Breastfeeding - is it normal to crave sweet things?

[harverina]

Hi there,

I have ben exclusively breastfeeding for 11 weeks now and have found that I cannot get enough sweet things, especially chocolate and lucozade. I could eat chocolate all day every day, even during the night.

Is this somthing that other people have experienced? I am not gaining weight...I lost over 2 stone within weeks of giving birth and have maintained my weight since. How I have managed this I dont know as my eating has been out of control. Any tips on how to help this?

Thanks

I don't know if it is normal, but if I don't get some cake very soon there is going to be trouble.

I have however gained weight since having baby so need to keep it under wraps.

I still want some bloody cake though and I am not usually that fussed about sweets.

I think it's normal to crave calories like mad when you're bfing! I did with every one of my dcs. But I did go a bit bonkers with dc3 and put on stack of weight. Not good!

Is there anything else you could bear alternating the choc with?

Yes, I feel I could alternate between chocolate and chocolate cookies! Seroously though, I do try and stop myself. I know that the more sugar you consume the more you want, but the cravings are so strong. I can doen a bottle of lucozade in seconds. I really dont want to gain weight as I am fat enough!

I eat a lot of chocolate too, it's the only thing that gets me through the day and I'm feeding a large 16w baby.
I'm now weighing less than prior to conception although I still have a flabby baby tummy. With DD1 my weight gain only became an issue as feeding tailed off and I was still guzzling away and I had to make a concious effort to cut down. Then I fell pregnant again and the cycle resumed.
I feel weak if I don't eat frequently and I have zero concentration if I am hungry. (when pg or breastfeeding)

Morloth, you should have some cake if you have some in the house! Unless you want to start baking at this time of night...;)

Mars bars! Yum yum! BF a 20 week old, i never stop eating.

Smac and Gracie, do you ctually crave the chocolate?

Do you think its ok for baby?

I have no cake and foolishly told DH not to give into my begging when I was having a strong moment. The bastard is refusing to buy me cake now.

I want carrot cake with cream cheese icing and I don't have the fixing. Dammitalltohell.

Not me - just crave water. Although am a total heifer from long before pg (seriously am mahoosive) so plenty of fat stores for bf. When I bf dd1 I lost toms of weight as didn't want unhealthy food. Shame I went back to bad habits afterwards. Will have to feed dd2 for next 20 years at least to get and stay slim!

Why wouldn't chocolate be OK for baby? (not actually for baby obviously, but for Mum?)

Oh god yes, I'm terrible. Have calmed down a bit recently (ds is 13 weeks now). Have been known to eat 4 chocolate bars on one day, and big choc chip cookies

in one day

MOrloth was just thinking that the sugar might not be good...does it go into te breast milk? I have no idea!

Dalrymps, I am constantly buying tripple choc cookies. I start eating one before I een leave the shop!

The Asda ones are goood, 2 bags for £1.50 iirc

My DS2 is 18 weeks. I'm still exclusively breastfeeding and needing at least 3 snacks a day. I've always had a very fast metabolism and have to watch that my blood sugar doesn't drop. I've ended up buying shedloads of Sainsburys 'be good to yourself' hot cross buns as these are pleasantly sweet, fill me up for longer and contain about 180 calories each. I know they're not great and I will stop eating them as soon as I stop feeding (as that was my downfall last time round with eating crap after I'd stopped) but they get me through each day. I also have about 4 squares of Bourneville dark chocolate one by one through the day. If it was milk chocolate, I'd eat it all in one go and not just the foiur squares!! I've lost 2 stone and have another 8lbs to go so my hotcross bun diet obviously isn't too bad for weight management. Maybe I should promote it?!
p.s Maybe cheating as I also have a mad 2 year old to chase which has to be helping!

I have scoffed 2 bags of Galaxy Counters this week (among other things). They are strangly addictive and taste different to a bar of Galaxy.

I used to get chocolate cravings before I was pg but could (sometimes) ignore them. Now I have no chance. If I haven't had something sweet by 3pm I take DD for a walk to the local shop and usually end up going a bit mad . Seriously, am starting to think the staff will wonder if I have a problem so have started buying things I don't need so it doesn't seem like I have gone in only to buy as much chocolate as I can carry

Breastmilk is so sweet I can imagine it would make a difference.

Pdog I am the same! I walk up to just buy cookies!

I ate a lot of chocolate rice biscuits, but the thing is chocolate does have a bad impact on your calcium and iron levels, and lucozade could make baby windy

I Try not to drink too much lucozade. I thought choc would be bad...it was never going to be good ! Any tips for getting rid of the cravings? Really don't want to gain weight. Limited by what excersize I can do just now as still have a hole in my wound 11 weeks on. Used to swim alot but have not been able to do that due to wound! Just been walking...but clearly having issues walking past the shops! I am reassured to hear that i'm not alone.

flapjack is your friend

I'm still sugar craving and giving in to it. My extreme downfall is bourbon biscuits and cold milk (a packet at a time) That said I've lost a lot and now I'm maintaining, so its working,

Morloth how about this ?

oh, sorry - flapjack is your friend because oats can help stimulate milk production. this + sugar = happy

I am ebf my six month old DD. And am completely reliant on chocolate. As in, I can polish off a 140g bar of dairy milk with no problems. Every day. Blush.

I am now just 3 lbs off pre-preg weight. And am very short. My seven stone frame is just seeming to absorb this extra calorie hit - crazy. Am enjoying while it lasts! Am also still carrying DD everywhere in the sling, which must also be a calorie burner, but even so - am amazed!

I thought it was just me!

I'm bfing 16 week old DS and could eat sweet food all day long! I walk back and forth from the sofa to the kitchen all day snacking. I can't stop myself!

It's odd though how my body has changed. I'm the same weight as I was pre-pregnancy, and the same size (size 12). But my body shape has changed and my love handles and muffin tops are huge! Eating too many choc chip muffins has resulted in my body turning into a muffin! Who'd have thought

I'm guessing that if I didn't eat so much I'd be thinner, but I just can't stop myself. Need to keep my energy up for feeding DS who is a big boy.