Did breastfeeding help anyone lose weight and get their pre-pregnancy body back?

Question

I have read lots of conflicting information. Some articles I have read say that when you breastfeed you stay big until you wean. Other articles say breastfeeding helps lose excess fat and bring the uterus back to its former size. If anyone has experience with this I'd appreciate your story.

P.S. I'm breastfeeding when my baby is born regardless of weight issues.

Answer 1

My baby is four months old and I have been exclusively breast feeding. My OB told me that a healthy weight gain during pregnancy is two-three pounds per month. If you gain more than that then you will have a harder time to loose it. I gained 30 lbs. and I lost 100% by the time my daughter was three months old. I actually weigh less now than before I got pregnant.

However, loosing all that weight doesn't mean I have the same "body" I did as before. I don't have the same muscle tone as I used to and even though I weigh less my "skinny" jeans just don't fit the same way in the hips anymore... I have been told this won't change. Your hips spread so far during child birth that some women won't ever be the same way they were as before they gave birth.

Loosing all my baby weight was great. I didn't diet and I do eat very healthy foods. If you don't eat enough calories while you nurse you can loose your milk supply. My mother nursed me for only three months because she didn't eat enough and lost her milk. If this happens you will be really sad. Don't diet and eat healthy. Keep in mind that it took you nine months to gain all that weight and you need to give yourself at least that long to loose it. Every woman is different and metabolizes food differently. Give it time. Nursing definitely helped me loose weight but it did not give me my pre-prego body back.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

They feel that is true because you burn extra calories breastfeeding. Often you will keep and extra few pound until you finish breasfeeding. Of the people I know.... the theory that you'll lose the weight faster is not true.

I was forced to stop breastfeeding in the second week, and I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight by 3 months.

In the end, it's all about your body type, hormone levels, physical activity, eating habits, etc.

Good luck... and congratulations.

Answer 4

My son is 5 monthes old and I have lost all my baby weight and I am breastfeeding. I can't tell you if that is why I lost all the weight but. I have. I gained 30 pounds during the pregnancy and went for walkes everyday (about a mile) right after he was born. Just don't try to diet while you are breastfeeding, your baby needs you to eat right.

Answer 5

I think it depends on the person. You are not supposed to diet when you are breastfeeding so some people might not lose any. As long as you eat healthy you might.

Research about breastfeeding before you have the baby, it will make it much easier. I thought "oh I will breastfeed because that is what you do". I didn't research with my 1st and only lasted a few days.(I know you didn't ask this but feel it is good advice.) I researched ahead of time with my second and I learned a lot.

good luck to you.

Answer 6

Yes, I lost some weight with my two children because of nursing. No huge amounts, but it did get me down to pre pregnancy weight in a shorter amount of time. It does also trigger your uterous to contract right after you deliver and you might feel crampy when you start to nurse. Be sure to talk with your OB about pain medications you can take during this time. I was taking Motrin and it was working well.
You might check out www.llli.org La Leche League, they have some great forums and chat boards that you can read and ask questions there.

Congrats on the new baby to come and good luck with nursing, it's a great choice

Answer 7

I'm breast feeding, and I haven't been able to lose any weight.

I used to eat a salad for lunch every day, but my daughter is sensitive to raw veggies (and many cooked veggies).

Also, I'm ravenously hungry all the time - breastfeeding hormones can vastly increase appetite for some people.

My sister, on the other hand, breastfed and lost all of the baby weight in 2 months.

I think it depends on your individual hormone levels and metabolism.

Answer 8

I've tried many diets and couldn't make anything work. Since having my first child, I've been carrying around an extra 30 pounds. This diet just made sense and showed me that everything I was doing before was wrong and a waste of my time.

The plan was so refreshing and so simple to follow. I did everything plan said and lost 23 pounds in the first three weeks. I'm now starting the diet again to lose 7 more pounds. This plan has changed my life.

Get started today!

Answer 9

For me it helped lose the initial weight..Because it shrank my uterus back down really quick..But in the long run for me I only lose my weight after I stop breastfeeding..So no it doesn't help me get back down..Only when I stop I get back down to my regular size..Then another thing is like right now I am bfing my daughter who is 8 months, and my breast are huge.So I think my breast make me look more heavier then what I really am.

But I have known like 1 or 2 people that swear that breastfeeding helped them lose the rest of the weight.(I guess I am not that lucky)..lol..

Answer 10

It does help a lot! Breastfeeding causes your uterus to contract back to its normal size, you can feel it when you feeding or pumping. I got down to a 3 after my daughter and i've just recently gotten down to a 5 after my son, and i think breastfeeding and haveing very active children helped with that big time! Good luck, everyone is different, but it will help.