Skinny Breastfeeder

I never had this problem but i would talk to a doc about it if you have great concern.. i always have had trouble loosing weight after pregnancy so i for one am a bit jealous of the situation..

Have you been checked for Hyperthyroidism? My friend gets this after every pregnancy and after a year of meds she levels out again.

J.

I wish I had that problem.....Actually I would just work on making sure your milk is producing well enough to keep uour baby nourished. I would suggest incorperating barley into your diet as well as herbs that help with lactation such as borage and nettles. Most natural food stores have a tincture that combines the herbs so they are easy to take. You are doing the right thing with nursing as long as the baby wants, just watch your nutrition so you know you are getting enough of everything for the two of you. I would advise not overeating....bad habit to start.
H.

You need to see your doctor. You may have a thyroid condition.

J.,
I agree with all the suggestions to check thyroid and try a naturopath (they can check the thyroid). I am SO glad you are continuing to breastfeed on a natural schedule; your baby will benefit enormously!!!!! I would not worry about the solids too much; continue to offer, especially finger foods you know she enjoys, but no pressure; power struggles over eating with toddlers are awful! If you know this is a normal pattern for your body, and you regain after BF, I would get it looked at but not get too stressed about it. Good job with the BF!!!
E.

J.--yes, I was always my skinny pre-birth self two weeks later, and then spent several months trying to keep up with the calories the babies needed.

I guess I can say, at some point the baby will start on other food, and that will help ... I am lactose intolerant, or I would have used ice cream (and on baby 3 started using Breyer's then-new Lactose-Free, even though it isn't organic, and I am All Organic Grrl ... that maybe helped a little too much, as I gained weight for the first time in forever when she started weaning).

It is very hard to be a woman who loses weight too easily, because there is so little support. When I was a vegetarian and first cutting out milk, it took a while to add enough olive oil to my cooking (I had cut most of it as a teenager) to keep from a slow steady and very scary weight decline, and so many other women were all, "Oh, you 'poor baby' [roll eyes]." : (.

Anyhow, keep granola bars on hand for sugar-lows (in the car was especially important, when I was out running errands) and know that, like all baby things, this will actually be over sooner than you imagine!

God bless!

Have you had your thyroid checked? I have a sister in law and good friend that developed the same trouble and it was infact related to a thyroid issue. You should ask your doctor.

I am also naturally skinny and I have had issues in years past with not being able to put on weight, no matter what/how much I ate or how little I exercized. I just have high metabolism. It can be frustrating though, when others assume you have an eating disorder due to being under weight. Breast feeding is definately burning ALOT of calories, but you know that already. :)

I know that you still have a extra hormones in your body while breastfeeding. It may be a hormonal thing. I lose weight as soon as my body knows I am pregnant. Not the healthiest thing, but all bodies react different. I wish I could say I was too skiny, my 15 month old just wakes up 5-6 times per night still! Don't let it get too out of hand, if you get sick, how will you take care of your baby?

Good luck!
~D.

Hi J.!!
I can relate. I have 4 kids and have a hard time getting enough calories. First make sure you don't have some other medical problem like a thyroid disorder. Otherwise, get some kind of protein powder to mix with fruit, yogurt, ice cream or whatever. Drink those between meals. i think you will feel a lot better.

It is probably an excellent idea to have your thyroid checked by your doctor.

i had this problem too! most folks just sigh annoyingly when skinny women share about weight problems, so i sympathize. i started making protein shakes between regular full sized meals AND intentionally eating regular fats (bacon, cheeseburgers etc). i believe that fats are fine for people who naturally burn calories quickly. of course there are exercise fanatics who will argue otherwise, but they generally don't have these challenges so really they do not understand. also, i ate before i felt hungry which was a bit hard to swallow! have you gone to a naturopath? they may have some supplemental help for you. also an acupuncturist might help! good luck,
~from another String Bean Momma

I have the same problem and I'm still nursing my 21 month old. However, I'm gradually weaning him now. After one year, they really do need solids and although I'm a huge proponent of breastfeeding, it shouldn't be to the point of becoming a martyr or undermining the mother's health. I went to a naturopath, as you may want to try. That was before my son was 18 mths. It turned out my hormonal levels were off and my intestines needed some "repair" w/ supplements to be better able to digest and gain nutrients from what I was eating. I was eating lots of protein, frequent snacks like you and still losing weight. Some of what he prescribed was simply B Complex vitamins, progesterone cream and Vitamin D.

Hope that's helpful.

-S.

For your daughter-all you can do is offer solids, if she won't eat, that's her choice and she will explore more solids when she is ready...

For you, have you had your thyroid checked? Ihad a friend who had hyperthyorism-she lost a ton of weight and couldn't keep it on....also adding a protien shake could also help-since your are still burning a lot of calories to b/f.... what has your dr. said?

I know someone who was just diagnosed with an overactive thyroid so you may want to get it checked out. She was always very skinny but after having her daughter 9 months ago had the same experience as you.

Also, have you consulted with your pediatrician in regards to your daughter not having much interest in eating solid foods? My understanding from books I have read and my pediatrician is that it is not just a matter of nutrition but also a crucial stage of development. Good luck.

Hi J.,

YES! I have this problem myself. I am a first mom of an almost 16 month old who is still breastfeeding quite a bit and I want to wean her naturally as well, but I am very skinny and trying to keep weight on. Lots of people give me a hard time about it in my family. I too am naturally slender, but I know if I were to go for a physical right now the Dr. would definitely tell me I'm too skinny. One thing I have been doing is drinking protein smoothies between meals and that seems to be at least helping me not to lose anymore weight. I am actually glad to hear that someone else is having this experience because I get so many comments from people. I feel healthy and generally energetic as normal so, I'm not too worried. I just try to eat as much as I can as often as I can, but I'm a healthy eater too. Anyway, I would try the protein shakes - maybe that will help some. If you find any other advice that works for you - let me know!!

J. - have you consulted a Naturopathic doctor? It could be that your body is not absorbing the nutrients it needs due to an allergy or something. Good luck and I wish you well.

My sister had the same problem. She's had 6 children and she has lost more and more weight with each of them. The only thing that she found to help her was to eat foods that are high in protein and fat calories like a lot of Peanut Butter, or Nutella (a delicious chocolate hazelnut spread). She also found that exercising just made it more difficult to put the weight back on, so she purposely did the minimum.
Good luck! :o)

Hi J.,
You should go to the doctor to be safe. My niece was getting really underweight and it turns out she's diabetic, so be safe and get your bloodsugar tested.
J.

I wish I had that problem! Unfortunately, you will not find much sympathy among other women.

Your body will do what your body will do, and there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. Your metablolism is very high, and BFing burns even more calories.

Hi J.,

I also had this problem when I was breastfeeding my daughter who is now three. I didn't start losing weight really until she was 4 mo. old, but I slowly just kept losing more and more. I ate constantly, but have always been very slender. Before I became pregnant I weighed about 112 lbs. (I'm 5' 4")but when my daughter was 11 mo. old I weighed 95 lbs. At her 1 year appt. I weighed 89 lbs. I really wanted to continue breastfeeding but her doctor (and my ob/gyn) was quite concerned at that appointment and said that because I was so thin, my milk probably wasn't as nutritious as it needed to be for her anyway. She asked me if it made sense to continue breastfeeding if my body had to take away from itself to continue making milk, and then it was taking away from my daughter by not being enough nutritionally for her too. It certainly did so I stopped. I didn't have a thyroid problem, my body just couldn't keep up with the demand on food alone. And I do have to say that I was contantly eating, protein shakes as well, which helped my energy level but didn't keep me from losing weight.

My daughter wasn't as old as yours at this time, but she had little interest in solid foods or formula. She cried for about 3 days, which was so hard for me. I felt like I was starving my child by withholding from her what she wanted, but then she gave in and ate whatever I gave her.

I am not sure how long you are wanting to breastfeed for, but first of all, congratulations for doing it so long (not a lot of mothers can or want to). I also don't know how much weight you have lost, but I would look at the same scenario that I had to. If the milk isn't nutritionally sound for your child and you're continuing to lose weight, is it in either of your best interests to continue??

After I stopped I was able to put most of the weight back on within about a month and 1/2. I currently reside at 105 lbs. usually, which is still a little thin for my liking, but I haven't been able to get far above it for 2 years now. I know that my advice isn't what you really wanted to hear, but I hope I helps in some way. Good luck!

Have you asked your health care provider to do blood work to rule out things like thyroid problems that can cause weight loss? If not, that would be an option. As an international board certified lactation consultant, I've known many women who have discovered they have some kind of hormonal issue postpartum that they don't seem to have at other times in their lives.

And, good for you for recognizing the importance of breastfeeding and children's natural timelines!

C.

I can't say I have had that problem, but I do have a hypo-thyroid....and I know that pregnancy can mess with your thyroid, and the thyroid gland is a weight regulator. Hypo thyroid...you typically gain weight and hyper thyroid you lose weight. You should go get it checked out with a doctor, or even go onto webmd.com and see if you have any other symptoms. Just a thought!

Have you talked with your doctor?

I didn't have your problem but I have heard of other mom's that have. Are you eating healthfully? Is your baby getting enough nutrition? Then I really wouldn't stress about it. What has your Dr. said? I primarily breastfed through 15 months and my son wasn't interested in solid food, when he weened himself then he ate solid food. So, as long as you aren't eating empty calories and your baby is healthy, I wouldn't worry about it. When she is done breastfeeding your weight will steady out!

Good luck!

Yep-- It has been the same way with me. I'm continuing to bf my 14 month old, and have also had trouble keeping weight on (a highly unusual thing for me). I've just kept up with my vitamins, eaten lots of protein, drank lots of juice and tried to keep up with lots of frequent healthy snacks. So- pull your belt a little tighter to hold your jeans up, and enjoy the rest of your bf relationship! :)