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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Do you or do you not lose weight more quickly from breastfeeding?

50 replies

JoshandJamie · 23/01/2007 20:28

Just trying to get a straw poll on this as I always see this put down as one of the benefits of breastfeeding but am not convinced how true it is.

Personally, I found that I only lost my baby weight once I stopped breastfeeding because I was constantly eating like a horse. And then I had to train myself back into not eating like a horse once I stopped.

But am happy to find out that actually it was just me who remained a biffer till I was done and that everyone else loses weight as a result.

Note: this is not meant to start an inflammatory war about the pros and cons of breastfeeding. I know the benefits - but am just not convinced about this particular part of the sales pitch.

OP posts:
Aloha · 23/01/2007 20:30

Some people do and some don't. In some cases (mine ) your metabolism slows down to compensate so you lose no weight at all. Other friends have got very skinny because of it. I am obviously better in evolutionary terms as I can withstand famines. Pah!

floraflora · 23/01/2007 20:33

My weight gain (considerable) dropped off very quickly once I started watching what I ate thanks to thrush! Took about 5 months to lose almost 3 stone, though I did have quite bad swelling at the end so some of that was water... baby was only 6lb 2oz and placenta small.
At first it was slow and I had no summer clothes I could wear so had to go and buy stuff which now swamps me - hoorah!

TheBlonde · 23/01/2007 20:33

I didn't lose any while bf and got pg again before I stopped - oops

fannyannie · 23/01/2007 20:35

Nope - breastfed DS1 for 14 months - and apart from an initial 1 1/2 stone straight after I'd had him (ie withing the first month) didn't lose a lb. Took me another 2yrs after I'd stopped Bf him to lose about 2 stone.

With DS2 (bottlefed) I lost almost nothing until he was 2 - then lost 2 stone in a year....

I'll let you know about DC(S?)3 in a year or so's time LOL.

kama · 23/01/2007 20:36

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mamijacacalys · 23/01/2007 20:42

Agree with JoshandJamie.
Put on weight with both of mine due to eating like a horse!
DD now almost 7 months and weaning so have started to diet - need to lose 2 stone! Have gone back to work, though, which helps, as am not at home being tempted to snack....

determination · 23/01/2007 20:44

i did within about 3 weeks of giving birth.. i was then below my pre-pregnancy weight.

However, i started donating 50 - 70oz of EBM per week and lost even more and i was STILL eating like a horse.

So, from my experience i would definately need to say YES!

aviatrix · 23/01/2007 20:53

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yellowrose · 23/01/2007 20:57

i would say YES in the first 6 months, but if you are a nutcase and still at it 2.7 years later like me, then defo. no !

i used to feel very very hungry in the first few months, ate like 3 horses, but still managed to lose weight (i lost the 26 pounds i had gained when pregnant despite eating like 3 horses - which was great)

the problem is i still eat like 2 horses (the 3rd one died due to overeating !!) but have put on weight - so not so great now !
of course this is because ds only bf 3 times a day now, is not dependent for his survival on bm alone, so i am not producing as much milk and therefore not burning as many calories as i did when was a mere babe !

i live in hope that i will be able to lose the extra 1.5 stone i am carrying once ds has completely self-weaned

determination · 23/01/2007 21:02

Yellowrose,

How long do u think you will carry on Bfing your DS?

My DD self weaned at 24.5 months (last August) and i think it was because i am pregnant again or i would have carried on BFing her.. i just loved our cozy time.

MegaLegs · 23/01/2007 21:04

No - I just used it as an excuse to fill my face though. Still eat too much and havn't breastfed for over a year now.

yellowrose · 23/01/2007 21:11

aaaahhhhh that's sweet what you say about cozy time determination - that's exactly how i feel about ds

i don't know for me it went like this: i'll do it for 3 months, then 6 months, then a year, then 2 years, etc. to be honest i don't know how we have got this far

he is an only child and i guess that is part of the reason i am going for self weaning - i am not in a hurry to stop as we both enjoy it

things may have turned out differently if i was having another baby - like you say sometimes toddlers self-wean when mum is pregnant - that just isn't going to happen for me

i HOPE he stops before he goes to school aged 4 as i would be concerned about kids or teachers at school finding out and ds becoming the subject of silly jokes, etc

Piffle · 23/01/2007 21:17

DS fed like a starved animal - I lost weight really massively, about 1.5 stone in 6-7 weeks, plus he was such an active baby I was always out with him wlaking etc
With dd she was dainty, I was less active as she had a condition which required us to stay home and keep her quiet, the weight never went - I got back to pre preg weight by dieting mildly when she was about 18 mths after she was fully weaned off the breast.

aviatrix · 23/01/2007 21:19

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NotAnOtter · 23/01/2007 21:20

not me - never do

Bethbe · 23/01/2007 21:25

I've put on 12lbs since the birth 8 weeks ago. Childbirth can slow down your metabolic rate and BF makes you hungry!

Asked the doctor what to do as weight still increasing, She told me I can't go on a diet when BF, - even though I'm 4 stone overweight. WTF?!!

Racers · 23/01/2007 21:28

Did not. Ate like a horse also.

VoodooBiltong · 23/01/2007 21:29

I have put on about 8lb bf , now dd is 7mths old, I find I have to eat or I get exhausted and low blood sugar, feel dizzy and weak.

My friend has son 4wths old, is bf and ff and is thinner than I have ever seen her, she never has time to eat and has had no change in her appetite. I could eat solidly all day, seriously. I am dreading going back to work as I will have to stop eating for a few hours......

yellowrose · 23/01/2007 21:44

aviatix - hi come to think of it didn't we meet on a home ed thread before ? - a friend of mine is so dead set on self-weaning she is going for home ed. too

natural age of weaning for humans is between 2.5 and 7 years - much much longer than i had ever realised i would bf !!

3andnomore · 23/01/2007 21:47

Well, with ms, I lost weight easily whilest bf, but only when doing a healthy eating plan,with ms even healthy eating did not help me loose weight whilest bf, only after stopping did I drop some pounds....

determination · 23/01/2007 22:26

yellowrose,

That is exactly how it was for me too... i intitially said 6 months, then 1 year... then i thought why bother stopping as we both love it... then she decided to stop herself and instantly became a daddies girl! think she just used me for the milk!!

yellowrose · 23/01/2007 23:22

yes, mummy with the udders

kathryn77 · 23/01/2007 23:26

agree with josh and jamie- needed to eat when bf and lost a bit but not a lot. Gave up BF last week so see what happens next!

PinkTulips · 23/01/2007 23:27

nope. after dd i only started to lose the weight once she was 8/9 months and starting to feed alot less.... theni got myself knocked up again so by the time she was weaned i was getting huge with ds. so now when i finish feeding ds i have 2 lots of baby weight to lose as i piled the extra from ds right on top of the exact same extra weight from dd.

can you tell i have issues about this? was a size 8/10 for as long as i can remember'... now this!

kathryn77 · 23/01/2007 23:30

i too have issues with it - lost 2 stone, got married, got pregnant - put on 3 ... lost a bit BF, stopped now - joined ww last week! Wish i could be thin!