Does BF make you more hungry than usual?

[nicannie]

I actually had to take a pregnancy test the other day as I convinced myself I was pregnant as I was waking up starving and hungry within hours of eating lunch and dinner etc.

Has anyone else experienced this ? I feel like I can't stop eating. I'm EBF and my baby just turned 9 weeks yday. I'm struggling to stop eating rubbish between meals ..

I think you need, IIRC, another 200 calories a day when BF, so it would make sense.

I had really strong cravings for chocolate after DD was born. Like I couldn't eat enough of it haha. It went after about 9 weeks. My dd is 15 weeks now. Yeah I think it does make you feel more hungry

Yes, I'm breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old and have such a huge appetite. I eat the same size portions as my husband who is 6ft 2 and must weigh about double what I do. I'm constantly thirsty too. If I feed her when I'm hungry I get a headache and feel hugely grumpy. I have to be really conscious of choosing good foods otherwise I would be huge

Yes, for lots of people. Also thirsty.

I was constantly ravenous when breastfeeding lots, the early months were ridiculous. Hungry and thirsty.
DD is nearly 2 now and has the odd week where she will have a bit more outside wake up and bed time and the hunger comes straight back with a vengeance I may just become greedy now though!

I was constantly stuffing my face when breastfeeding. I put on more weight breastfeeding than I did during pregnancy. I thought I could eat what I liked without putting on weight but I was certainly wrong there. So I would advise trying to get enough calories but without being a total pig like me!

I've heard the extra 200kcal thing too and definitely needed more than that, possibly double it. I ate whatever I wanted and was the thinnest I've been since I was about 17 (size 6-8 from an 8-10 usually).

Yep, and thirsty. I eat tons but have lost 3 and a half stone in 8 months through breastfeeding. Keeping it off when he starts to drop feeds is the challenge

Yes! Ravenous! Try to go for really high energy and low sat fat foods- nuts, oats, eggs, yoghurt etc. I ate cereal bars during night feeds, it is only supposed to be a couple of 100 extra calories but I could not get enough in my mouth.

Yes! My baby is 8 weeks old and I feel like I've been snacking so much. If I bake anything nice it's gone in a couple of days. Trying to eat bigger meals so I am more full of the healthy stuff and not asking my husband to get biscuits or crisps from the shops like he has been the last few weeks-we don't normally buy that stuff but I felt like I needed it recently.

With my first child I eventually got sick of the extra eating and ended up going quite thin. Don't know if that will happen this time though as its hard to have an active lifestyle in lockdown. I walked everywhere last time I was on mat leave but now we only walk for the sake of walking and don't go for as long with a toddler...

Thanks for everyone's replies so far that's really helpful to know it's not just me. No one really told me I'd be this hungry BF. It's insane! It's constant. I just keep reaching for the chocolate and crisps ever after eating a full meal. My LO feeds anywhere from 5-15 mins per feed and every 1-3 hours throughout day but sleeps 7-9 hours at night. But I wake up starving it's bad.

Everyone keeps saying I'll lose weight BF but I feel like I'm putting on (I amnt but feels that way!). I was a 6-8 pre pregnancy and put on 5 stone during pregnancy (shocking I know but apparently healthy because of how slim I was?!). I lost 2 stone in the first 2-3 weeks after birth and then the last 5-6 weeks I've just stayed the same, it's probably Cos I'm eating so much crap!!

I used to feel so hungry at night feeds that I felt.sick. started keeping a pot of trail mix by the bed and snacking through each feed

Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories extra a day, so get as much food down you as you can!

Chocolate is your new best friend- sugar and caffeine combined- think it kept me alive

Yes - you're sustaining another little person! I was also a 6-8 pre pregnancy, put on 3.5 stone & lost 4.5 stone postpartum, all whilst eating a LOT of food. Don't worry about it at this stage...just keep your energy levels up & start to replace the junk with healthier options when you can :)

Thanks everyone u have all made me feel a bit more normal - haha. Although I really need to replace the junk with healthy options as this whole staying 2 stone heavier thing just is starting to really make me feel shit about myself ! I should probably give myself a break as LO is only 9 weeks but I can't help but feel I'm going to be carry baby weight / over weight forever now as just don't seem to be coming down at all!

yes definitely. i have gone back to normalish now (baby is 5mo). with my first i ended up losing loads of weight without even trying 👍

Thanks @MerryDeath that's really useful to know. I just worry I'm never going to return to normal. Although, I'm really trying to accept my body for how it is as I look at my wonderful LO and realise my body changed to be able to grow her xx

Your body is using way more than 200 calories to feed your baby. If you think your producing all the energy they need and it takes energy to do that. I expressed for DD so could work it out and it was something like 900 calories which sounds like loads but is very easily made up with much needed cake and coffee