To ask - am I likely to lose more weight when I stop breastfeeding?

[Monkeynuts18]

Put on 3 stone whilst pregnant. Lost 2.5 stone easily in the first 10 weeks (9lb baby) but baby is now 6 months old and despite a fairly healthy diet and lots of exercise I’m holding on to the remaining 7 or 8 lbs. I just can’t Seem to shift it.

I’m still BFing, a lot. I’ve read loads about how BFing helps shift the pounds but a friend said to me the other day that she had the exact same problem, but that she shifted the remaining weight pretty quickly once she stopped breastfeeding.

Has anyone else had the same experience? She’s given me hope and was wondering if the same might happen for me!

@OneTooManyBathtimes - I missed your comment, sorry. Babies are supposed to be chunky, it all gets run off quicker than you'd think once they start walking. Your baby is getting to the healthy size she needs to be, and human milk is much better physiologically for a baby than anything else, so please ignore any ignorant comments if you're happy breastfeeding. I'm amazed looking back at how chunky DS was just a year ago and he's very slim for a toddler now, it's easy for people to forget who are spending time with older children what 8-14 month normal looks like.

Thanks so much for your replies. It seems some people have had the same experience as my friend - ie shifting the pounds when they stopped feeding - so I’m going to cross my fingers that will happen for me 😁

I always heard that BFing helps you lose weight but that clearly isn’t a universal rule!

Also the PP who mentioned that weight loss will get easier when sleep improves - definitely. Nothing worse for weight loss than sleep deprivation and we’ve got a fair bit of that going on!

Really interesting to see a couple of posters say their shape changed when they stopped. My hips are a good two inches wider and I’d assumed that would be a permanent feature but maybe not!

I gained a bit after stopping

Obviously you'll lose some weight on the scales when all your milk's gone and your boobs deflate (for want of a better word!)

Agree about the sleep deprivation, it does make you crave sugar which should get easier as baby gets older. That's definitely a factor.

I breast fed my dd for 3 and a half years and didn't lose one ounce during that time. As soon as I stopped the weight fell off of me and I lost 3 stones in 3 months. It was like my body knew that it didn't need to keep reserves anymore.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras hope so as just finishing feeding my 3 yo

YES if you're anything like me. Both times I breastfed for quite a long time, and it was once I stopped that the last bit of extra weight came off. The first time I thought I was going to be stuck with it forever! It actually just dropped off within weeks of stopping. So don't worry about it.

I think everyone is different. I know with my 2 pregnancies I had lost all the weight, actually I was even a few kgs less when I left the hospital. I then gained weight while breastfeeding each time. Once I stopped breastfeeding that weight just dropped off.
I don't worry about it and just enjoy that time with baby

Oh and my shape hasn't changed... except my breasts are smaller. It's probably permanent as it's been a lot of years.

I lost my pregnancy weight once I stopped but I didn’t lose much at all (bar the obvious) after birth.
Lots of my friends said feeding helped them lose it and they put it back on after. Maybe it’s just body type 🤷‍♀️

I gained 4.5 stone when pregnant and only lost half a stone after the birth (I was eating loads). It’s taken me 14.5 months but I’ve lost all of it plus another stone.

Breastfeeding I think hindered my progress in the beginning - for the first 6 months I was STARVING all the time and I found it difficult to stick to 1600-1800 calories a day. Once 9 months hit, my son started eating solids better and feeding less. Suddenly the hunger was gone and it became much easier to eat less and lose weight. I can now fairly easily eat only 1300 calories a day and not feel ravenous.

So! Very longwinded way to say it may get easier once your baby is on solids!

I piled it on after giving up breast feeding. I was eating a pint of ice cream a day while breast feeding twins and stupidly did not stop eating a pint of ice cream a day when I stopped, with predictable, porky, results.

Purely anecdotal here, but yes I have done - and in fact I’m still BF. After initially losing some weight when I gave birth (as you’d hope, lol!) I put on quite a bit around the 4 month mark. Once DS started on solids and had taken to food properly (so around 10 months as opposed to 6 months) the weight just started falling off me. I have never been someone who finds it easy to lose weight and am so relieved. I am still BF on demand but much less as DS doesn’t seem to want or need all that much.

God, I hope this is why I cannot shift a single lb when breastfeeding - even with healthy eating/exercise. I have only ever had oversupply issues and I reckon I've gained a fair bit since feeding! My DS had his last feed a couple of days ago so I'm praying this theory is true & I'll be able to shift a good few pounds now!😁

I can't answer your specific question as I have been breastfeeding or pregnant for the past 4 years (!) but I've lost 5kg since February by calorie counting on My Fitness Pal. You say you have been eating healthily but are you actually monitoring exactly what is going in? I allow myself more than I would ordinarily do due to breastfeeding (300-500 calories extra) and still have carefully chosen treats. However I don't eat ANY cakes/biscuits/ice cream etc apart from on rare, pre-designated treat days. It is possible. I've never been huge (size 14/16 is my biggest but I am short so should be smaller) but I've never been slim for long either.

OP - I used to call it my 'breastfeeding blubber'. I breastfed each of my three DC for 7 months and found with each that I slimmed down initially, then carried a fair amount of excess weight around my middle for the remainder of the BF stint.

Each time, within 4-6 weeks of stopping breastfeeding, that excess weight went.

I do not control what I eat in terms of treats etc - when pregnant, breastfeeding or not! - so there was never a differential in terms of what I ate (other than avoiding the non safe foods / alcohol in pregnancy etc). But I definitely chunked up a lot whilst BF, and slimmed down pretty fast once I stopped.

I think I started a very similar thread a few years ago I’m afraid I didn’t lose any weight when I stopped breastfeeding! If anything I gained more. Everyone is different.

I was able to lose weight when I stoped breastfeeding as I could diet properly, which I was wary of doing while needing to maintain milk supply

I lost a stone on stopping BFing. Not overnight obviously, but over about 3-4 months after stopping, with very little effort or change to my diet or exercise regime. I tried and failed miserably to shift it while feeding.

I’m not saying that it’s a myth that BFing helps you lose weight, it’s certainly not a myth, but I don’t think it holds true for everyone. I think it causes some people to hold onto weight.

I’ve been breastfeeding my little one now for 21weeks and I’m fatter than I was when pregnant. He feeds every 2-3hrs still and I get no sleep. I’m always tired my partner works away and have zero energy. My health visitor says it’s normal to store a layer of fat when breastfeeding and when I stop it will come off.
I really hope it does. I used to be so fit and I’m feeling unfit and it’s really starting to bother me but I’m too tired to do anything