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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about your experiences of breastfeeding and weight loss...

77 replies

Gennz · 13/04/2015 02:23

DS was born in November (he's 20 weeks). I put on approx 3 stone while pregnant, and about 2 came off in the weeks following his arrival. Have since lost a few pounds both nothing substantial - have about a stone to go to my pre-preg weight (which wasn't super skinny, just average/healthy BMI).

DS is largely BF, though he gets one formula bottle at bedtime. Is it likely I will see a sudden dramatic decrease on the scales anytime soon? Just as a resul of breastfeeding I mean. I'm not constantly stuffing my face or anything but I'm definitely not dieting or hitting the gym, though I try to swim or walk regularly ... but there's a fair amunt of grazing happening & a steady reliance on chocolate at about 4pm.

Or do I need to accept that the remaining weight won't move til I wean him & make more of an effort with diet & exercise? My sister BF-ed her DS2 til a year and reckoned it took til 9 months to get the miraculous weigh loss at which point she lost a stackload.

Had convinced myself I would be one of those people who get down to their high school weight while stuffing face 24/7 with dairy milk choc.

OP posts:
Discopanda · 13/04/2015 02:32

Breastfeeding DOES help you lose weight as your body uses calories to produce milk but your body retains some of the weight for a couple of months after giving birth to make sure it has fat reserves to produce milk. It can also make you crazy hungry, especially during night feeds. I managed to lose my baby weight plus more through a combination of breastfeeding and walking lots, I didn't really cut down on what I was eating much and still had plenty of biscuits. Hopefully it works again this time around.

Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 02:38

Ahhh so all is not lost Disco? Might it start magically dropping off in the next few months? I am bloody hungry too.

It's just that I have all these nice clothes hanging in my wardrobe that I want to wear again. I am so sick of leggings and too tired to go to the gym right now

OP posts:
FoulsomeAndMaggotwise · 13/04/2015 02:41

Sorry, but I found the exact opposite with my first. I dieted pretty strictly for months and I didn't lose at all. As soon as I stopped breastfedinb though it just fell off.

This time round I'm managing to lose (with strict dieting) but I've had a period already so I think it's a hormonal thing.

Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 02:46

Yeah I think I might be more like you Foulsome

I am a hormonal wreck - I cry at the LAMEST things on tv and randomly get really sweaty, esp at night (so attractive) ... I'm hoping that once my hormones settle down(which could still be a while Sad ) I will lose the weight and regain my sanity.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 02:48

...which is really annoying because my sister and my mum blathered on forever about how breastfeeding was AMAZING, the weight just FELL OFF, they were the SKINNIEST THEY'D EVER BEEN! etc

OP posts:
BathshebaDarkstone · 13/04/2015 02:55

I always lost loads of weight while breastfeeding, too much last time and I still struggle to keep it on 20 months later. I think the implant has a lot to do with it. Smile

FoulsomeAndMaggotwise · 13/04/2015 03:37

My mum said the same and the expectation that I'd be back in shape within a few months made it extra upsetting when I wasn't. If I'd have known it can have the opposite effect it would have been much easier to deal with.

Greenstone · 13/04/2015 03:44

I don't think there's any way of predicting this baby weight loss business sadly! My experience with dd1 is that I lost about 95% of the baby weight very quickly, then it must have slowed a bit, but by the time she was 11 months I had people exclaiming over how thin I was. I fed her til 13 months and ate loads of shite.

Dd2 (23 weeks): weight came off fairly quickly again and I'm now just under pre pregnancy weight but I think my body shape has changed more.

Neither of mine slept a wink in the early days and both were very high maintenance..This may have contributed to the weight loss!

Onecurrantbun · 13/04/2015 03:45

Foulsome yes this has been my expert e too. I also put on 3 step e with DD2 and lost 2 of it easily however now she is 14 months my periods have come back (she only feed a 2-3 Times daily now) and nice lost 11lb in 4 weeks without making conscious changes. I'm now within 3 or 4lb of pre pregnancy weight. Same happened with my eldest.

I guess when you're bfing lots the hormones make you hold onto fat and water as in the case of drought or famine you have 2 people to support. It makes sense really.

Onecurrantbun · 13/04/2015 03:45

Experience not expert

Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 04:33

This is all good to hear, thank you. Makes me feel better about the huge chocolate biscuit AND Twirl I just scoffed.

I am like a human garbage disposal!

OP posts:
angstyaunty · 13/04/2015 05:36

I'm 6 kilos lighter than I was before pregnancy (was 56 kilos, up to 62 just before giving birth, now 50). Now breastfeeding 11 month old. I had severe sickness during entire pregnancy, and was skeletal about a week
after giving birth. Haven't stopped eating since then. I eat more than my 6'2 DH.

Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 05:44

Did yu only put on 6 kgs angsty? Wow. I was sick the whole way through too, but sadly it was the kind of sickness that only abated when I ate absolute shit. Hence the 3 stone, 1 of which is stuck to my arse.

OP posts:
Gr33dyeggs · 13/04/2015 05:46

gennz I can't remember fully, but I know I was over half a stone lighter after 8 months when I returned to work with breastfeeding. And I ate loads of rubbish. I did do a lot of walking/pram pushing though.

angstyaunty · 13/04/2015 05:54

Yes Gennz, but I actually lost about 5 kilos in early pregnancy because of being unable to eat, so dropped to just over 50, then slowly increased to 62 by the end. I hated pregnancy. I vomited all through labour too Hmm I love my food now though!

Original poster
Gennz · 13/04/2015 06:05

oh my God you poor thing! I hated pregnancy too. In fact I had an ELCS because of my family history of going very overdue, I couldn't face being pregnanct one second longer than I had to be. By the last week I was not only vomiting daily, I was also reduced to crawliing round the house because I had SPD that had flourished into full-on crippling sciatica. So much for my plans of doing yoga and living on kale and almonds, I was a fat, angry vomming, McD's-gobbling mess!

Makes having a newborn easier though I think, if you've had a horrible pregnancy - no matter how exhausted or bewildered I was, I kept thinking at least I'm not pregnant! Yay!!!!

OP posts:
bf1000 · 13/04/2015 06:25

I found weight started to fall off after 6months (continued to BF) losing 1 or 2 lbs a week while eating the same. Prior to this weight loss was very little from pregnancy weight. by the time baby was 18 months I was 1.5 stone lighter than pre pregnancy weight. where it stayed despite no change to diet . Still feeding now (2yrs plus) and weight has crept up slightly (3-4 lbs) but nothing major and no real diet change, possible slightly less active through

MummyPig24 · 13/04/2015 06:29

Dc3 has been a bad sleeper and a voracious breastfeeder. The combination made me so tired I gave in to the constant sugar and carb cravings so didn't lose any weight until I actually tried by changing my diet 3 months ago. So bf was not a weight loss tool for me.

ILoveYouBaby · 13/04/2015 06:39

I didn't put much weight on in pregnancy, and I was so unbelievably hungry when breastfeeding I put on more weight than when pregnant.

However, all the weight and then a bit extra fell off once I stopped.

fulltothebrim · 13/04/2015 06:54

I didn't have any weight loss while breastfeeding.

And I have breastfed for a total of 8 years in my life, so I should weigh around two stone by now if breastfeeding helps yu lose weight.

Happyringo · 13/04/2015 07:10

Another one here who didn't lose an ounce breastfeeding. DD1 was ebf for 3 months and I just couldn't shift any weight at all, then when she went on to formula the weight finally started coming off. But when she was breastfed it felt like I was constantly sat down feeding her, it was only once she was on formula and there were gaps between feeds that I got out and did some exercise, so assume that's another reason!

GreatAuntDinah · 13/04/2015 07:14

I've lost about 25 pounds brestfeeding.

comedancing · 13/04/2015 07:15

Found on all mine the weight only started to move after six months but it did fly off then..loved got skinny legs which was unusual for me. Also as soon as l stopped at about 14 months weight fell off in that first few months as l wasn't always starving. It is a slow steady thing l found. But if you line up healthy snacks for the next month every evening you might make it into those summer clothes. Drink loads of course.

RobbStarksBitch · 13/04/2015 07:16

Hello! My ds2 in almost 1 and exclusively breast fed. I lost weight in the first six months but I've found I've lost the most in the last six months and am about half a stone lighter then pre pregnancy ?? so all hope is not lost!

BestZebbie · 13/04/2015 07:16

I have pretty much the same weight stats and baby age etc as you, except that I EBF (with a pump) until my baby was 4 months and then 1 bottle of formula + breast milk for months 5 and 6 (now 6mo and starting food as well). I am now back in healthy BMI and my old clothes, still about 1kg above my pre baby weight although the last stone went from the dramatic sloughing off of the first two stone into a very gradual creep with lots of zigzagging. I am eating biscuits etc but trying to only have normal portion sizes of food rather than 'eat for two' and have done a lot of walking and active weightlifting housework!