Does breast feeding take energy?

[Iadorreu]

I’m ebf, 5 months in and I’m tired. I have my 5 month old and a 2.5 year old so I’m active I. General and I always make sure we get outdoors and go walking etc

i sometimes fall asleep at bed time and my nights are still broken. The youngest hit the 4 month sleep regression so is waking not long after going in her cot , and feeds back to sleep so it’s me up and down a few times. My eldest is starting the day at half 5!

I could eat more food groups I think I’m not there

someone said bf takes energy. Could this be contributing to me being a bit tired ? Along with the other factors , I thought it was just because I’m not getting a big chunk of sleep and have 2 kids etc

Yes. Breastfeeding can be exhausting- you get through more calories in a day.

combine with lack of sleep of course you’re going to be exhausted!

Of course, literally calories, which are energy.

Plus sleep.

It’s not really the calories, they’re negligible. It’s the sleep, it’s brutal.

The calories aren’t negligible. Do the maths. If your 5month old baby is eating 600kcal worth of milk per day your body has to take over 600kcal worth of energy (from food you eat or from your fat stores) to produce that 600kcal worth of breast milk. - So there’s the kcal going out as breast milk plus the energy needed to produce it.

It's a five mile run of calories every day.

Yes - you need more extra calories than your baby consumes in milk, plenty of liquid and more rest.

Thanks everyone I did wonder. I’m always hungry I feel too I eat a good amount and I’m not gaining weight so I’m definitely burning quite a bit of energy !