Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Did you / are you losing weight BF?

21 replies

snowydrops · 09/04/2015 13:31

In just curious really. I know it burns calories but I can't help thinking I'm burning a lot less by the amount of time I am sat down feeding Smile

With DD1 I BF and expressed until 6 months then swapped to formula, it wasn't until I stopped that I lost the last of my mummy / pregnancy weight (approx 4lb or so) that just would not budge when BF. Nothing changed, diet and exercise was the same but te health visitor once mentioned that some women do retain a fat store whilst feeding, supposedly 10% of the weight gained during pregnancy. Has anyone else found this?? I was so thin when I stopped its like my body caught up with that I had been doing for 6 months!

This time around I have 8lb to 'lose' to be back at my start weight. I'm in no rush but wondering if BF might get me there or not. Currently I'm feeding 10x a day and had a ELCS so exercise is not yet an option but I'm hating my jelly belly a bit!!

OP posts:
Micah · 09/04/2015 13:38

Some people do lose weight bf.

However, I found it changed my metabolism. It didn't matter how much, or little, I ate, or how much walking/buggy fit/exercise I did, I stayed absolutely the same.

Both times I lost in the first 8 weeks to about a 1.5 stone over my pre-pregnancy weight. Nothing I did changed that.

It was only when I stopped bf I was able to lose the rest, by doing nothing in particular.

So yes, I agree that some people hang on to their fat stores for bf.

DinkyDye · 09/04/2015 13:41

A friend of mine lost a LOT of weight bf. I on the other hand didn't lose any and actually put it on Blush.

Lost it all when l went back to work.

OMGmetoo · 09/04/2015 13:42

I only lost weight when I started weight watchers. They give you an incredible number of extra "points" while bfing and I was never hungry, I guess I was overeating (while bfing) before that.

tinymeteor · 09/04/2015 13:47

Yes. I found BFing physically exhausting sometimes, and struggled to maintain a healthy weight myself. Whenever DD had a growth spurt I'd shed lbs trying to keep up with her appetite.

Original poster
snowydrops · 09/04/2015 15:23

Interesting how different it is for everyone!

OP posts:
Laquila · 09/04/2015 15:26

Yes I lost a fair amount whilst bf to begin with (was easily lighter than pre-pregnancy weight within about 4 weeks of birth), but as bf slowed down (over 18 months), the weight crept back on!...now I'm finsin IT hard to shift that extra half stone :(

Doodlekitty · 09/04/2015 15:27

I lost 3stone bfing my son. He was about 3 months old. I was doing slimming world too but not sticking to ot at all (I'm fairly sure chocolate hob nobs are not free food)
Ive put it all back on over the last year though and I have a lot to lose

AmericasTorturedBrow · 09/04/2015 15:29

DS I weighed less than pre pregnancy within 3weeks of birth - but prob mainly due to shell shock and loss of appetite but BF helped. DD the weight stayed put until I stopped BF (they both weaned themselves around 10months) then it dropped off - mainly because I think my appetite was monstrous when I was feeding then it changed as soon as I stopped

squizita · 09/04/2015 16:17

I've lost too much! Honestly I look a bit run down and my bum (which used to be rather bootylicious if I do say so myself) looks like it's been deflated. Sad Plus as it went so fast I swear my stretch marks and tummy wrinkles are worse than other mums.
My hair is absolutely ruined too.

I wish I'd eaten better in the early weeks (but I also had a temporary thyroid goiter so my appetite was all random).

DD is tracking between the 9th and 2nd percentile. .. goodness knows what a hungry baby or twins would have done. Shock

McBaby · 09/04/2015 17:34

Yes I have eaten pretty much what I wanted for last 3.5 years being pregnant twice where I piled on weight and breastfeeding for last year and 14 months for dd1. Now a stone less than at the start!

nutmegandginger · 09/04/2015 23:23

Yes I have lost loads. Best diet ever - I'm slimmer than I've ever been while eating loads of cake! My dd is a very hungry baby who has shot up from 45th centive at birth to 95th now. The weights workout that is carrying around a very large 5 month old who loves being swung and bounced all the time probably helps too. I have to admit I'm not looking forward to weaning her as I'm going to have to be really careful not to put it back on.

TheVeryHungryScreamerpillar · 10/04/2015 08:10

I gained 2 stone during pregnancy, I think I still have about 8lb of that left to lose. There's definately a little more meat on my thighs and I have a small case of jelly belly.
I've just started going to the gym again so I'm hoping to see some results in the next few weeks.

lavendersun · 10/04/2015 08:14

I lost a lot of weight, too much - I am 5'7 and weighed 7 stone at the lowest, from a slim but healthy pre pregnancy weight of 8 stone 10.

I ate as much as I could as often as I could, in the end my doctor told me to drink some nasty meal replacement drinks, they were so sweet I couldn't manage them.

I didn't gain any weight in pregnancy though because I was ill and on hospital bed rest for almost three months.

TheBookofRuth · 10/04/2015 08:18

Yup. Lost the baby weight easily enough just through bfeeding DC1, and with DC2 I've lost that plus some more - I'm currently thinner than I was pre-DC. I don't trust it though, it's not "real" weight loss, as I know how easily it'll come back on once I stop feeding if I'm not really careful.

BalloonSlayer · 10/04/2015 08:22

With my first DC who was v large, late and hungry from the off, I lost weight and ended up thinner than when I got pregnant - I was 8st 10 when I got pregnant, and ended up at 8st 2 which for 5'5" is pretty thin. At one point I was losing a pound a day. A friend commented how unfair it was that I had a month old baby and was so thin!

However with DC2 and DC3 (both much smaller and not as hungry) I got back down to about 9st 3 or 4 and then just COULD NOT shift the last bit of weight no matter how I tried. (I BF all my DCs for ages) Then when I finally stopped I suddenly dropped half a stone or more without any effort whatsoever.

So I'd say that, yes, BF makes you hang on to a leetle bit of weight. But sometimes it doesn't.

So no help at all really! Grin

Eminybob · 10/04/2015 08:27

I didn't lose any weight bfing, I haven't weighed myself but I think I have put weight on if anything. I've recently stopped and have gained more Sad
Next week I will start my diet said every week

weebairn · 10/04/2015 08:52

I am losing weight but it's slow and steady. Baby is 6.5 months old. I suppose it's the best for health but it makes me a bit fed up sometimes how quickly some people drop weight BF.

With my first baby I lost all the weight and was back in very good shape (I wasn't smaller than pre-preg, but I had a flat stomach again etc) … but it took over a year.

Artistic · 10/04/2015 09:00

I've gained weight, can't live on my usual calories as am always hungry! Last time I only lost weight when I stopped breast feeding, so not bothered this time until I stop!

Greenstone · 10/04/2015 09:53

Yes lots both times.

LissieD · 11/04/2015 04:53

I bf my milk monster dd until she was 2. I lost weight and ended up being 3-4kg lighter than pre pregnancy by the time she was 18 months. It was very slow and steady weight loss though and then I got pregnant again and piled on the weight. Ds is nearly 4 months and I'm still about 6-7kg bigger than I want to be.

hobNong · 13/04/2015 10:03

I lost all my pregnancy weight by the time dd was 4 or 5 months. She's 8 months now and my weight seems to be quite stable.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page