Does breatfeeding help you lose weight?

[Gangle]

Or is in an urban myth? DS is 3 weeks old and the weight seems to be coming off slowly and I can't see how it's through diet as getting through a packet of biscuits every few days!

3 weeks is still very early. It does help many women lose weight, but I ate too many cakes so it didn't help me much! I have seen some friends become very very slim due to breastfeeding.

Despite eating too many cakes, I did finally get my figure back after breastfeeding for about a year - in particular it seemed to help my waist become slim again.

Have to say that after a pregnancy where I hardly ate anything due to severe heartburn, as soon as the baby was born I took the 500 extra calories which BF apparently allows you, a little too much to heart and went mad. Totally stuffed myself and put on two stone from when the baby was born.
BF for 6 months ish, and that was nearly a year ago now, and still not shifted it.

Hopefully that won't happen to you! I know plenty of women who do swear that BF made them loose weight. Good luck! x

I had a friend who was below her wedding weight due to breastfeeding. I found that I was so hungry and so tired all the time that I didn't really lose much weight. I had a very active and greedy newborn though, who refused to sleep. I agree with the principle that a lot of Mums eat because they're tired, when really they should sleep, but that wasn't an option for me!
3 weeks is incredibly early, by the way.

works differently for different people - I was back in my old jeans within 6 or so wks despite a bit of a cake habit.
Depends how much you put on during pregnancy as well - I had a small bump that was 'all baby' so didn't have much to lose.

I think so, if you're prepared to get active.

I suffered with sticky sofaitis! (and lots of chocolate)

Worked for me. Not after 3 weeks though, with my 3rd it took me a good 3 months to get back to pre-preg weight. Then the next 3 months left me very scrawny, despite eating like a horse.

Remember the bigger they get the more they take out of you!

It can do, but it's unpredictable - I fully bf DD1 and DD2, and with DD1 the extra weight hung around and it was about a year before I was back to pre-pregnancy weight. With DD2 it just fell off and by 4-5 months I weighed less than at any point since I was 18!! And that was with eating A LOT of cake etc. 3 weeks is very early - if any weight is coming off at this stage that's got to be good.

oh yes, I pushed the pram about 4 miles (ie an hour) a day, which can't have hurt.

I'm not sure on this one; with DS1 I never really lost all my pregnancy weight, even with a year of bf - the extra weight just hung around until I stopped bf.

However, I am still bf DS2 (8mo) and I do believe I am much thinner than I have been for a long time, and I eat LOTS of chocolate and cake, but I am very active too.

I have lost lots of weight since my baby was born and I think it must be partly due to breastfeeding. I was lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight almost as soon as my dd was born so obviously hadn't put on excess weight during pregnancy. I'm still bf (she is nearly 19 wks) and I am losing a small amount of weight each week despite eating LOADS and being hungry virtually all the time! For me, being able to eat loads of chocolate and cake has been one of the unexpected bonuses of breastfeeding but I don't know if my experience is normal!

DD is now 6 weeks and I am back to my pre-preg weight... I was a bit heavier then I should have been then anyway, but I am suprised how quickly it has come off.
Strangely I no longer feel hungry, but I also no longer feel full when I eat. I used to be hungry all the time.

I put on about a stone and 3/4 - lost a stone straightaway and have about 10 lbs to go. Is it worth going on a diet now or waiting until 6 weeks to see what comes off naturally? Not sure I have the willpower now anyway! Also, after years of not weighing myself, I am now weighing myself daily to see if I am losing weight and there seems to be a huge variation, i.e. within 7lbs from one day to the next, in what I weigh. Is this normal or is it due to breastfeeding?

I think it does.

Of course it could have been the shock of becoming a mother which did it instead

I've read that you need an extra 500 calories a day by the third month. I'm constantly hungry though (DS puts on around 1/2lb a week so those calories have to come from somewhere!) so I'm not losing because I'm stuffing my face all the time. However, I'm not gaining despite all the food

It did with me, massively so in fact, but I think it is one of those things that varies between women, its not guaranteed anyway

I used to be sceptical. With ds1 think it was offset by the huge amount of cakes/sweets I thought I was entitled to after shock of first childbirth and child and lack of motivation to lose baby weight. However, with ds2 I got straight to it at 6 weeks, after some more moderate face-stuffing and started weight watchers, lost the pregnancy stone within a few weeks and have lost 21/2 stone in total with not that much effort or sacrifice - down to a size 8, slimmest I have ever been, so I think it does actually really help if you don't offset it too much with massive amounts of chocolate, tempting though it is, and diet a bit or at least watch what you eat.

I am back to my pre pregnancy weight but am still two sizes bigger due to the steaming great bazookas I am hauling round on my chest!

To lose weight move somewhere with hills and shove a baby in a pram up and down them every day with a toddler using the pram as a ski-lift Works wonders!

I am extremely active and eat very well. My 11 mo dd was exclusively bf for 7 months and still breastfeeds lots now. I lost no weight from 4 weeks onwards. Just recently I've taken up running 4 times a week for an hour at a time as well as usual walking/swimming/child chasing and it's slowly going. Doesn't work for everybody!

Lost a stone. Am now a stone lighter than my previous weight prior to pregnancy. Also dropped a dress size. Ate like a pig throughout pregnancy and beyond. Down to 2 feeds a day and still skinny! Lucky I suppose though tbh I would like to put weignt ON as nothing from before LO fits!!!

It didn't help me, but (1) I'm an older mum so I'm good at putting on weight, lots of practice, and (2) I ate enough cakes to keep a polar expedition in calories. I was very, very hungry while pg and bf. That said, I've only 7lbs left to loose now, 2 years and 1 month on...

Yes, lost the 3 stone (oops) very quickly without trying at all - although boobs remained huge for about 6 months - they are now sad wizzened things but lost them in a good cause. Went COMPLETELY flat chested when DS was about 9 months but they have filled out a bit again now.

I lost pretty much all the weight within 5 weeks of giving birth. Then it was Christmas, My birthdsy, Valentines day, Easter. All thats delicous chocolate and cake has left me a stone heavier than pre pregnancy. I still find myself always hungry and find it hard to diet. And i think i'll be pregnant again before i stop bf and can go on a hardcore diet. Oh well more cake then!

I think it does, I put on 4 stone when pregnant with DS, within 4 months I was back to pre pregnancy weight and now DS is 10 months I am a stone lighter than when I got pregnant! DS still feeds 5 or 6 times in 24 hours, and I eat loads, therefore I am thinking it must be due to the BF. Problem is, I daren't stop now for fear of ballooning!