Giving up breastfeeding to diet

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

I know that subject title sounds bad! However, let me explain. My son is 13 months old and breastfeeds first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He eats a really good varied diet and cut down to those two feeds himself by around 10 months.

I have struggled with my weight all of my life and have tried a range of healthy eating and exercise plan with varying but limited success. I now have been given the option to go on a weight loss programme with a private clinic. My mother did the same programme and had great success in losing the weight rapidly and most importantly, keeping it off with the excellent and supportive maintenance plan they offer. The advantages of the programme are that you do reach your target weight very quickly and then get a lot of support to maintain a sensible, healthy lifestyle that will enable you to maintain this. My GP works for the clinic and I absolutely trust that it is reputable, effective, safe and healthy.

The problem is, I would have to stop breastfeeding as for the first six weeks it is necessary to eat a very high protein diet and they can't recommend it for breastfeeding mothers.

I had really hoped to breastfeed my son until he self weaned. For me, the thought of stopping it is heartbreaking. However, I also very much want to do this programme. The difference it would make to my life and my health would be enormous. I don't want to wait potentially months or even years to start. I was lucky to have a very healthy pregnancy but fear that if I became pregnant again (as I plan to do in a year or so) I may not be so lucky and may have complications caused by my weight.

I feel torn in two about it as I would be desperately, desperately sad to stop breastfeeding. I also don't know how we'll get my son to sleep without it! Can anyone offer any advice as to how I could gently bring breastfeeding to an end and give me any ideas from your own experience as to how long this could take?

can you go back and chat more to your GP, at 13 months your LO will be getting a varied diet through food and drinks so the breast milk doesn't need to be as "complete" as it did for a 3 month old?

(that's not based on any science, just my guess)

so long as it doesn't include dodgy caffine suppliments and things like that and is based on real food then I would look into it further and emphasis to them that your LO is getting a full diet and just BFing for comfort and a bit of extra hydration now?

You don't need to stop breastfeeding. Start the diet and see if it affects your LO then consider your options. Your baby is 13 months old, he isn't totally reliant on your milk for all of his nutritional need.

I can't help thinking that the urging you to stop is just twaffle I'm afraid. I don't believe there is enough research to show that a high protein diet makes breastfeeding inadvisable. I'm pretty sure that the benefit you both get from the nursing relationship outweighs the perceived risks.

What did they say were the reasons for advising you to stop?

Just the protein - I wonder if perhaps they just don't accept breastfeeding mothers as a blanket rule to cover themselves in case of any ill effects? I guess there may not be a good reason but they were very clear that they would not accept me on to the programme until I finish breastfeeding.

Well, you've BF for the recommended year (Congratulations! You're one of very few British women who manage this), so I don't think you need to worry that your DS will miss out nutritionally if you decide to wean at this point.

If you're prepared phase it out gradually you could use a gentle combination of distraction and offering alternatives in order to give your body and mind time to adjust to weaning. I BF my first DS for 21 months and by the last month or so I was really ready to wean him. He dropped the morning feed first and the evening one I gradually got rid of by distracting him, singing him songs and offering water if he was thirsty. It didn't take very long and offering a cup of cow's milk as a substitute is fine after a year.

whoops, bit cross posted there. I think any effects from the high protein diet would be to you and not your LO. Your body prioritises your babys needs over yours so your milk shouldn't be deficient in anything for it.

I'm sure I saw here a link to the australian BF pdf on alcohol in BFing and if they advise that mums milk even when drinking was preferable to artifical milk. (I'm not advocating this, but if that's not a reason to stop then I fail to see how a high protein diet for just 6 weeks would be a reason)

when you longish term BF you loose a few 'reserved' pounds when you stop BFing so they might advise you to make themselves look good when the credit for the first couple of pounds goes to giving up not their wonder diet?

AFAIK, the risk of a high protein (and presumably low carb) diet is in the attack phase, when your body goes into a state of ketosis, and it's thought that ketones, and possibly toxins released from fat cells during fast weight loss could potentially come out into breastmilk. Have a look at the Kellymom website, it has some good advice on low carb dieting.

I'm in the same situation as you, and have weighed everything up (was going to do the dukan diet) and feel that at the moment, feeding ds is the important thing (but he is feeding loads more than your ds) and I'll try to follow a diet that won't in any way interfere with that (the Paul McKenna one looks good) but
obviously, it's a very personal decision to make. :)

Thank you, there have been some really good points raised which have given me something to think about. I suppose I feel that nutritionally speaking he would be OK, but I would feel guilty about him missing out on something which gives him so much comfort. It would be possible to do something compatible with breastfeeding for a few months (I have considered Slimming World, for example) and then do this programme when DS is a bit older, but I suppose I just feel so unhappy and desperate about my weight that the lure of doing something with more immediate and dramatic results is very tempting, particularly as I have seen close hand just how effective it has been for my mother. I'm torn between feeling that is very selfish of me and I should wait...and then thinking that on the other hand, my son would probably be fine to stop breastfeeding now anyway...I really can't decide what is the best thing to do!

if you don't want to stop bfing then don't. Can you not do a diet which is ok for bfing? I'm doing slimming world (still bfing 15mo ds morning and night) and it's all set up for bfing, there's extra advice and support for bfing mums too. Otherwise can you not do the diet in a few months/ whenever ds weans? I looked carefully for a diet that still meant eating normal food, not protein only or cabbage soup type stuff as giving up bfing was non-negotiable for me. Good luck with your weight loss, however you decide to do it.

x-posted there, but advice still stands, even though you have answered my post before I posted!

I would do a different diet, which could be equally successful without the sacrifice of bf. In fact I am, as I am feeding an 18 month old and 3 year old and doing slimming world at the same time. I've lost 2 1/2 stone since mid October. Highly recommend it. And the food you eat will be suitable for your ds too, so no need to cook separately.

Well done on the 2.5 st cantsleep :) I've found a load of recipes aimed at toddlers that fit really nicely with SW so actually I'm eating ds's food rather than him eating mine!

How about if I put it like this?

You can diet at any time, but you won't have the breastfeeding relationship with your ds forever.

Quite simply, you have to decide what makes you happier. Losing weight quickly or breastfeeding your ds. Harsh, but true.

I wouldn't stop breastfeeding it would help you lose weight and if it affects you child then I'd stop and it's not like it would be a huge deal I barely eat anything mainly breakfast if I remember and supper and my supply has been fine and my daughters at a good weight when. They say you have to eat extra 300 cal I don't think it really matters I don't think the extra protein will matter that much the child will take the nutrients it needs