to think the claim that breastfeeding helps you loose baby weight is from the same horseshit govt. propoganda campaign as that old chestnut "nits only like clean hair"?

[grubly]

I have always been a size ten but one mahoosive baby (11lbs) later took me up to a size 16. daily five mile walks and a sensible diet did nada. 6mths in, the baby established on solids and i went down two sizes over night. giving up breastfeeding totally at nine months was like taking off a fat suit. AIBU to think that the claim breastfeeding helps you loose baby weight is all a big fat con?

Bf makes me hungryyyyyy

That's my excuse!

Just because it didn't work for you OP, doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Before I got pregnant the first time I was a size 16. I have got smaller with each one of my four pregnancies, minimum one year of BF after all 3 children, and now I am a size 8-10.

It made me so hungry and thirsty that I just ate and ate. Also because I was up more in the night i was always snacking on biscuits as i was so tired.

Worked for me, all three times - was back in my normal jeans a month after birth (all c-sections) despite scoffing a tub of ice cream a day.

YANBU - I breastfed my children until they were about 13/14 months, and in that time I was so fecking hungry I ate constantly! If I tried to cut down on food to my 'normal' amounts I would feel ill and shakey.

I have read about soooooo many 'celebs' looking like sticks within weeks of having a baby and saying it's because of breastfeeding - and it always makes me want to slap them

I lost 5 and a half stone tandem feeding my boys. It worked for me :) Portion control and avoiding sugary things which give spikes and drops in blood sugar is very important tho.

It will drop off after a while :)

Proof positive here that it's different for everyone.

I've never lost weight before (never dieted - always been happy to fluctuate between a 12 and 14), but breastfeeding has done it for me both times. I went down to a size 8 after DD and was eating like a very hungry horse that likes a lot of cake. But I think the stress of going back to work played its part.

Sure enough, I went back to a healthier weight (for me) after I stopped BFing her.

Now, feeding 10-month-old DS, I've lost all my pregnancy weight and more. And I am eating a LOT.

So, OP, it's not a big fat con for everyone

My bottom half snapped back really quickly to a size 10, which was a bit smaller than my pre-pregnancy size. However, to guard against famine, my body retained enough fat up top to fill J-cup bras. I like to think all the Jordan types modelled themselves on me. :o

Different for everyone obviously. I fitted back into my pre-preggers clothes, and ended up lighter than I was before, about three weeks after having DS. I eat loads and loads and am convinced I can get away with it (just!) because I am still BF 15months in. And I don't eat loads cos I'm BF, I eat loads cos I'm greedy

BF weight loss worked for me and a year on and I am still stuffing myself with cakes. I'm scared to stop due to the cake habit though.

6 months is the point at which lots of women start losIng weight faster. Think I read it on LLL website.

Appreciate its different for everyone but I am in the group that stayed fat and 2 stone over weight after both my babies, despite sensible eating, excercising and the breastfeeding.
I too lost the 2stone in a matter of weeks once I gave up breastfeeding - despite those few weeks (after DD1) including 2 weeks on an all inclusive stuff your face holiday where I did literally nothing except lie by the pool inbetween eating.

DD2 - stopped breast feeding at 5 months and off the weight fell again at a lightening quick speed.

I think, like all things that say they help you lose weight, should carry the same disclaimer: "As part of a calorie controlled diet"

Breastfeeding burns 500-600 calories a day. So long as you dont then eat these calories but eat the just the 2000 calories an average woman needs to maintain her weight, then it will create a calorie defeceit that equates to a one pound a week weight loss but with no further effort. Normally, you'd either have to eat 500 calories less, or burn 500 calories at the gym/running/cardio whatever daily to achieve this weight loss.

If breastfeeding makes you want cake and lots of it, you wont get the weight loss benefit.

And it seems I can't spell defecit

Right, that's it, I'm giving up trying to lose weight. It's not working, and it seems a significant chunk of the population don't believe I'm actually trying so I'll just stop.

FWIW I am a veteran of dieting, I did my first one aged 8, so I KNOW that I am not "eating the extra 500 calories" .

I don't know why I'm letting this wind me up so much . Possibly because it's the middle of the night and I'm bloody hungry but I'm sat here with an apple (a 500 calorie apple?).

Having calmed down slightly in the next five minutes...I don't think the OP is BU. Some women do lose lots of weight by breastfeeding but plenty don't (not for lack of trying despite what many of you seem to think - I don't see anybody saying that the folk going "oh I ate so much cake and lost so much weight!" must have been eating less than they think, and one big piece or two small pieces of most cakes would be AT LEAST 500cals), but the widely held belief that bfing makes weight fall off you puts extra pressure on.
I hate myself for feeling it, but I do, very much, and it has been a shock that the weight hasn't come off despite dieting (not extreme) and exercise.

at my "significant chunk of the population" aka a few people on Mumsnet. I really am going barmy with this aren't I?

I can see why your body would want to hang onto extra reserves whilst bf. But I think we all know people who went either way.

BF did make me lose weight, though. Or maybe it's the too exhausted and busy to eat enough diet? Took a good 6 months for me to get back to pre-pregnancy size with all 3 DC.

I found it wasn't until I went to work (but stll BF and expressing missed feeds, as was at 4 months) that I lost weight. Despite me thinking that I was quite active, apparently I wasn't. Now I weigh less than ever :) (10 months)

It worked for me too.

I'm actually noticing a difference in my weight going up as I've just stopped feeding DS completely now.

In the early days, I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans 5 weeks after having him. Lots of other factors contributed though, like not having a chance to eat, stress and excitement!

Gloves - I hope you dont mean me? I haven't read any of your previous replies on this matter - I read a bit of the first page, sorry, then went in with my opinion on the actual OP.

There might be a lot of reasons why your weight isn't shifting that aren't to do with exact amounts of calories regardless of breastfeeding if you have recently had a baby.

Did you have trouble losing weight or struggle to lose weight before you had your baby?

There are lots of factors. I'm speaking generally in an energy in, energy out context, and making the point that those 500 calories that breastfeeding takes care of eliminate the need to either eat 500 calories less or exercise them away. That fact remains regardless of whether you then manage to actually lose weight or not.

I actually lose too much weight when bf - last time I was referred to a dietician. Its because even though I am ravenous I just cant eat enough to keep up. Its not a good thing as it means almost collapse on the 2 mile school run.

Right I've just read your first response on this thread and re-read up the page where I noticed you are a vetran dieter etc so its something you struggle with or are familiar with regardless of having babies.

Some women are just lucky bitches cows with the weight thing, and just snap back, and others have to make considerable and concerted efforts, being really very regimented and going to what seems like extremes to shift any decent amount in a decent amount of time.

These skinny bitches minnys probably have something else they struggle with. Maybe they have to have a filling every time they go to the dentist. Maybe they have greasy roots. BO unless they use TripleDri every time. Thread veins. There will be something!

That sounds trite, but weight and fat is your "thing". Everyone has a thing...

Sorry that last post was for Gloves