Breastfeeding and weightloss

[Neuro]

Hi ladies

I'm preggers with first baby. Please could you let me know how breastfeeding has helped (or not) you lose weight gained by pregnancy. And how has it helped your tummy area in particular?

My step sister became slimmer after breastfeeding than before she was pregnant, but she is a vegan and has v extreme, non fat type diet.

Also, do any of you think breastfeeding has particularly helped you return back to your normal-ish shape if you have done it for quite a long time, ie perhaps up to 6 months at least.

I"m quite fascinated by the whole thing esp if it means not fussing around with bottles.

Thank you!

I'm still BFing, but DD is only seven weeks so can't say I've noticed a great weight loss yet, but the benefit of losing weight is a minor one compared to the long term health benefits to your baby of being breast fed.

It does help with weight loss (you burn about an extra 500 calories a daY0 but that is gradual and many people find they hang on to a bit of weight while bfing. There are lots of other benefits though, so why not give it a try?

PS: still bfing DS after 9 months, back to pre-pg weight at about 5 months

Sorry but I only lost weight when I gave up breastfeeding. I did it for 7 and a half months and only lost weight when I'd stopped. I think some women retain a lot of fat when they breast feed due to milk stores. Also, in my case, breastfeeding meant I had to feed frequently so did not get much sleep. Lack of sleep can affect the metabolic rate.

lots of info here

www.kellymom.com

When I bf dd1 I found it really hard to lose weight. I'm now bf dd2 and doing Weightwatchers at the same time, you get loads of extra points and I'm losing a couple of pounds per week, much to my amazement.

Among my friends I found it varied widely. Some lost loads and others didn't lose until they stopped bf.

there are loads of good reasons for bf apart from weight loss. i think it can affect different women very differently. personally i find it makes me retain weight quite dramatically i.e. even restricting calories (within guidelines for bf mother) i can't lose weight.

I found my weight stayed exactly the same post baby, until each DS started sleeping through, at which point I started losing weight.

Which would reinforce the thing about diurnal rhythms and metabolic rate.

I'm sure that's a big factor. I also crave sweets like mad when I'm tired, so didn't eat that well in the early days of bf.

Yes I remember grabbing white bread sandwiches - usually cheese as I craved carbs to keep me awake.

I was back in size 10 in 6 weeks, albeit with a flabby tummy, but then I'd had a c-section so couldn't do any exercise. I ate loads when bfeeding, including literally tons of plain chocolate, and I still lost weight.

But everybody's different - one friend ended up weighing 6kg less than pre pg when her baby was only 5mo and has kept the weight off easily, whereas another only really lost weight when she stopped. I think it depends on your body type more than anything else.

I think its like splitting up with a man and being unhappy. Some people lose loads of weight with the stress and some comfort eat.
Funny allusion but i hope yswim.

May have read this wrong, but it sounds from your post that possible weight loss while breastfeeding is a serious consideration for whether you aim to breast or bottle feed?
It would be about reason number 73 for me

But for what it's worth, I lost weight really fast after I had DS, and was a bit slimmer than usual from a few weeks post birth till I stopped breastfeeding, despite eating quite a lot
I'm not honestly sure how much that has to do with breastfeeding though. I think not putting on too much weight in pregnancy was more important

i lost weight and was slimmer than before pg with both ds and dd. As i didnt bf ds, i wonder if it has more to do with your metabolism as well as the bfing?

Good allusion witchandchips, I think that's probably one aspect of the weight loss or not thing
(room on the broom is driving me crazy at the moment, have to read it to DS all blooming day)

I don't think weight loss should be a big factor in your decision to bf TBH as you may be disappointed. I would also guess that lots of bottle feeding mums don't lose their baby weight either - your life will change hugely remember. There are soooo many other reasios to bf that are proven, so concentrate on those.

I would second the poster about dieting though - I started Slimming World in Jan and have easily lost 3 stones whilst having extra yummies! Still feeding at 16 months.

I'm fatter and hungrier now, 9 months PP still bfing

But then it's easy to bf sand eat chocolate at the same time

thursday ikwym

wow 3 stones since january....well done you!

With my first two I neither gained nor lost weight while breastfeeding, no matter what I ate. When I stopped bfing (5m with one, 23m with the next) I quickly lost about half a stone with no effort on my part. Still had plenty more pregnancy weight to lose, and that had to go in the conventional way: diet and exercise.

This time I'm fairly sure I've lost weight because I've gone back down to my pre-pregnancy size in clothing. I've had to buy some new trousers, partly for pleasure, but mostly because I'm a different shape - still have a wobbly tummy and bigger bum than usual. I don't have scales, so I don't know for sure. I'm still bfing ds2 at 9m. The difference this time is, I think, that (a) I can't eat chocolate because it upsets him and don't really care for sweets, and (b) walk about 2h a day taking his brother and sister to and from school and pre-school.

Why thank you Daisy.

It's got to the stage where people don't recognise me now which is funny. Mind you dreading actually stopping bfing as my boobs are gonna be like spanials ears!!

i lost weight, loads of it. i was a size less than before i was pregnant. i bf for 8 months. i do think it was mostly due to be being marooned on the sofa bfing, so unable to get to any food.

Brill thanks everyone.

Thursdaynext NOPE you are totally wrong there! And bordering on a little judgemental. I am totally into the idea of breastfeeding for all the right reasons (health of mother and baby etc etc), but was simply curious about weight loss. I think it was a fair thing to ask seeing as I am storing all this extra fat on my body now, and looking forward to it being sucked back off!

I am a healthy girl, who is active and is simply looking forward to losing the weight in as natural and sensibly way as poss. Nothing wrong with wanting my figure back.

I loved the comments about splitting up from a man and having a baby!!! And the one about being marooned on a sofa. I'm going to be at my mum's so no marooning for me unfort.

Also the spaniels ears comments. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I am now chesty where once i was small chested and i want to keep them forever (but be slim everywhere else!!!). Oh well, i'll have to be one of those mothers who breastfeeds til the kids are like 8.

NOT.

cheerio! X

i didnt breastfeed DD1- i was on a strict eating regime and ran like crazy every single day for a year (no takeouts, no junk, choccies etc for a YEAR) AND it wa msierable but i started to look like my usual size, which is a petite 10-12 ish after a year but then i got pregnant again.

This time round i eat without reservation...no diet .. i go crazy on food , pizza , chocolate & crisps, fizzy drinks and am a skinny size 8 without even trying, and i am breastfeeding so it has worked really well for me.

call me selfish but weight loss is a real motivation for me 7 breastfeeding, particularly when its 4 am and she's on her third night feed and i have a rowdy 2 yr old who starts demanding things round about 7. I can atleast remind myself that i'm thin without looking like i've had 2 kids in 2 years, without a bit of effort.

i wouldnt describe weightloss as a reason to breastfeed, but its an amazing BONUS and i see it as my little reward (yes the cuddling & bonding IS beautiful) but this is my own litle present which has nowt to do with babyness :-)