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?

YANBU. Couldn’t shift the weight while breastfeeding feeding. Lost it relatively easily as soon as I stopped. I tried slimming world when breastfeeding but was too miserable and exhausted. Brain fog cleared when I stopped breastfeeding and I some energy back.

I hate all the You WILL lose weight breastfeeding propaganda. Really struggled with difficult baby first time round, probably had PND. Failing to turn my fat into milk was yet another thing to feel inadequate about.

It burns calories so I suppose all else being equal it should lead to weight loss. Although I read that your body absorbs more calories around pg/breastfeeding? Sounds made up but I swear I read it! Personally I did have to cut down on food quite a bit to lose the weight though. You could always do it once you stop breast-feeding? Even if you don't stop I assume you'll be down to one feed a day soon, so shouldn't be as hard to diet?

1st one I didn't loose all the weight but then I put on a huge amount of weight and continued to eat a lot of cake with new baby friends. 2nd was too busy to eat cake and I didn't put on so much. I lost all the weight from both pregnancies (but also ate much better). Hoping for the same from this one. Not put on much weight yet but will power is non existent...
Also first baby was refluxy so probably didn't drink as much, 2nd literally expanded before my eyes...

Blimey! I got too thin! Maybe breastfeeding affects people in different ways?

I suspect genetics plays a big part in this. I know many people who say they weren't able to shift a pound, and then as soon as they stopped breastfeeding the weight fell off them. I know others who say the breastfeeding worked like a charm.

I am only 5 weeks post birth so I suppose the true effects of this remain to be seen, but so far I have lost a very small bit of weight through breastfeeding. Not much though. And I am watching what I eat much more than I did in pregnancy so it could just be that. It certainly hasn't been the dramatic weight loss miracle that I was sold.

No, each time I lost a lot of weight very quickly. 3 stone in about 3 weeks although obviously some of that was pregnancy weight. I could eat anything I wanted all day long and lose weight!

Breastfeeding only uses up about 200-300 calories. It was explained to me by my health visitor and my doctor that cutting calories will not affect your milk supply. Think of women all over the world who breastfeed successfully on far less food than we’re used to. You just have to make sure what you do eat is of good quality in terms of nutrients. I’m on 1200 calories a day to lose 1lb a week and I have nearly lost all pregnancy weight gained (baby is 12 weeks old). If you’re not losing weight, you’re eating too many calories. Weight loss can be hard to do but it’s simple physics. You probably don’t want to hear that, I know I didn’t, but track your calories carefully and you will lose. We live in a culture that makes us think we have to be eating all the time.

I didn't have any luck ever losing weight breastfeeding. Significantly cut down the be when I went back to work at 7 months the first time around, and lost a stone in a month effortlessly. Then...immediately got pregnant again.

Hoping that happens again as I'm back to work soon for the second one and still over a stone up on pre kids

If you are feeling unwell at under 1700 calories you need to see a doctor. Curious what your height and weight are? Most women would not be losing weight on 1700 calories a day.

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

No I was category 3. I stopped Bf and the weight stayed. Did calorie counting and a lot of exercise. Weight stayed. Wanted to kill all the women who found it just “ dropped off “ as they ran around after their toddlers.

Had another baby. Running after a two toddlers didn’t work either.

Weight stayed. Did more exercise. Weight stayed. Trained and completed a few marathons . Weight stayed.

Eventually Did IF and LCHF and have lost the weight now, several years later.

Body never went back to the same shape though. I guess I’ll never have a career as a bikini model now.

I tell myself I didn’t BF for weight loss. I did it for the kids health and the 20% reduction in my breast cancer risk .

I don't think breastfeeding is necessarily the culprit.

Pregnancy changes your body drastically. Parenting a baby means sleep deprivation and very little time or energy for exercise and making healthy meals. I've also read that being tired makes it harder to exercise self control when it comes to resisting unhealthy food.

This applies whether you breastfeed or formula feed your baby. A lot of mothers who formula feed (and not just those who breastfeed) end up doing most (or at least a lot) of the night wakings and childcare.

The only big difference with breastfeeding is hormonal - I don't know if there are any studies showing the impact of breastfeeding hormones on appetite and weight gain/loss.

From a calorie POV you can usually get away with eating more calories when breastfeeding but I was hungrier when I breastfed so I don't think it helped!

I lost lots of weight when I had to cut out dairy but piled it back on when I ate dairy again.

I’m wondering if your “ light headed and unwell on 1700 calories “ is because you are getting swings in your blood sugar levels from too many carb and it will be spiking your insulin levels.

Dunno, just a thought. Disclaimer - I am not a HCP or any kind of expert on this, just going from my own experience.

DD1: breastfed and the weight did fall off really quickly

DD2: breastfed and the weight didn't budge.

🤷🏼‍♀️

Breastfeeding women should not be doing extreme diets (1200 calories a day is flipping silly). Just be kind to yourself OP.

It must just be some people’s experience. I had to conscientiously eat cake and add extra eggs to everything to keep a reasonable weight when bf.

It's such a load of shite! I've had to work so hard to get back to my pre pregnancy weight and I only got there when my baby started sleeping through the night at 11 months. Enough sleep coupled with exercise and a good diet is what works not fuxking breastfeeding.

And like how can you have a good diet and do the right amount of exercise when you have a baby hanging off you for the day? It's really hard to gey back into shape.

I lost loads with the first and some with the second. Wasn't bollocks for me.

For me bf is like gentle cardio- it makes me hungrier for more calories than it burns! I was really hoping I'd be one of the people the weight drops off for as I gained 4 stone, the first stone came off from having dd and the second is nearly there but I'm 8 weeks pp and maintained for a couple of weeks now. When not pregnant I have to eat 1300 cals maximum to lose weight if not going to the gym, so I feel like I need to try maybe 1500 if I want to lose any while breastfeeding, but then I don't want to affect my supply... it's difficult.

With DS I just steadily lost some over the first 6 months despite eating a lot of cake and extra treats. There was a stubborn 7-10lbs that I couldn't get rid of tho, that only started to shift off gradually as I started solids from 6m. The last 4 or 5lb only went when I stopped bf completely after 1 year but went fast.

Both times I lost weight quickly but was left with a good 5kg hanging on until I stopped breastfeeding. I assumed it was my body making sure it always had calories to make milk with at any point in time.

Also instead of being in a stationary bike, try 20-30 min hiit workouts and some weight training. It's helping me loads.

But be kind to yourself - it's the only body you have and it has done wonders.

It wasn't 'a load of shite' for me. Everyone is different.

I lost all of my extra weight in the weeks after birth due to breastfeeding. My baby fed around the clock and was massive.

As soon as I stopped breastfeeding at 2 years I put weight on.

You say you’re counting calories but are you also watching what types of food you’re eating?

I don’t see how stopping breastfeeding early is going to help you.

I agree. I breastfed DS3 until he was 14 months and never lost a pound after the initial immediate drop after his birth. I have a much sweeter tooth since he was born as well which doesn’t help!

1200 calories a day was approved by my physician. I’m exclusively breastfeeding and baby is gaining well. Nobody is immune to thermodynamics, sorry.

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