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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

extra calories for breastfeeding

28 replies

milkmoustache · 02/09/2008 12:37

I'm BFing again but trying to eat a bit less cake this time: approx how many extra calories should I need, and what does this translate to? Have never had any interest in calorie counting, but I eat quite healthily, just need a rough idea of what an extra 500 cals or whatever might be in terms of snacks/drinks etc.

OP posts:
madmouse · 02/09/2008 12:40

If you just cut out cake and eat plenty of normal foods (bread potatoes rice pasta, fruit and veg, cheese, yogurt, meat/lentils eggs etc) you would not run short of anything and there is no need to count calories.

500cals is a cheese sandwich and a yogurt.

Neeerly3 · 02/09/2008 12:42

i 'heard' you only need an extra 200cals a day for breast feeding, so if you eat normally and put in a few snacks mid morning, mid afternoon, you should be fine. (i'm talking a slice or two of toast, banana, or yoghurt perhaps)

Polaris · 02/09/2008 12:48

My midwife told me 2,500 to 3,000 cal per day, which is man size portions.

I am BFing and my five fruit and veg portions a day have tured into five cake portions per day. I'm starving and just find healthy foods don't satisfy me, so I eat the healthy stuff plus loads of rubbish. I'm still loosing weight, though -it's bloody marvelous and I'm considering BFing DS until he's ready to leave home.

chipmonkey · 02/09/2008 13:07

I haven't found that Neeerly. Weightwatchers allow an extra 10 points for exclusive bf which amounts to around 700 calories. I'm following it and still losing weight.

mrsgboring · 02/09/2008 13:12

I read a study (sorry can't find right now) which compared "successful" BFers and those who had supply issues and discovered the "successful" BFers consumed up to 1000 calories a day more than the ones with supply issues.

IME 500 calories extra is probably an underestimate - would go for 700 to 1000 extra (at least and I lost 2 stone in the second 6 months of BFing without giving up a single biscuit)

Essie3 · 02/09/2008 13:17

LOL, Polaris. The Bitty sketch isn't even funny any more - I just think I could stay slim for ever...

PeppermintPatty · 02/09/2008 13:28

I think I was eating an extra 500 - 1000 calories a day and still losing weight.

The only problem was that I got so used to eating alot that when I stopped Bfing I found it hard to stop. So then put back on some of the weight

NeuroMum · 02/09/2008 14:25

Blinking heck, I'm not losing any weight at all.. and my calorie consumption varies wildly. Some weeks I'm a complete gannet, and eat loads of cake and biscuits.. then other weeks I feel bad for eating so much crap, that I eat healthily... but my weight stays the same. What is going on?

mrsgboring · 02/09/2008 15:05

NeuroMum I was like that till DS was about 6 months, then it fell off. I also started going out and about more at that point, and always wore DS in a sling, which helped.

NeuroMum · 02/09/2008 18:09

That's good news Mrs gb, I shall cross my fingers and wait (with cake in hand) in that case!

Original poster
milkmoustache · 02/09/2008 18:45

I am now more confused than ever!

OP posts:
pudding25 · 02/09/2008 20:25

Am I the only piggie who hasnt lost tons of weight breastfeeding? I am eating a lot but not tons and tons and have lost a few pounds in nearly 4 mths but it is mega slow.

pudding25 · 02/09/2008 20:25

Am I the only piggie who hasnt lost tons of weight breastfeeding? I am eating a lot but not tons and tons and have lost a few pounds in nearly 4 mths but it is mega slow.

pudding25 · 02/09/2008 20:25

Am I the only piggie who hasnt lost tons of weight breastfeeding? I am eating a lot but not tons and tons and have lost a few pounds in nearly 4 mths but it is mega slow.

tassisssss · 02/09/2008 20:30

I usually lose the last half stone when I stop feeding...

Tryharder · 02/09/2008 23:06

Hi pudding25, no you are not the only pig that hasnt lost tons of weight bf. I have put weight on!

pudding25 · 03/09/2008 09:02

Oh good tryharder, I feel better now! Off to eat some cake!

TettyLouBar · 04/09/2008 11:56

I dropped over 2 stone in first 8 weeks, then nothing for last 4! still a stone from pre-preg weight. hoping it'll drop off after but it appears from reading this that its different for everyone! fingers crossed x

MrsTittleMouse · 04/09/2008 11:58

I didn't lose much weight breastfeeding either. I think that a lot of it was that because DD was very hungry and didn't sleep much that I was exhausted, and so I ate more to compensate. I was exercising a lot too - brisk walking every day to get DD out into the fresh air and help her sleep.

ruddynorah · 04/09/2008 12:02

i lost loads of weight when dd was little. i'm not usre it was the bf though, more the fact i was marooned on the sofa for hours on ened so just couldn't get up to get food. plus going for 2 hour at a time pram walks in between to get her to sleep. i distinctly remember saying to dh that i couldn't figure out when i was supposed to eat.

pudding25 · 05/09/2008 09:45

I am eating tons too from exhaustion - dd is sleeping ok but I can't sleep! And I am walking lots. I have about 11 pounds to lose to get back to pre pregnancy weight and then the other stone I wanted to lose before I got pregnant!!!! I am crap at losing weight unless I can do tons of exercise which I just don't have the time for at the moment.

zwiggy · 05/09/2008 09:48

avocados even though high fat its a good fat and doesn't store in the body, gets used up easy and seeds in your yoghurt gives you loads of extra protein to keep you awake without getting you fat.

ThePenguinProject · 05/09/2008 14:28

I'm being pretty good - not over eating or eating too much rubbish - but not losing much weight. Grrr. I however did eat tons whilst pregnant, confident in the knowledge it would all fall off me when BF-ing. Opps.

Ruddy - I have no problem eating whilst marooned on the sofa bf-ing DS. I just brush the crumbs off him afterwards.

MrsJamin · 06/09/2008 09:33

hTPP just be careful of crumbs in his earhole! Did that a few times .

I love what mrsgboring said about BFers with good supply - I have been eating more than DH and DS is the chubbiest baby - people call me Gold Top - so perhaps there's some truth in it?!

pudding25 · 06/09/2008 20:11

I am going to get some seeds and avocado!

I am logging my cals on weightlossresources and I am not eating tons and tons of cals on most days and still barely losing weight.

Maybe it will all come off soon...

I know, maybe I am not eating enough cake!