if i'm on diet does it affect the milk?

Question

if am breastfeeding and on diet does it affect the milk production

Answer 1

You shouldn't diet while breastfeeding, and will have to take in more calories than normal to keep up with breastmilk production. Eating sensibly and excercising are what's best for now. It WILL affect you breastfeeding if you diet. Hold off until you wean your little one. Also, never take diet drugs, even OTC ones, while breastfeeding. Good luck, and congrats on the baby.

Answer 2

While breastfeeding, it's not such a great idea to go on a diet. In fact, you need to take in extra calories during this time. Maybe you can wait until you are no longer nursing and then start a diet.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 3

If you are breastfeeding you should keep oatmeal in your diet.While dieting you should also take a vitamin for the baby to make sure hes getting enough nutrient.Oatmeal helps keep your milk comming in,at least thats what my doctor told me.

Answer 4

It depends on what kind of dieting you're doing. Excessive dieting can result in a reduced milk supply. Rapid weight loss should be avoided because of the potential release of fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins that have been stored in your body fat.

From LLLI's BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK, 3rd Edition, 2003. "Breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight when their babies are three to six months old than formula-feeding mothers who consume fewer calories (Dewey, 1993; Heinig 1992). Another study of mothers at one month postpartum found that mothers who breastfed (either exclusively or partially) had slimmer hips and weighed less than women whose babies received only formula" (Kramer 1993).

Gradual weight loss of ABOUT ONE POUND PER WEEK, while consuming about 1500 to 1800 calories per day, will help you to feel good and have the energy you need to care for your baby. The composition of your milk really does not vary much with your diet. (Mothers in famine conditions can produce milk that is nutritionally perfect for their babies.) HOWEVER, your health may suffer if too many of your own reserves are used to provide milk. It takes a lot of energy to care for your baby so be sure to take care of yourself by "eating to hunger" and "drinking to thirst."

Six guidelines for safe dieting during lactation

Wait until your baby is two months old before dieting
It's best not to do anything consciously to lose weight until after the second month. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) -- so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories.

Breastfeed without restriction
Research tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss.

Eat at least 1500-1800 calories per day
While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.

Keep weight loss at less than 1.5 pounds per week
Most moms can safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week or 6 pounds per month after the second month and not affect milk supply or baby's well being. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days).

Decrease the calories gradually
A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Some moms notice this during an illness, although dehydration and/or medication use could also be a factor in reduced milk supply when mom is sick. It has been hypothesized that a sudden calorie decrease can cause mom's body to go into "starvation mode" and cut nonessential resources such as milk production.

Avoid quick-fix solutions
Liquid diets, low-carb diets, fad diets, weight loss medication, etc. are not recommended while breastfeeding.

Answer 5

It's not the healthiest thing to diet while breastfeeding. Wait 'til you've weaned the baby.

Baby's nourishment is more important than your weight loss right now!

Answer 6

What you eat affects the taste of the breastmilk - for instance if you eat hot foods, the baby is going to get some of those foods. But you need to eat sensibly, not starve yourself. Then you could have disasterous consequences.

Answer 7

breastfeeding and diet dun work hand-in-hand.
You're deprivig your baby from the best.
Would you feel good that your baby is receiving lesser than what she shld be getting?
Think about it.

Answer 8

it does if u dont eat healthy food