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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

losing weight whilst breastfeeding

28 replies

Ozgal · 26/05/2010 22:01

When I was pregnant I was told that breastfeeding helps lose the baby weight afterwards (this is not, by the way, the main reason I am breastfeeding!). but after 12 weeks i see no evidence of this despite a healthy diet and recently restarting exercise, in fact i feel as if I wont have any hope of getting my body back until I stop breastfeeding (but of course thisis not a good enough reason for me to stop). anyone had this experience?

OP posts:
WoTmania · 26/05/2010 22:08

I found the weight really started to drop off at 5-6 months with all 3 DC.
My youngest is now 15 months and still nurrsing (lots) DS2 not as much. I eat like a horse and am 8.5 stone size 8.
Probably worth mentioning that I carry DD everywhere in a sling and walk lots so the exercise probably helps.

MustHaveaVeryShortMemory · 26/05/2010 22:18

I think 12 weeks is pretty early days (I know theres always someone who just gets back to normal in 24 hours!!). I didn't start to lose the baby weight for about 5 months.

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 26/05/2010 22:19

Everyone is different. I don't lose weight until I'm down to about 1-2 feeds a day - but then I did eat a lot of cake

Meglet · 26/05/2010 22:22

It didn't work for me, but I only bf until 3/4 months. I hated having to sit down all the time.

Once I'd stopped bf I was dashing around more and went to the gym again so the weight really came off.

EightiesChick · 26/05/2010 22:27

It did work for me. It does seem to vary though and 12 weeks may be too early to tell.

Trafficcone · 26/05/2010 22:28

I was told that you don't see weightloass results
until 4-6 months.

HeadFairy · 26/05/2010 22:32

It didn't work for me until about 6 months in. I read somewhere the hormones you produce when you're bfing make you extra hungry. I've only managed to lose weight this time by cutting out carbs (dd is 5 months and I've lost 1.5 stone in the last two months)

Sunchi · 26/05/2010 23:13

You may not be losing weight yet but I bet all your internal bits are in shape!

Dont worry about the weight, it will go. You should be eating more and drinking more as breastfeeding uses so many calories. Just concentrate on giving your baby the nourishment he/she needs.

12 weeks is nothing. When your kids are grown up (one of mine is), you will look back and wonder why on earth you worried about your weight.

Your little one is so precious, enjoy!

Morloth · 27/05/2010 08:26

Nothing here yet, DS is 9 weeks. Though that probably has more to do with the "I am breastfeeding" as an excuse for a piece of cake!

I am giving myself permission to not worry about it too much until we are done. Otherwise it will start to eat me up and I will lose the happy groove we have now.

It is just a bit of fat/wobbly bits, it isn't my priority at the moment. I eat well (apart from aforementioned cake ), I walk everywhere (probably around 10kms a day). It will all be fine.

MathsMadMummy · 27/05/2010 08:40

It's a bit early to worry!

Some people say that the weight only comes off when you stop BFing but I'm planning to BF until DS for at least another year, so I'm trying not to think about that! It is hard when you want your body back (I miss wearing lovely underwired bras!), but you only get this precious time once so I've made my peace with it.

Stick your baby in the buggy and walk walk walk! And keep loads of fruit in the house for snacks.

Squarepig · 27/05/2010 09:18

It worked for me, and I do eat a lot of cheap chocolate (working my way through Lidl's sweet counter). Fruit? Pah - sorry, an apple just doesn't cut it when I'm hungry, and I seem to be hungry a lot. I've still got a wobbly tummy, but if I stand at the right angle to the mirror and squint, I now look almost like I did pre-baby.

My boy is around four and a half months, and fairly large, so I don't know if the size of baby makes any difference. I do also walk a lot, and carry him round in the sling a fair bit. I don't walk 10 Km a day though! That's good going!

MathsMadMummy · 27/05/2010 09:26

lol squarepig - I still look pregnant from some angles and DS is 9m!!!

a pedometer has been great though as it helped me realise how much I was sitting on my fat bum down all day!

mountainmonkey · 27/05/2010 09:33

I didn't get back to normal weight until 5 months in; then I lost another half stone as well! This was despite the excessive cake eating
Like the others said, you just need to persevere and give it time, don't worry if you don't get instant results. At least if you're losing weight slowly its more likely to stay off.

MathsMadMummy · 27/05/2010 09:36

9 months on, 9 months off, as they say...

though for me it's 9 months on... erm... ???

Bena1 · 27/05/2010 09:42

OP I know what you mean though, I thought I would lose weight within 12 weeks but nope my stomach is wobbling away and my thighs don't allow my old jeans to come up. I hate it so much. I bf and was really hoping that weight would come off faster because of it.

As the majority have said here, I shall wait for the 4/5 month before I complain again! (DS is 14 weeks).

P.s. I was waiting for someone to start a weight loss thread. Thank you. I feel better already

ladypop · 27/05/2010 09:56

I think a lot of the other posts are right - in the whole scheme of things, this is still early days and I look back at things I was worrying about to do with my little one (he is only 4 months old too) and wonder why I got so stressed. I am stressing about things now that I am sure in a coupe of months time won't bother me so much!

Easy to say, I know - but just go with it, I think they are worth it!! x (smile)

TakeLovingChances · 27/05/2010 21:18

Glad it's not just me!

DS is almost 13 weeks old and my belly is a mess! Fatty jelly belly that looks about 4 months pregnant. Don't even get me started on the love handles! I could cry

Friends are getting married in 6 weeks time. I tried on a dress in my wardrobe I planned to wear. Couldn't get the zip up, there was no mission of getting the zip up, my boobs are huge compared to what they used to be.

Urgh!!!!

logrrl · 27/05/2010 21:34

At twelve weeks I was still experiencing THE HUNGER, that is, hunger for sugar, sugar, sugar and oh yeah, sugar, preferably in cake form. It calmed down after a while, but I did think I deserved it and now think I was right! I'm a bit thinner than before my pregnancy but my bum has totally disappeared from all that sitting.

I would take it easy. Look at your baby-your BODY made that-it's the most amazing thing! Now, your BODY is feeding it and making it grow! Isn't that even more amazing??!

Give yourself a break from all that body tyranny we have rammed in our faces, even if just for a little while, and try to look after and nurture yourself (and your baby!) for a wee while longer.

lovely74 · 27/05/2010 21:42

I lost weight pretty quickly then started to put it back on due to excessive cake and chocolate consumption! Within the mummies I know the BF ones have definitely found it easier to get back to their usual size so it does have a positive effect, even if it not as dramatic as you'd like it to be. Hang in there!

KickArseQueen · 27/05/2010 21:58

I lost 5 and a half stone in 4 months whilst breastfeeding

I had had ENOUGH! Yes its all well and good and very kind for people to say (to me)

but you've just had a baby...

If you can't eat cake now then when can you?

You look lovely don't worry about the weight.

And yes all of that is true. But exactly where was the support for me to lose a bit of weight. I was 6 and a half stone over weight. I couldn't run up the stairs and I had had ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!

So I did a lot of research into how many calories was a safe drop and how much intake of protien was required daily to stop you from threatening your supply. Then I signed up to weightloss resources and input all my data so that I could track it properly and lose weight safely.

I still have 1 stone to go. I'm still breastfeeding but I am now happy with my weight I have a healthy bmi and I can run and trampoline and I feel so much better.

I never thought I would be happy with me again but I am

weight loss resources

Kellymoms dieting during breastfeeding page

ozgirl, If you want to diet during breastfeeding you can. Just don't let the worry either way spoil your time with your baby, If you have anything you want to ask I'm about quite a bit.

dizzyem · 27/05/2010 22:09

With DD1, my weight came off really quickly and I was even lighter than I was when I first got pregnant with her (soon put it back on though when i stopped feeding) but with DD2, although I am back to my origonal weight my body priportionms have chnaged more than they did with DD1 but I don't mind just yet because I think that my body is amazing having produced to beautiful daughters and nourished them both (not without problems) for the best start in their life. Nurturing my children is absolutely the best job in the world and who cares if I don't quite look like I once used to during a relatively short period in my life. Mum's should celebrate their figures and remember that the weight will come off eventually if you really want it to. :-)

KickArseQueen · 27/05/2010 22:11

mathsmadmummy Why aren't you wearing underwired bras???

There is no corrolation between blocked ducts and underwires unless the underwire is actually pressing into your breast and it should never do that anyway. The underwire should be flat against your ribcage.

I have been wearing underwired drop cups for the last 2 babies (dual feeding, so 2 years 4 months), and I have never had mastitus.

hth

WoTmania · 28/05/2010 08:00

KickArseQueen - I suppose you're coming from a different view point to me (and possible many others?)as at my heaviest (end of 3rd pg) I was 11 stone, nearly 2 of which were baby. Once DD arrived I dropped to just under 9 and a half stone and then lost the rest gradually but 'stuck' at 9st12lbs for ages then that came off too so now 8.5. So I really didn't neee to 'diet' and got very shakey if i didn't eat every hour or so.

WoTmania · 28/05/2010 08:00

Sorry if that sounds a little smug

Original poster
Ozgal · 28/05/2010 10:07

thanks for the posts ladies. you are right, it is probably too early for me to worry about being back to pre-baby state and I totally agree that when I look at my daughter she is worth a bit of a wobble a million times over!

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