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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

OK - the truth - did you lose weight breastfeeding?

148 replies

Mirry71 · 19/03/2009 18:48

Sitting here with DC wondering if I am ever going to be my pre-pregnancy weight again - did breastfeeding help you lose weight? and if so how long did it take?

I have heard such mixed views and need consoling that I won't be in maternity gear for ever....

OP posts:
notnowbernard · 20/03/2009 13:06

Yes I did, both times

Not until about 6m though. But then lost A LOT, quickly!

I weigh less now and am a totally different shape to what I was pre-pg with dd1

DD2 is 2.7. I don't know whether it was bf alone, or the change of lifestyle accompanied by bf that initiated the weight loss

neenztwinz · 20/03/2009 13:06

I have lost 4st while BFing (had put on 3.5st while PG).

Unfortunately you only have to eat a round of toast and butter plus a chocolate bar each day and there's the calories gone.

I think going out for walks with the pram helped.

But when my 10mo's started feeding in the night again recently the weight started dropping off again (cos I was making more milk)

neenztwinz · 20/03/2009 13:07

Showofhands, do you BF your 22mo just at bedtime or anytime? Just interested what people do for older DCs cos I want to carry on but assume it is just going to be at bedtime after 1yo?

bohemianbint · 20/03/2009 13:08

I lost weight slowly whilst bf DS1. Probably because I was starving all the time.

DS2 is now nearly 7 months and I've lost 3 and a half stones since he was born. I have really tried hard and went on SW then WW to get here. Got another 1 and a half to go before I'm happy with it so am glad that DS2 is a non stop feeder.

redflipflops · 20/03/2009 13:28

yes found it made me loose weight (and eat loads). Mostly between 6-9 months. By 9 months (both times) I was lighter than pre-pg. Once I stop bf I put on the half stone and was back to pre-pg... boooo. don't usually diet or watch my weight.

this does seem to vary between women - also only if you bf for a while 6-12 months more noticeable than first 0-6.

beforesunrise · 20/03/2009 13:31

dd1- yes, loads, really quickly. dd2, yes, some, not so quickly

gingerninja · 20/03/2009 13:32

Yes, at about the 6 month mark I was smaller than before pregnancy. Did however put that back on after stopping but largely due to still eating like I was BF and not excercising as much.

fraggletits · 20/03/2009 13:34

I have gained weight bf dd2! I was 10st after I had her, now I'm 10st 12lbs 8 months later.

Have finally stopped bf'ing this week so hopefully my appetite will reduce back to normal and I can shift some pounds!

georgimama · 20/03/2009 13:40

neenztwinz I'll answer your question as well, if that's OK. I BF DS until 22 months and that was just at wake up and bedtime, plus in the night if he woke. I would have carried on during the day but I was at work.

I know lots of natural term BFers who do carry on daytime feeds too.

weebump · 20/03/2009 13:46

I didn't have a lot of weight on me while pregnant - I could only face eating salads and healthy foods (except coke, which I dreamed about even though I never normally drink it!). When I was bf I lost so much weight my clothes were hanging off me. I was down a dress size. I was constantly hungry and ate entire cakes in one sitting! But once I stopped, the cake habit caught up with me and I leapt up from size 8 to 10 and now 9 months later I'm edging into size 12 in the tummy/hips department. I try not to eat cake any more, but I think my body's keeping a fat reserve in case I go through that pregnancy thing again .

Bettymum · 20/03/2009 13:49

Yes, went down to pre-preg weight within a month or so and then lost a couple more pounds. When I went back to work when DD was 8 months I started losing loads, every time I got on the scales I was a pound lighter. I was walking about 4 miles a day with the buggy on maternity leave, but work means 2 hours sitting in the car and 8 hours sitting in the office every day - must have been the stress of office life. Got down to 7 stone 9 at the lightest, now back to 7 stone 12 (was 8 stone 3 before I was pregnant). Still enjoying the opportunity to eat cake pretty much every day

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 20/03/2009 13:54

Yes I've lost all 4 stone in 4 months by BF and doing Slimming World. If you eat healthily then yes you will lose the weight fairly quickly because the baby can be consuming up to 500 calories a day. Where are they getting those calories? From you. So you can have a man size diet and still lose weight. That does not include scoffing your own weight in chocolate and chips though.

Be sensible, eat healthily, go for a good walk several times a week and the weight will come off. Of course it will. If it doesn't then you are just eating the wrong things. Simples.

h0ney · 20/03/2009 14:09

I lost none unfortunately, wasn't till I stopped BF after about a year that I really lost weight.

castille · 20/03/2009 14:12

Yes, all of the baby weight and more, all three times. I returned to my normal weight shortly after stopping.

DamonBradleylovesPippi · 20/03/2009 14:17

not at all. I started losing it as soon as I stopped BF both times.

ChairmumMiaow · 20/03/2009 14:30

I have lost a little weight while BF but I still get very hungry and eat more than pre-pregnancy. In the early days I was so hungry and DS fed so often that I lived on biscuits with an evening meal that DH cooked!

neenz - DS feeds morning, night, middle of the night and whenever he fancies (and it is convenient) in between and he is 14mo. While he continues to want it, and doesn't mess around too much, he can keep having it. Some days he just has one feed at nap time (or none if DH/his auntie have him) other days he might have 10 snacks (particularly if we're at home)

sobloodystupid · 20/03/2009 14:42

there was a wonderful week when I lost 10 Ibs I kid you not. But that was about three weeks ago (ds is 5 weeks now) sadly I am about 10 Ibs over my usual weight. Have lost the maniacal hunger of early bfing days, thank God, I thought I would wear my teeth out with chewing cake, bikkies, chips...

Bensonbluebird · 20/03/2009 14:45

Yes I did, only lost the last bit when I stopped at 18 months (both times)

Bensonbluebird · 20/03/2009 14:46

Oh yes! I'd forgotten about that bottomless pit feeling.

anniemac · 20/03/2009 15:14

This reply has been deleted

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BottySpottom · 20/03/2009 18:08

DC1 - lost masses really quickly

DC2 - lost some, then lots when I finished

DC3 - ditto, but having fed for two years and eaten like a horse for three years in total (i.e. 9 months pregnancy and 2 years' breastfeeding) I have got into awful habits and struggling getting to pre-preg weight now (having already reached it when I was bf).

MiniMarmite · 20/03/2009 18:43

I am losing weight now that I am doing weight watchers (including an allowance for breastfeeding) and breastfeeding at the same time...rather than just eating my own body weight in biscuits on a daily basis!

I realised this morning that I need to lose my son's current weight (at nearly 7 months) to be back to my normal weight

cilantro · 20/03/2009 19:27

Yes, I lost all baby weight within 6 or so months with both babies. I actually ended up slimmer than I had been in a long time after baby number 1 and I attribute it to the BFing and also having a higher metabolism from the constant state of anxiety (*for me!) of looking after little ones!!

HalfMumHalfBiscuit · 20/03/2009 19:33

When DS was 4/5 months old I dropped 2 dress sizes with no changes to diet. Just BF. It worked for me.

MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 20/03/2009 19:58

I lost tons of weight while BF, ended up nearly 2 stone below my pre-preg weight and the same weight as when I was 18!

But when I started to cut down BF it started to come back on, and now I am having to be careful not to get back to my old weight again... though I think that's partly because I got such bad eating habits while BF (eating loads of cake etc because I was still losing weight whatever I ate - sadly not any more!).