Tips for Breastfeeding While Being an Active Runner

hi M., i run about the same as you and i have a 3 1/2 month old. it doesnt affect my milk supply. just stay hydrated! i also ran a lot with my first baby and breast fed her till about 14 months. good luck!

I nursed for 20 months while running and it didn't effect my milk supply. Just make sure you eat enough. When calculating the calories you need daily add 500 for nursing and like was said before: keep hydrated.

hi M.,
first, good luck to you. i am a runner too and not running while pregnant (twins and dr's orders) and getting back in the game while trying to feed was difficult. i am not sure how to keep production up, as mine dwindled from running, but i do know it's best to run right after a feeding. exercise increases something (forgot what) in the milk and isn't as tasty for baby so you wouldn't want to run, then feed. best of luck with your run. i am doing all the local 1/2s and the whole in ogden. maybe i will see you there!

I also run when I nurse. Just make sure you drink lots and lots of water. Also try taking fenugreek. You can get it at any health food store. I believe you take about 3 capsules 3 times a day. I took fenugreek when nursing my last child and it really upped my milk production. There is also a tea, but the tea is not powerful enough to do any good. Good luck!

There is always the herbal supplement fenugreek or blessed thistle and the mothers milk tea. but as long as you are nursing often i don't think it is a huge concern. as long as you make sure to stay very hydrated. kellymom.com has a lotof tip for breastfeeding concerns too! gl, N.

I trained for a marathon while breastfeeding my second son, so I am here to tell you that you can do this just fine. A few tricks I learned were to try to schedule my runs right after I finished nursing my son if possible. If you can do that, then you will have more time to get home, shower etc before having to nurse again. If it didn't work out timing wise, I would simply pump before I ran and freese the milk for an "emergency". I also found I was more comforable running right after nursing. No worries about leaking or anything.

It's also important for you to stay well fed and hydrated. Make sure you are eating well, and drinking plenty of liquids so you are at your best for your little one.

Running never affected my mild supply, so I don't think you have anything to worry. Just don't let a run cut out a regular feeding. From what I have read and experienced with 2 children is that your mild supply is more affected by the number of times and length of your nursing and your diet.

Good luck with the half-marathon and welcome to the wonderful world of running. It's a great way for a busy mom to stay in shape. The best gift my husband gave me after our second son was born was a double baby jogger. We would head to the park and play and then run home. I got my run in and the boys had a great time playing at the park with me.

Our bodies are very good at adapting to new requirements. Let your baby suckle more often than usual since the suckling will initiate your body's response to produce more milk. It is the natural cycle of supply and demand. But, if you need an extra boost try taking Fenugreek, an herb available at most health food stores. When my daughter was that age I ran 5 miles 5X/week and still nursed her without supplementation. I forget how many capsules I took but it should be easy to find out. I took the supplement for a few days to help boost my supply and then quit taking any. I first learned of the herb from my midwife.
Good luck!

My thoughts are about a supportive bra as well. In general, your breasts weigh 3-4 times as much while breastfeeding than they did before you were pregnant. Feeding and/or pumping right before a run will remove some of that weight (temporarily of course).

I am the owner of Bosom Buddies and it was actually our customers that encouraged us to go looking for sport bras when all we were carrying was nursing bras. Whether running or some other sport, they just couldn't find the support without severe compression from wearing more than one bra or a too-small sport bra. (While it's not the most humane way to dry up, women who aren't going to breastfeed are often still told to bind their breasts to make their milk go away.)

So now we have some compression bras, but you are more likely to find comfort in an encapsulation bra. That is a bra that has a cup size and extra support built into the bra, rather than trying to reduce breast movement by just pressing them against your chest. They weren't easy to find, but now we have sport bras that start at 32A & go through 46G.
Unfortunately, the sport bras are not included on our website at this time, but depending on where you live, you can see them at either our Lone Tree or Westminster stores.

S.

I was running about 5 miles 4-5 times a week and breastfeeding for the first year after my first daughter was born. I just made sure to drink tons and I never had a problem with my milk supply. Good Luck!

drink plenty of water and eat healthy

Going with the herbal idea...I drank Organic Mother's Milk which is a tea that can be found online or at your local health food store. DEFINITELY increases the milk supply. Tastes great as well...which is important. Happy running!!

Just make sure that your caloric intake is still around 2000-3000 a day so that your body has the means to keep your milk supply up. So whatever you are burning you need to make that up to keep your caloric intake at the right level to make milk.

I took Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (I had to go to a health food store to find them, but they may be at a local Walmart or Grocery store too) supplements to keep my supply up. I was only pumping because my son wouldn't latch on but was able to keep up for 6 months. As long as your feeding times don't change (mine did and it killed my supply, just couldn't do it as often) they should help. You can also find Mothers Milk and other similar teas for lactation, but the amounts of these herbs in them is minimal, so I went straight for the actual pills. They take a few days to kick in, and you'll smell like maple syrup (thats how you know you're taking enough). I think I took 3 a day. Do a search and you may be able to get more exact amounts.

I had some trouble with my milk supply when I started running when my baby was 4 months old. I lost a bunch of weight rather quickly and it turns out that the weight loss was the problem! I had to keep up the calories so I did not lose more weight too fast, and I got the milk going again for many more months. So, drink lots of water and keep your calorie intake high enough.

1. drink more water than you think you need
2.to boost supply: pump/hand express from second breast while baby nurses on first breast. Then when baby eats on second breast she's getting the hind milk and your body thinks you need even more milk. (You only need to do this a couple times, btw.) You can freeze or toss the spare breastmilk. but don't feed it to her at the same feeding or it'll cancel out your body's demand for more milk.

I don't think 3 miles even every day of the week will affect your milk supply if you are eating a well balanced diet and drinking plenty of water (8-12 8 oz. glasses every day).

I am currently training for a sprint triathlon while breastfeeding my 8 month old son. It is critical to drink lots of water. I have to consciously make sure I am staying hydrated or I feel like I don't produce as much milk. Also, I have found that when I don't drink enough it effects my workout and energy. Unless there is extra water going in, everything will go to your breasts and there is nothing left for you. I had a friend do a lot of running while breastfeeding and ended up really dehydrated and sick. Way to go on exercising! Just take care of yourself!

Hi M.,

I used Mother's Milk tea from the health food store. It contains ingredients to nourish your milk supply and worked great for me when I noticed my milk supply slowing down.

Blessings,
J. B

I too was worried about milk supply, so I asked my doctor what I could do if I found I wasn't producing enough. She told me there is an herb you can take that will increase your milk supply it is called Fenugreek. She said you can also use wheatgerm or Hops which is in NON alcoholic beer. Just a couple of suggestions.
Good luck to you
K.

I have a six month old, and everyone told me my milk supply would drop quickly when I started working out and loosing weight. I have lost all 40 lbs from my pregnancy and an additional 8lbs. What I recommend is getting a nutirtional supplement called More Milk. You can get it at Boosom Buddies. That will keep your milk supply going strong.
C. W

I began running again five weeks after my daughter was born - I've been a serious runner for 15 + years - and was back to running between 40-50 miles a week by about six months. I did not have any issues with breastfeeding, and am still in the process of weaning (daughter is 15 mos). My advice - make sure you eat enough to keep up with the demand you're making on your body - between breastfeeding and running that's a lot of demand! Good luck.

Hello M.,

Your body will make enough milk for your daughter as long as you are letting her nurse whenever she wants day and night. The more you let her nurse the more your body will respond by making milk.

The easiest way I found to do this, with both of my daughters, was to have a family bed. (Plus, my husband and I got plenty of sleep and we all got lots of quality snuggle time together!) You might be interested in reading, "Good Nights: The happy parents' guide to the family bed (and a peaceful night's sleep)," by Dr. Jay Gordon.

I also recommend keeping your daughter with you during the day, too.

Enjoy! ~T.

make sure you were a very supportive bra, i used to wear two actually. also drink lots and lots of water. i didn't ever have an issue while nursing and running. Am doing right now too with my fourth child. I have run several marathons and halfs and no issues but just make sure you pay attention to your milk supply because your babys health is more important than getting a run in...
good luck!
cherise

I ran 3-6 miles with my first baby and didn't loose my milk supply. But I also had to pump because of work. I pumped on one side while she nursed. I think that encouraged more milk prodution. I drank ALOT of water and added Brewers yeast to my diet. I had so much milk in my freezer, that i stopped nursing her at 11 months, and still had enough for one more month of feedings. I think you'll be fine. Keep up with the running. That's awesome you've become a runner and an active example for your kids.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

My 10 month old is 25 lbs, so I think that is comparable. The hardest thing for me is eating enough. I worried about milk supply with my first child because I am small and skinny, but I never had a problem as long as I ate enough. I think it is mostly because I eat so healthy. I never had to take teas or anything, but if you are having trouble I have heard Fenugreek and brewer's yeast recommended. Constantly staying hydrated is vital too. Especially if you nurse during the night, down some water each time. At some points I feel like I am drinking gallons of water and my body still feels thirsty. Teas can be good for electrolytes too, which can get out of balance when you drink that much water. Raspberry leaf tea tastes pretty good with honey or juice and has great vitamins that are good for pregnancy and beyond.

Just a note: never take fenugreek if you are pregnant as it can put you into labor.

Hi! I had the same problem of my breastmilk supply dropping when I started exercising. I don't know if decreasing your exercise or increasing your calories is the answer. Keep your fluids and calories up!