remember to eat what I wanted HIM to eat. That helped me make smarter decisions about what I put in my mouth.

You will loose a certain amount of weight in the beginning but it will plateau - this is because your body needs the extra fat and calories to produce rich nutritious milk. It will tho - help you from GAINING anymore weight - as long as you are eating healthy and keeping hydrated.

You need to remind your childish husband that your body went thru a MAJOR alteration and it may take 2 years to regain your figure back. Tell him to imagine HIMSELF gaining 50lbs to allow the development of a new life inside your body, the process of giving birth and the breastfeeding aspect - which is very health benefiting to both you and your infant! Then remind him he wanted the child too!

Don't feel self conscious about your new body - there is nothing wrong with it. Check out the website http://theshapeofamother.com/ - and it may help you put your body issues at ease.

As for lack of sexual desire... I breastfed (child led weaning) until daughter was 4.5 y/o and never had a decrease in sex drive - tho my nipples were more sensitive and I preferred them not to be touched by my husband. You may simply be feeling depressed over your mate's reaction to your temporary new Mother's body - - so tell him to stuff it and stop it!! ;o)

I read after I weaned my oldest at 16 months that many women hang on to 5-10lbs above their normal weight while nursing. Made me feel much better about why those 10 lbs hung on lol!

I think it probably is the body's way of making sure you have enough stores for you and baby. Think about it-your body is working hard after delivery to restore and replenish plus nourish a new little one.

Hormones will do a number on you as far as sex drive. I never had a problem with sex drive while nursing and I nursed for 16 and 20 months respectively but adjusting to a baby is exhausting. That first year is such a time of change and demands on mom that it's no wonder you aren't in the mood. Your partner is probably glancing at you because they love you and want you! Not because they are staring at your tummy. I find sometimes the busier I get the less I'm in the mood but once I take the time to make the effort (put on a pretty bra or panties, flirt with my hubby like crazy all day via text, ims, etc) it really helps change my mind frame. It's work but it's worth it to keep that part of your relationship alive and going strong.

Hi Shere.
It happens and you don't say how old you are either- so that can factor in.
Your body composition might be different now than before being pregnant.
I'm a wellness coach- if you email me your height, weight, age, activity level and relative bone structure (s,m,l- size of wrist and long or short bones)- I can run a quick priofile for you- no charge.
It won't be perfect and as accurate as my machine- but you're long distance so I can get fairly close taking in breast feeding calories to add about 300 per day.
I can give you some tips on how to eat to your shape and it might help.
Understand I'm working this week and heading out of town to help my mom next week so I might not get right on it- so please be patient and do write momsource in your subject line of the email.
You can do this-- I had twins at 41 and had what I called my kangaroo pouch left over-- I know sport a bikini at 50.
my email is ____@____.com

hang in there..

About me: 50 yo perfusionist, wellness coach also doing a nationwide online weight challenge for winnings up to $599, mom of fraternal 9 yo girls.

B. J

I am an overweight person to begin with. I only gained 15 pounds with the first and 10 with the second. With that said, I breastfed the first until 13 months and am currently BF baby #2. She is 10 months. I GAINED weight while BF with both. I was able to lose some of the baby weight after weaning baby #1 and getting reasonable sleep. Still waiting to get to that point with baby #2. I also have PCOS and weight is an issue with this.

Low sex drive and not wanting to be touched (because you feel all touched out) with BF is also normal. Your hormones are still adjusting. It will be awhile after you wean before your hormones will even out.

Talk to your partner about how you feel and "make" yourself do it once in awhile and that helps boost sex drive.

I was shocked when I didn't lose weight while BFing. It took talking to other moms to find out that it happens to a larger group than we thought.

My body held onto the last 10 lbs until I weaned at 12 mos. I wasn't eating more than I should have but I wasn't really exercising consistently either. Once I weaned and started working out again, it came off. I worked out during my pregnancies (currently prego with #3) and gained in the low 30s with the first 2.

I was never able to really diet and lose weight until I stopped breastfeeding. I know Im going to sound annoying, because it annoyed me when people said I was too skinny, but 125 lbs for being 5'7 is VERY skinny. You should probably weigh about 140 lbs. Just do workouts for your belly if it bothers you. My belly will never be the same with extra skin, but other than that it was pretty flat.

Well everyone is different but I know some woman have a hard time losing all their weight while breastfeeding mostly due to the fact that you are way more hungry while breastfeeding then when your not. But if you make healthy choices and still watch your calorie intake the weight should melt right off. You should stay between 1500 to 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding in order to keep your milk supply up and lose weight. I followed this calorie guide after having my second baby and by the time she was about 9 months old I was down to 107 pounds! (i'm 5'3) So you can get back to your pre pregnancy weight but you will have to work at it.

Sleep! I found that as soon as I was getting more consistent (6 or more consecutive hours) I started losing weight easier (and I formula fed from day one).

I feel your pain!! :) Good for you for sticking to breastfeeding. I have 5 children and I'm currently nursing my 13 month old.
Only 2 of my 5 pregnancies did I drop weight rather effortlessly with nursing. This last one has been a struggle! But, I did finally lose those 55 pounds. I think it's all hormonal related, but I also know that I have a thyroid problem and I'm on medication for it.
I recommend you count your calories for a few days. Yes, you need extra nutrition when nursing, but you can eat very healthy, less calories options. It's very important that you do eat enough calories to keep up your milk supply. I learned this one! I noticed that when I really cut my calories, that my milk supply would decrease. I'm almost 6 feet tall and I work out regularly. I eat 1500-1800 cal a day to lose about 2 lbs a week. I eat 5-6 meals a day and each meal is bout 300 cal. If I'm feeling really hungry then I will eat a healthy bowl of cereal (kashi).
I would first cut out all white flour, white rice & pasta. I would cut out all soda. Make sure you're drinking lots of water. Try to eat a meal that has a protein serving, complex carb, & a healthy fat.
I know this is hard and can be tricky.
Once your cycles return, you should regain desire for intimacy. I've been through this.

I gained 35 pounds with my second pregnancy. My baby wouldn't take a bottle so I nursed him exclusively for 14 months. I didn't/couldn't lose the last 10-12 pounds until after he was weaned. I also had HUGE breasts while nursing so I probably had at least 5 lbs. there! (-: Good luck--I think it's normal for some people to just hang on to the last few pounds while breastfeeding.

It works for some people, not me. Sometimes the body stores fat. It will contract the uterus and slim the belly post pregnancy, and it will take calories away, but we have to eat to keep up the demand.

Dont fret breastfeeding is more important than body image. Your body will adjust back into being sexual again once your menstruation stabalizes.

I have friends who bf'd and the weight melted away and they were back to pre-pregnancy weight by six months post partum and would gush..."wow, I even eat more now than I ever have...BF'ing burns off so many calories." So imagine my disapointment when that is not how it worked for me :-) I lost a lot right away (I had a lot of water weight) and then hit a plateau. There are others like us who had bodies that hung on to that last 5-10 lbs until after weaning to protect the milk supply. Just keep up the good work and feel better you are not alone.

Hi. I am currently still breastfeeding my almost 13month old, she is my second. Through my first pregnancy gained about 40lbs, lost it over the course of the two years that I breastfed her but didn't really take time for myself to consistently workout. With my second daughter, gained 50lbs and felt horrible. Lost about 25lbs within first two weeks, then was stuck. Started walking, then running. By the end of Fall, I completed a 5k, first one ever, running whole way. Even though I wasn't at my lowest weight, I felt comfortable in my own body. Since then I have lost about 7 more lbs but it's not so much about how much I weigh anymore, it's about how I feel in my own body. I've had two kids and even though my tummy isn't as flat as it used to be, I love how strong I feel. Don't worry about specific numbers on the scale, just try and get to a point where you are happy with yourself and your body. After all when you think about it, isn't pregnancy amazing with how your body transforms? How could your body ever be exactly the same as it was before? You'll never be exactly the same, and I personally think it's for the better!!! Congrats for breastfeeding this long, alot of women don't.

My experiences: With my first, I weighed 140 (which is ok on my frame--I'm not tiny, but I never will be; at 5'6", 140 was about right, for me). I gained 25 pounds pregnant. I lost some just delivering, and a few more pounds in the subsequent weeks. But, as others have alluded to, I was HUNGRY. So hungry I couldn't deal with NOT eating; it made me cranky and irritable and nauseated. I did not make particularly good choices, and when I weaned my son at 13 months, I gained 30 pounds--so I was at about 170. I got pregnant and miscarried and lost about 10 pounds. I got pregnant again and gained 16 pounds during the pregnancy. I lost baby weight and water weight in the first two months. Again, was hungry as a horse. When I talked to my doc about not gaining 30 pounds weaning, she said I wouldn't, because I was aware of it, and would make better choices. I did make MUCH better choices (with a three year old around, I couldn't eat some of the things I'd eaten the first time around or I'd have to share!) but I still gained 30 pounds. I was up to almost 200. I got pregnant with our third, and gained about 10 pounds. I lost 25 pounds within the first 6 weeks. She's only 8 weeks old now, and I'm still trying to figure out how to maximize my weight loss during breastfeeding so I don't go to 230 when I wean her. I'm debating about seeing a nutritionist; I'm really frustrated with this whole thing. Oh, and I never once have lost all my pregnancy weight from breastfeeding. I overindulged the first time, but I also ate well the second time. I have not found that the pounds melted off.

nope; its no myth; but it does level off here and there. i found that i lost the most weight in the first 6 months, then again around like 9 months, and 12 months, and 18 months. my son self weaned at 20 months. the more he nursed during certain times, the more i lost. so when he was nursing really often to increase supply (during growth spurts) i lost more.

however, im going to warn you, it took 9 months to put that weight on, and 50lbs is a lot of weight. (not that theres anything wrong with that, im just trying to get the pressure off here..).
i gained about 50 lbs, but 144 was about what i weighed before.

you are going to have to know its going to take more than 9 months to get this weight off. and its likely its going to take some hard work, some cardio, working out, walking, using a smaller plate to decrease portions, but all of these things are things that you dont want to do while you are breastfeeding. you want to do things slowly so that you dont unintentionally decrease your milk supply. so just take it easy on yourself. this is normal for moms. there are a lot of thigns going around lately about "real mom bodies" where real moms have pictures of their bellies or bodies after they've had kids. every single mom is going to have some sort of jigglyness, some sort of stretched skin, some sort of stretch marks, something. im absolutly convinced that anyone who looks anything other than a mom after having kids has either had surgery to look that good, or has major makeup work on it or flat out has had computerized adjustments to their photos.

so just relax. talk to your doctor, look online for real mom bodies. we all have jiggly stomachs. yes we are going to look different. stop thinking about what your partner is thinking. if he really loves you he isnt caring at all about what you look like! !! real love, real, comitted love, doesnt see stretch marks and jiggly bellies. if thats what your partner is focused on, then they have the problem.

anyway. thank you for breastfeeding. yes, it will help you drop some weight, but no its not a cure for a jiggly belly. take it easy on yourself. start making really healthy food choices. dont buy anything that qualifies as junk food, if you dnot have it in the house, you wont eat it. eat in more often than eating out. focus on your baby, and doing what you need to do. im here to tell you that as depressing as it is to have that belly, its even more depressing to think about your life without your baby. ;):) its worth it.

I lost a ton of weight while breastfeeding, and fast. It seemed like it just melted off... and generally, I have a hard time losing weight... but not while breastfeeding...

I dropped about 40 lbs in about 3-4 months. The only caveat to that, is that my son was dairy allergic, which limited what I could eat. I am SURE this contributed, I just don't know how much. But I was thinner 6 months after I had my son than I was before I got pregnant.

Unfortunately, I've gained it ALL back and THEN SOME. sigh

Don't know if the breastfeeding/weightloss connection is a myth or not, I guess it works for some. My MIL insisted that when she was nursing, she dropped the baby weight immediately to the point where she was a stick. In my experience--nothing, nada! I lost no weight at all from breastfeeding. Unfortunately dieting while breastfeeding is just as unsafe as dieting whilst pregnant. Ketone release into the milk etc. However, in saying that, you can choose to do a bit more exercise and speak to your doctor about a method of safe weightloss. I guess 1 pound a week or so won't hurt your milk. Also Weight Watchers has a modified plan for nursing moms.

As for the not feeling comfortable with sex... I'm with you on that. When I was heavier after the baby I was definitely extremely conscience of my body. Your partner can help with that a lot. But also, lack of interest can come from being tired, sleepless nights, a bit of postpartum. Try talking it over with your partner. They may be able to make you feel better? Good Luck!

I never lost weight either while bf. And when I weaned it didn't magically disappear then either. But with exercise it WILL start to come off. I know the sex thing can be frustrating/annoying when you feel lousy in your skin, but think of it as a workout and get a little sweaty! Have fun with it. I never understand why it doesn't bug the guys enough to "not be in the mood" but sometimes we just have to let go of our insecurities and accept that our knights love us no matter we've sacrificed for the babies (big tummy, saggy boobs, etc). Good luck and don't get down. There'll be lots of time to get in the best shape of our lives--when the kids are bigger.

I gained 40 lbs. on my 5'3" frame (fun!) while pregnant and the pounds seemed to melt right off me while I nursed. I nursed our daughter for 21 months, and when we stopped I was actually 5 lbs. less than what I was when I first got pregnant. I consider myself lucky because I know that 's not the case with everyone who nurses. I also didn't feel hungrier while BFing.

When you carry a baby, either internally or externally, you are continuing "lifting weights." When you lift weights, you gain muscle mass and your bone density increases. This adds weight to your body.

You can work out like crazy if you want to (I, too, would like to get rid of the tummy bump that never seems to go away), but you will probably not go under 130 pounds again. Because now you have thicker, heavier, HEALTHIER bones.

Female mammals all seem to hold on to a little bump after giving birth. Even dogs and cats keep the bump. It's natural. I'll bet your husband isn't looking at your tummy bump. You just think he is. (He's probably looking at your boobs anyway!)

I didn't loose all the weight with my first. I went from 135 to185. After I had the baby 30lbs went away and I was stuck with the 20. I did nurse and work out and I was only able to get as low as148. I will say that you are not supposed to be dieting until you are done nursing. So keep at the exercise and be sure to vary your routine bc you muscles will get used to what you do.

I will say my abs will never be the same, but my friend tells me I just need to take up Pilates.

I plateaued for a while there myself. I think you do burn more calories with nursing, but that you still have other factors like what you eat (do you snack more? I did!) and a change of routine, etc. Have you tried doing a baby and mom workout? Take walks in the park and bring up your excersize level? Park farther from the mall and carry the baby vs using a stroller? Eat more healthy if you find yourself looking for a quick meal - I found that having fruit was a good way to prevent other snacking. My husband is working on eating dried fruit instead of Oreos, for example. Even though you are nursing, it's still a lot about how much you eat and how much you burn, regardless of how you burn it.

Not a myth at all. Breastfeeding DOES contribute to weight loss after having a baby. Some women are lucky to lose it all right away, others get to a plateau and need assistance with diet and/or exercise. It sounds to me like you need assistance with diet (you mentioned you sometimes eat healthy). What is healthy for you? Do you eat breakfast and what does it consist of? Lunch? Dinner? Are you eating high fat foods, processed foods, cakes, candy, chips? Drinking sweetened beverages? All of these unhealthy foods will not help you lose the weight you desire to lose. As for your mushy tummy, I'm sorry to be so blunt but just imagining a flatter stomach will not make it flat. You need exercise, and not just the occasional crunch here and there. Perhaps you don't feel motivated to work out to the intensity that your body requires to burn fat. You did mention that you are working out but what does that consist of? Are you doing at least 30 minutes of cardio? You really need to do more than that a day. Are you working out daily or just a few times a week? Are you using bands and/or weights for resistance? You need to firm up muscles with weights.

I have always been actively fit but within the past two years I turned up my routine a notch and got turned onto a program called P90X. It's not a program for everyone, nor am I suggesting it, but there are a lot of programs out there designed for the needs you need to match the demands of your life. I'm currently pregnant with my 4th child. I bought a new program that I cannot wait to begin once I get the thumbs up ~ it's called Insanity. I've done programs by Debbie Seibers and she really is good too.

As for sex and breastfeeding, yes, you can expect to have a lower drive, as least this was also true for me. I believe our bodies are naturally designed this way. You are, after all, still caring for an infant. I'm sure your baby is not yet sleeping through the entire night and it's only been 7 months post delivery. Your body is still recovering, though you may feel otherwise, there are a lot of things going on inside of you that you cannot see. Give the sex part some time. Hopefully you have a patient and understanding husband.

I don't diet but I do believe in healthy choices. I never felt more hungry while breastfeeding, in fact, after my babies were born, my appetite always resumed to normal. I lost all of my pregnancy weight with all 3 of my children. I breastfed, made healthy choices where food is concerned, but my lifestyle of working out 6 days a week resumed once I felt strong enough to do so.

Hi there! I have experienced the same thing, so it is nice to hear that I am not alone! My baby is almost 11 months old, and I am still breastfeeding despite working full time, and I have not lost all of the weight. I lost about 8 pounds at the beginning of my pregnancy (never was sick and ate a lot more, so I think my body just burned more as I ate more) and then gained 30 for a net gain of 22 pounds. I worked out throughout my pregnancy (ran 4 miles the day before I delivered), and 5.5 weeks after my cesarean (breech baby), I resumed working out. I still workout 4-5 days a week (down from 7 pre-pregnancy), including running 11-12 miles per weekend, and I cannot lose the last 7-8 pounds. In talking to others and my doctor, I believe that I was maintaining a lower body weight than my body preferred (I really have to make an effort with food and exercise to maintain my weight), and thus my body is holding onto extra weight to ensure that I have enough fuel for breastfeeding. I bet that you have the same issue. I will stop pumping at work when my baby turns one in late March, and then I will only breastfeed in the mornings and evenings for a few more months. So we shall see what happens! I am not even as worried about the weight as the fact that I cannot fit into my cute jeans! But I recently lost 3 pounds after a plateau of 8 or so months, so maybe it really will come off with time. I wish you the best of luck - and your husband should be ashamed as your weight is perfectly healthy for your height even if it is higher than before.