To try and diet while breast feeding?

[BettyBi0]

So, DC2 is arriving soon and I'm feeling like a whale and planning how I'll shift all this blubber when he arrives.

Am I going to do myself, or him, an injury if I'm dieting at the same time as BF? I don't want to end up with short supply or low nutrition milk for him but I'm feeling so utterly revolted at getting so fat.

I mentioned my plans to diet to a friend and you'd think I'd said I wanted to feed the baby bottles of gin she was that adamant that it was a no-no.

Last time around I believed all that BS about BF burning loads of calories so I ate loads of cake and lo and behold put on 2 stone.

[dementedpixie]

You can eat sensibly and cut out junk. Fine to do that while bf

[Oysterbabe]

My DD is 6 weeks and I feel like an actual whale. My plan is not to diet but just cut out any junk and just eat healthy, home cooked meals in reasonable quantities. Up to now I have still been eating like I did while pregnant to make sure my supply is established and because I am a greedy piggy. I'm going to go for my first post pregnancy run tomorrow too.

[madcapped]

I lost nearly four stone on weight watchers while bf dd. I was allowed extra points to allow for the extra calories needed. I had ample milk supply.

[ElviraCondomine]

If you need something more structured, Weight Watchers has a plan for breastfeeding mothers. You get a lot of extra calories to eat, and won't go hungry. I did it after DD2 was born and lost 3 stone, however I waited until she was 5 months before I started.

In the early days, I'd focus on eating healthily, drinking lots of water, and trying to get out for a walk every day. Your milk won't suffer if you do restrict calories (women in dire nutritional circumstances can and do breastfeed) but you won't feel great or have the energy to deal with the first few weeks of cluster feeding / waking every 2 hours.

And you're not revolting OP - you've made a baby!

[queenoftheworld93]

Slimming world has a plan for bf mothers where you get lots of calcium etc

[madcapped]

Snap Elvira!

[Roseberrry]

Oh I remember that feeling well! You are not a whale, you've just got the extra chunk that goes hand in hand with being pregnant.

If I was you I would diet in the form of making healthy choices. Lots of vegetables, healthy amount of carbs and loads of fruit and water. Don't restrict yourself or you won't have enough energy. Give it a few months and you can start doing gentle exercise, you'll feel better about yourself in no time.

For now I would just focus on yourself and the baby getting a good bond, that's the most important thing.

Good luck

[Stripyhoglets]

I would follow a plan like slimming world to ensure there is always something that you can eat as you don't want to be hungry at all while bf. But keep off the cake now you know bf isn't a magic weight loss plan.

[Junosmum]

Keep above 1800 calories and ensure you have a varied diet and adequate nutrition (take a vitamin) you'll be fine.

kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/

[Whatdoidohelp]

Definitely follow a plan like SW or WW to ensure you actually take in enough calories. It can be done. I'll be doing the same.

[specialsubject]

getting pregnant means getting bigger. Some of the weight will come off on d-day but it takes 9 months to put it on and AT LEAST that long to lose it.

apparently feeding uses about 300-600 calories a day. So take in less than that plus your own requirements of 2000 odd and you'll gradually diminish.

cake, sadly, has more calories than that.

so it's the boring old eating a proper mix of nutrition in the right quantities.

[Pidapie]

I lt weight with SW when I was bf'ing. :) As long as you get enough of the things you need it should be fine I would think! (calcium etc)

[Sleepysausage]

I've got a 4 month old baby. I'm breastfeeding, and been doing Slimming World for the last 4 weeks. Got my stone award this week : ) 3 stone to go. I've found the diet simple to follow and it takes into account that I'm breastfeeding. I'd totally recommend SW. Good luck xx

[Chimchar]

I did weight watchers when I had just had my ds. I had to wait until he was 6 weeks old. I was allowed extra points for bf.

I lost 3 stone in less than a year. I've put it all back on

Good luck with your impending baby!

Give yourself a break, you can worry about the extra pounds once you've settled in to being a Mum of two. X

[Sighing]

You'll be absolutely fine, as will he. I lost 4+ stone due to gall bladder disease postdd1's birth until the operation to remove it. Your body will make milk.

[Sighing]

P.s i also expressed an extra feed a day that was donated. I'm not saying it was easy. But she thrived.

[BettyBi0]

Phew! This is all reassuring news. I'm guessing that anything like Atkins or 5:2 is probably off limits which is a bit of a bummer as low carbing is the only thing to have ever worked for me before. Hmm... I'll have a look into SW and WW.

Would 5:2 really be so bad?

[rewardformissingmojo]

Betty, I'm also tempted to go back to5:2, it worked really well for me pre-pregnancy. Easier when I go back to work though I think. DS2 is 10months.

[CharleyDavidson]

Yes. You will need to keep your milk supply going, so I wouldn't do anything that considerably limits the number of calories that you can consume.

Some people find 5:2 difficult when they have plenty of sleep and aren't nourishing a tiny human.

[CalleighDoodle]

I put three stone on in pregnancy with each child. I ebf until almost 6 months. Id lost the weight well before that point too. No 'dieting' at all. Just by going back to my normal healthy diet with a little bit extra packet of rolos a day. Breastfeeding is ace for getting back in shape. Far better than running

[Bunbaker]

"but it takes 9 months to put it on and AT LEAST that long to lose it."

Bollocks. Doesn't that depend on how much weight you put on in the first place? Being pregnant isn't a green light for gluttony.

I couldn't eat very much when I was expecting DD as she took up too much room and pressed into my stomach cavity. I found that instead of "eating for two" I couldn't even eat enough for one because I was full after a few mouthfuls.

I also found that breastfeeding helped enormously in getting back into shape. My midwife told me that my uterus had gone back to its original size after 10 days and that was entirely due to breastfeeding.

So my question would be do you really need to diet when breastfeeding, given that it uses up so many calories?

[TheDetective]

I must be the weirdo then.

Baby is 8 months. Been trying to lose weight that entire time. I just fluctuate the same few lb.

That's with slimming world (I lost 5.5 stone with them recently). And tried calorie counting too.

So fucked off! I don't understand why I can't lose anything. I'm not skinny. I'm 11st 7 and 5ft 2.

[siblingrevelryagain]

Like others, I did Ww when my second child was 3 months old. Took 9 months to lose 3 stone, done sensibly. No effect to supply or milk (ebf for first 6 months, then gave up when son was 13 months, so bf for entirety of 'diet').

I was able to eat lots of healthy food and was never hungry, and the 'extra' points could be for treats

[eurochick]

I found that if I was in any calorie deficit, my supply fell of a cliff. I was expressing so it was very visible. I hate to wait until she moved to formula to lose weight.

[eurochick]

Off not of