I am Starving !?!

[fatbottomgirl]

My DC4 is 6 weeks old tomorrow, he is EBF and doing really well no worries at all. I have a good supply of milk so no issues there.

The only problem I have is that I am starving all the time, I can not seem to eat enough EVER . I am eating 3 massive meals a day plus snacks I am trying to make healthy choices but really I have never been so hungry all the time. Is anyone else like this/ or is it in my head I keep reading that you don't need many extra calories, I seem to need triple my normal amount of food and even then i could eat more ??!!??

I was the same, much worse than pregnancy hunger!

Me too. Even at nearly 6mo now I'm constantly starving. I made sure I have wholemeal toast, yoghurt and dried fruit around the house. They are easy to snack on and healthy. I was given two boxes of chocolate during the summer hols and I polished a whole box in a day.

Me too! I am eating constantly!

just eat what you want and watch your weight.

Yup me too. 11 weeks in now and having to really try to make healthier choices as I'm starting to put weight back on.

I was like this with dd but realised afterwards it was because I wasn't drinking enough. So far (5 days) it's helping with ds.

Am also constantly starving - DS is nearly 13wks and i've never eaten so much in my life (and that's saying something). I'm definitely drinking enough as I'm on the loo nearly as often as when I was pregnant.

Trying to make healthy choices but other things are just so much nicer. The only saving grace is I've given up cows milk as DS is intolerant so I can't eat much cake/chocolate/biscuits/cheese etc..

I'm like this too but also notice it's much worse when I'm dehydrated. DRINK MORE!! Initially I kept a flask of herbal tea on the go and it was great. Now dd2 is 4.2 months I'm out if the habit - must get back to it tomorrow.

Forget what i said, I'm eating biscuits on bed

Me too! DD is 18 weeks and I honestly eat and drink non stop! Last night I actually woke in the middle of the night due to hunger!

Milky - if only my DS stayed asleep for that long... However maybe I don't need to eat everytime he does?

DS is 10 days old, going through a growth spurt and I'm homeless as I ate the house yesterday. I had no choice you understand.

I agree about hydration. I am drinking pints of water and needing to and they do stop the hunger tipping over into rabid animal territory but I'm still constantly hungry. I'm currently trying to decide between toast and fruit or a yoghurt and some cheese. I may just have all of it and feck it.

I know very little about the dietry requirements that BF brings (it was a long time ago for me) so do check, but would it be worth upping your protein intake?

I lost a lot of weight through low-carbing (which I am not advising you to do - I'm quite certain that low-carbing is Not Good for BFing women) - toast and whatnot doesn't really fill you up, whereas eggs, cheese, fish and meat do. Basically if you up your protein intake (but don't do the low-carb!) it might stave off the hunger.

Me too, ds is 8 months now and still breastfeeding 4 x a day and i am always hungry eaten more the past 8 months then any other time. But have lost 3stone 4 lb So am over a stone lighter than when i got pregnant. (Dont know how)

At about 6 months I couldn't eat enough. I think you just have to go with it and enjoy eating like a big bloke for a bit :o

DD, nearly 8 months, currently has a tummy bug (I think, or maybe it's teething, who knows...) so is refusing all solids and I'm back to full time BF again. The biscuit box is looking decidedly empty.

I'm similar and have gained a massive sweet tooth. I usually could take or leave sweet things, but recently all I want is biscuits, cakes, chocolate and fizzy drinks.

Glad to know it's not just me I am now making sure I am drinking a lot more, which seems to be helping a little bit. Will def try to up the protein. It's the cakes and biscuits I could with not eating but I can't seem to help myself

I was like this with ds1. Eating actually became a chore - no mean feat beause I LOVE food! I lost weight too, despite troughing all day, but it came off gradually.

I was really thirsty and used to take a 2L jug of water overnight, plus about a gallon during the day!

It did settle down though, and it didn't happen with ds2, probably because I had never stopped feeding ds1 and my body was used to it.

I gained a stone in the 6 months after ds was born

DS2 is 22 weeks. I crave and frequently buy fish and chips. Must be the dense calories or fats. I am only 2lbs more than pre pregnancy though, and have been for about 4 months, so am obviously using it.

I would wake in the middle of the night hungary when DD was small. Hasn't been quit so bad this time round but DS is 10months now and must be gowing through a growth spurt as I'm eating eveything in the house at the moment.

Hasn't done my weight any harm have lost weight fine after both but has taken a while to come off, I just don't seem to losse much untill they start on solids.

Drink lots, eat protein, and listen to your body very carefully. When you quit bf you will need to reduce your calorie intake drastically and the best way to do that is by knowing exactly what hungry feels like, and eating in proportion to that hunger.

I used to cook an extra portion at dinner time and put it in a couple of boxes in the fridge, I'd normally eat one box at about midnight and the other one at about 5am, as that was when I seemed to be starving and biscuits just couldn't cut it anymore. It does get better!

I'm so glad to hear it's not just me. DD2 is 5 months and my I can't believe I seem to get hungrier every day and DH often catches me raiding the fridge for chocolate in the middle of the night

It's only through reading this I have realised my appetite must be increasing as she is getting bigger taking more milk. Also, she has reflux so throws up half the milk I feed her and has to start again. Phew, I thought it was just me being a super gluton!