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Infant feeding

Anyone else not lose weight when breastfeeding?

24 replies

1tobleroneplease · 13/08/2018 13:55

I solely breastfed DD for first 6 months. Prior to having baby I would often hear people say how much weight they have lost through breast feeding and how much I would lose etc. I ate a normal healthy diet while feeding and was careful not to try and diet, however I lost absolutely no weight at all after the first 2-3 weeks PP.
I am a slimmish person and have always kept fit so know what my diet needs to be to maintain my usual weight. I'm about a stone more than pre pregnancy and started back to regular exercise 4 months PP.
I weaned from breast at 6 months and since then I have lost about half a stone in 4 weeks.
Absolutely nothing has changed apart from I have stopped BF.
Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

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Mammmoo · 13/08/2018 14:33

Yep, almost exactly the same. A little 2 weeks pp, a very very very hard fought for 7lbs over the next 11 months bf and then a stone in a month when stopped!
Looks like it's going to be the same this time round too 8 weeks pp.
So frustrating when your working hard and people keep telling stories of how skinny bf made them!

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1tobleroneplease · 13/08/2018 14:48

Very frustrating!! That was meant to be an added bonus when BF but instead I held on to everything Shock
Glad it's not just me but sorry that it's you too! Fingers crossed it doesn't happen for you this time around x

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Cel982 · 13/08/2018 14:55

I lost a fair bit of weight breastfeeding both my kids, but it was more in the second year of feeding than the first.

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TheExhausted · 13/08/2018 15:01

I didn't lose any weight until DS was 9 months. Then it suddenly started to drop off. It was really weird. DS is now 18mo and I'm a small size 8. Pre DS I was a large size 10 and fully expect that my weight will increase when DS weans.

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MrsLettuce · 13/08/2018 15:03

From what I've seen with friends and family, the body likes to keep, a few pounds say, 7-10lbs above pre-pregnancy weight when BF. Totally anecdotal but it really does seem to be the case. So, those who didn't gain much find it vv hard to shift and those who gained more find it melts away to that point. Annoying but understandable when their might be a sudden lack of food

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statetrooperstacey · 13/08/2018 15:03

I got much fatter breast feeding.

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SoyDora · 13/08/2018 15:05

Didn’t lose a single lb until I stopped feeding, in fact I put on weight. My body just held on to the fat. As soon as I stopped feeding it started to come off gradually.

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MrsLettuce · 13/08/2018 15:05

Yy body doesn't seem so bothered about a buffer once the child can eat enough independently ( so from 9 - 12 months ish depending)

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villainousbroodmare · 13/08/2018 15:06

Same with DS and now - and it's twins this time! Though being on maternity leave in close proximity to the fridge does not help me.

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PenApple · 13/08/2018 15:06

I put on half a stone while ebf, after the initial loss in the 2 weeks pp. Was hoping when I stopped at 8mo the weight would then drop off. It didn’t Hmm

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Stringofpearls · 13/08/2018 15:08

12 weeks in and I haven't lost any weight, then again that could possibly be due to all the cakes and biscuits!Cake

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1tobleroneplease · 13/08/2018 16:05

I did eat more than usual for the first couple of months. Biscuits and random things from the fridge etc but from month 3 was working out again and eating my usual diet.
Interesting that some people only lost after BF for 1 year plus...

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chardonm · 13/08/2018 19:11

Op, maybe it's the toblerone? Grin
I am not losing weight either!

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1tobleroneplease · 13/08/2018 19:53

Lol yes I am partial to a whole toblerone once in a while/weekly Grin

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StinkySaurus · 15/08/2018 05:02

I think the lack of sleep also doesn’t help with weight loss!

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RedPandaMama · 15/08/2018 05:14

DD turned a year old over the weekend and I've not really lost any weight and have been BFing the whole time. Lost about 10lbs immediately after giving birth probably all the excess fluid and blood, but since last September I've been pretty consistently sat at a stone heavier than pre-pregnancy, and I was already overweight. Blush

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LaurieMarlow · 15/08/2018 10:07

This happened to me first time round. After 2 weeks post partum I lost nothing until I stopped bf at 11 months. Then it fell off.

This time though, I'm 11 weeks in and losing 2 pounds a week while still eating about 2000 calories a day. I had a lot more to lose this time, so I'm relieved.

The biggest difference is that this time I'm taking vitamin supplements (particularly omega 3 supplements) and eating a bit more carefully. Last time I think I got depleted nutritionally.

I found this article (particularly point 4) interesting.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thelactationnutritionist.com/single-post/2017/09/07/5-Reasons-you-may-not-be-losing-weight-while-Breastfeeding%3f_amp_

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harrietm87 · 15/08/2018 10:19

Me! I was a small 10 pre preg but put on a lot of weight in pregnancy as I was on steroids. I was a 14/16 after the birth and now 16 weeks on I'm a big 12/14. I don't own scales but don't think I've lost any weight at all since the first month. I'm going back to work when he's 9 months and worried about having to buy a whole new wardrobe!

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Mrsramsayscat · 15/08/2018 10:21

My pattern exactly!

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FeedingFrenzy5 · 16/08/2018 02:50

I didn't start to lose weight till I got my periods back, and that took a long time because of ebf.

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junebirthdaygirl · 16/08/2018 03:19

Few things: l didn't lose weight until nearly a year bf and when l stopped weight literally fell off as , l suppose l was hungrier while feeding.
Its not so much that you lose weight on the scales but your legs get skinnier. Bf shifts fat off your thighs which no other dieting can do so well, l think. Thighs would have been my problem area..While bf l went along to La Leche league stuff and always noticed the skinny thighs.
So don't despair yet.

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junebirthdaygirl · 16/08/2018 03:22

Forgot to say it also tightens up your tummy muscles brilliantly in the early days. As this can be a tricky area for non breastfeeding dms that is an added bonus.
So look at body shape more than scales.

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eeanne · 16/08/2018 03:25

With my first the weight just fell off with no effort.

With my second - different story. I've just started losing weight in the past month and baby is 8 months old. After months of being way over my pre-pregnancy weight and fat clinging to me like crazy, suddenly I'm down 10 lbs in 6 weeks. It must be hormonal as I haven't made any other lifestyle changes. I guess because baby is taking more solids and less milk.

So there's no hard and fast rule, even with the same woman!

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SoyDora · 16/08/2018 06:33

My legs certainly didnf get skinnier!

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