Breastfeeding, age and weight loss

[RedCrab]

Ugh. I’ve been dieting for ages and though I’m losing weight, it’s comjnv off sooooo slowly.

My “baby” is 20 months and I still BF her to sleep, plus she wakes for about 2-3 feeds a night. She is my third baby. I’m 38.

It feels like so many things against me. I’m not able to exercise as much - pre third baby I was exercising daily but I have two jobs and three children - there’s not much time or energy left in the day!

I remember my mum telling me when I had my first child that breastfeeding melts the away. Not for me! It’s like my body holds onto it in a vice until I stop. With each baby, this has happened and with each baby, it’s getting harder.

I’ve lost 6kg since the beginnng of January and have about 13 more to go. I’m doing a combination of lower calorie and low carb. I average about 1200-1400 carlories a day and about 60g carbs. I just don’t have it in me to do anything more strict than that!

Has anyone else found the same?

6 kg in < 6 wks is pretty amazing.

High levels of prolactin due to bf prevent you burning fat. I was told I probably wouldn’t lose weight until I stopped bf.

I didn't lose weight until I stopped bf my first child at 2yo

I don’t think it’s necessarily your age. I had my dc at 20, 24 and 28 and held onto every last pound until I stopped breastfeeding, which was for a fairly long time with each of them, certainly over a year. Once I stopped the weight fell off within months with literally no effort on my part. My body just seems to want to hang onto it.

I’m the same op, but losing 6kg seems a lot! I have only lost three pounds despite doing 16-8 and dry January. Still breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old (who is obsessed and won’t stop feeding - struggling to drop feeds). I have a stone still to lose, I don’t know if stopping might make it even worse, because I’d be burning fewer calories. I’m 34 if that make a difference and this is 2nd baby.

That’s my body too. I feel lied to about the fat melting off with Bfing 😆

Beedybeedy thanks but it’s a massive slog and I am only trying to re-lose the weight that I have been gaining steadily for the last six months. It’s so hard weeps

I don’t want to stop bfing my (last) baby just because I want to lose weight. Plus it’s a very handy back-to-sleep tool whilst she’s teething. She will give up herself at some point and I will be sad because it will be the end of an era - six years on and off of BFIng 3 babies.

I'm fairly certain it's a myth about breastfeeding helping to lose weight. Like others, I've held onto a good 10lbs each time. I'm current breastfeeding 3rd child and once again am 10lb over where I want to be. I did try low carbohydrate but after 4 days it messed with my Mulki supply.

In the plus side though, it did come of easily each time I have up breastfeeding. I'm the meantime I've picked up bigger clothes in the charity shop.

Excuse random typos.

I lost weight when I stopped bf my DD at 16 months. I expected to be a skinny rake so was very disappointed at maintaining the weight for all that time. Never quite got to skinny rake status though.