Does calorie intake effect milk supply?

[LeoniPoni]

Hi everyone!

My DS is 10 weeks old tomorrow and I've been going to Weight Watchers for 4 weeks.

As I'm EBF I get 10 extra points so I was told that my point allowance was 33 but for a few weeks to 'kick start' I could just have 28. So I've just stuck to 28.

In the first week I lost 4.5lbs which was great but since then the weight is so slow in coming off and one week I even put on 0.5lb despite sticking rigidly to my points allowance every day.

I have asked the WW leader if I can decrease my points but she said no as I'm breastfeeding.

So is she right? Can calorie intake effect milk supply? If I don't eat all my points could it damage the hard work it took to establish BF?

It shouldn't affect your supply unless you are literally starving. BUT it would be unhealthy for you - you use lots of extra calories breastfeeding so you need to factor that in when calculating your sustainable weight loss.

I have never lost weight when breastfeeding and have decided to stop at 6 months and do diet then.

However, have just read politics of breastfeeding and it would appear that restricting calories should not affect milk unless you are starving and have no surplus fat stores.

Thanks! I'll just reduce my points a little and will hopefully have more success.

good luck! i'm going to be fat for a bit longer !