To think the “breastfeed and the weight will fall off” thing is a load of shite?

[Pantalaimon88]

I have an 11 month old. I was sold the whole “BF makes you lose the baby weight!” I lost an initial stone in the weeks post baby, which I’m guessing was fluid. Since then, I have maintained and I’m 1.5 stone heavier than pre pregnancy.

I log my food intake and try to keep it as low as I can, but from experience if I drop below 1700 cals a day, I feel very lightheaded and unwell. Pre pregnancy I’d eat 2000cals a day and easily maintain my weight. I go on walks with the buggy, I spent 3 months religiously pounding on an exercise bike during DC’s naps, lost not a single lb. It actually feels as though my body is holding onto the extra weight deliberately.

I’m so depressed by it all, I hate my body. I was going to BF to natural term but I’m considering stopping when DC is 1, mainly for this reason. Nothing I do seems to change my body in any way. I thought once DC was eating proper food and BF dropped significantly, perhaps it would pick up. It hasn’t.

Has anyone else found this?

Yep I couldn't lose weight breastfeeding- in fact I gained! It made me starving and although I did try to eat healthily / cut down, the weight didn't shift and I just felt awful. So I just ate a normal diet and put weight on. I put this firmly in the category of myths/only for the lucky ones along with the "pregnancy glow", "post-birth endorphins" and "sleep when the baby sleeps" (babies don't sleep ime).

I am still 1.5 stone heavier. Same physical measurements as pre pregnancy. I'm just heavy 🤷‍♀️

I’m exactly the same as you, OP. Was literally told to eat cakes and biscuits by the lovely midwives at the hospital because “you can eat whatever you want while bf” but this has really not been true for me, and I’m a little sad that I took up this advice so wholeheartedly at first because I actually put weight on after pregnancy thanks to this! Bit depressed that I still can’t fit into my pre pregnancy clothes, despite eating all wholefoods around 1700 cal a day for months and months now, and being more active than I was when working FT. My baby is 18mo and still bf. But if it’s the bf and sleepless nights that’s making my body hold onto the weight, that’s reassuring, rather than this being some sort of permanent hoarding of fat reserves, which i’d started to suspect until seeing your post and another similar one the other day. So, yes, for some people it is a load of shite, and, it seems, not for others.

I actually had a much bigger appetite pre pregnancy than I do now.

So it looks as though women fall into either one of 2 categories:

1. Breastfeed and the weight falls off, but either it stabilises or they gain a bit of weight when they stop bf
2. Body stubbornly clings to the excess weight, and it falls off when they stop.

I’m glad it isn’t just me that experiences this. I don’t think I have unrealistic expectations, I don’t want to look like a Victoria secret model - just have my very averagely slim, can enjoy nice food within reason, size 12 body back!

I lost all my baby weight (1 1/2-2stone) each time within about 2 months with 0 effort. Worked a treat and I hate to say it, I was dining like a king too.

Completely luck of the draw though, I know people who can't shift any weight breastfeeding. So I don't think it's a total lie when they say breastfeeding helps to shift the baby weight, they maybe should just add in there helps "some" women shift their baby weight.

It worked for me. Both times I lost the pregnancy weight witthin a few weeks and then an extra stone a few weeks after that even though I was eating loads more than I normally would. I'm hoping the same happens this time!

BF both my kids. Weight fell off after my first (within weeks). Thought it would be the same second time round but no. I think the first was definitely a hungrier baby though.

OP, I never lost weight until I stopped breastfeeding - I stopped at around a year old with all of mine, then steadily lost the weight. Chin up, it is a relatively short period of your life and has benefits for your child's whole life.

With my first the weight really did just melt away for the first 6 months. I was a size 22 when I got pregnant. 6 months after birth I was a large 14, despite eating a LOT of cake. Unfortunately I carried on eating even when DS started eating food and feeding less, and the weight went back up.

With DD I fed her until she was 2, and didn’t lose a thing, despite eating more healthy and eating a lots less cake than I did with DS.

I know what you mean. I'm breastfeeding my 2 year old and have struggled to lose weight for over a year now. Started slimming world and couch to 5k last week in the hope it might kick start things for me!

i am going to go on a diet after breastfeeding right now i feel like the fridge raider.Constantly hungry and thirsty ,i learnt that i need a proper home cooked meal at lunch or i dive into a pile of cookies

OP, I agree 100%! It is total bollocks and I wish the NHS would stop spreading the myth.

I think everyone’s different - I lost weight breastfeeding, despite eating loads. I have never lost weight that easily before or since.

I haven’t lost any weight at all in fact bf has made men gain weight as I’m hungry all the time. Even the hv told me not to bother trying as bf can make you store weight or something. Funny thing is I went to the drs in my pregnancy concerned about how much weight I was gaining and was told if I bf I would lose it all! They really shouldn’t tell people that as it isn’t always the case

First time round I really struggled to lose anything and really tried.

Second time round fell off with little effort.

I've no idea why

It's really not bollocks. There are plenty of studies supporting that BF enhances weight loss.

Just because it doesn't work for everyone doesn't mean it's bollocks.

The message ‘you will lose weight if you BF’ IS bollocks.

Some do, some dont.

Everyone is different. It worked for me but I’ve got mates who couldn’t drop the extra weight till they’ve finished. It’s probably massively linked to hormones and everyone has such a different balance. You need to eat - you are making milk. Not helpful but I ate like a bloody horse and I was worried that it had become a habit and I would carry on once I’d stopped but it didn’t. No more 2 breakfasts for me (sad times).

Have a look online as to how to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), this is the number of calories you need in a day...it's often lower than you think ...unfortunately .. this helped me lose weight..

LaurieMarlow Yes, that's true. It should be worded as "BF may enhance weight loss", rather than HCP selling BF as a great weight loss method.

I think health visitors and midwives selling breastfeeding to women with the promise it will help the pregnancy pounds melt off is irresponsible. Women should breastfeed their baby because it is the best thing they can give them, because it helps form a bond, because it works for them. That’s what should be the important selling point, not to lose weight.

OP it’s easy for me to say but do be kind to yourself. You’re giving your baby the absolute best start in life and if it does mean your a bit heavier because of the breastfeeding, just be patient and trust that when you’re both ready to wean off that you’ll have more freedom to lose the weight if you need to.

I put 2.5st on during pregnancy and lost 3st. through breastfeeding. Second baby. Couldnt breast feed the first due to medical reasons with baby.
I ate what I liked when breastfeeding. I did find I had to eat more than usual or I felt light headed and shaky.
I think it just depends on the person. Fron my own experience, comparing breast feeding with formula...breast feeding literally melted the weight away

2 things

1. I gained 4st in pregnancy, lost a bit while bf but when I stopped 3.5st dropped off within a year. No change to diet or exercise. Think this is normal. Makes sense for your body to hold on to calories while bf so you can give them to baby!

1. Pregnancy makes your pelvis and ribs expand to accomodate baby. That's what PGP etc are about. So you will probably never go back down to the size you were before. I was a size 8 but now I think the slimmest I'll even be is a 10. Currently a 12/14 again due to pregnancy!

I don't mind being bigger and curvier than before. I feel proud of my body for making and feeding babies. I don't want to make myself look like I never had them. Yes I've had to adapt my style to suit my changed body shape but I would have done that anyway to suit my age. So don't stress over it too much.

OP one thing that I think helped me slightly was taking Omega 3 supplements.

I read something at the time about it’s role in balancing hormones and it made a small difference.

Breastfeeding makes me ravenous! I do a lot of exercise so luckily the multiple chocolate bars, packet of crisps, three massive meals etc. isn’t an issue but god knows what size I’d be if I didn’t!