Breastfeeding?

Question

I am 30 weeks pregnant and I plan on breastfeeding if I can. I have heard that you can't diet while breast feeding but I have found that the weight watchers program has a program for nursing moms so I plan to go by that. I had a friend at work tell me that when you eat your body will nourish you before making milk for the baby. She said that if I work out for an hour and say I burn 1,000 calories that I would have to replace those calories in order to produce enough milk for the baby. Is this true? I'm so confused about all the dos and don'ts involved with breastfeeding please help... :(

Answer 1

You can diet while breastfeeding within reason, just no crazy starvation "only eat cabbage" diets. And the weight watchers one is really good. Of course you *may* not need to diet as breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day.

Anyway here are the "rules" for dieting and exercising while breastfeeding -of course you should always listen to your body and all moms watch their babies all the time to make sure they are getting enough milk. Ultimately though remember that women who have access to very little food (like corn or millet, with a few veggies) and have to walk an hour for water manage to breastfeed just fine.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-diet.html
Do I need to maintain a perfect diet while breastfeeding?

The short answer to this question is NO – you do not need to maintain a perfect diet in order to provide quality milk for your baby. In fact, research tells us that the quality of a mother’s diet has little influence on her milk. Nature is very forgiving – mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine. A poor diet is more likely to affect the mother than her breastfed baby.

It's common to hear women say that they want to wean (or not breastfeed at all) because they miss drinking coffee, or want to have an occasional glass of wine, or don't like worrying constantly about everything they eat. Guess what? You can drink caffeinated beverages (in moderation), have an occasional drink, eat what you want and still provide your baby with the absolute best nutrition and immunological protection - mother's own milk.

According to Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D., breastfeeding researcher and anthropologist, women throughout the world make ample amounts of quality milk while eating diets composed almost entirely of rice (or millet or sorghum) with a tiny amount of vegetables and occasional meat.

Are healthy eating habits recommended for mom? Absolutely! You will be healthier and feel better if you eat well. It is best for anyone to eat a variety of foods, in close to their naturally-occurring state, but this is not necessary for providing quality milk or for maintaining milk supply. Although it is certainly not recommended, a breastfeeding mother could live on a diet of junk food – mom would not thrive on that diet, but her milk would still meet her baby's needs.



Exercise and Breastfeeding
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/mom-exercise.html


Can I diet while breastfeeding?
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html

Low carb diets and breastfeeding
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-lowcarb.html

Answer 2

the weight watcher's program is awesome!!!

and in the first couple of months, it is important for your body to learn how to make the milk, so dieting is not a good idea... but after 2 months or so, it's ok to do a healthy meal plan like weight watchers... know that you are also burning 500 extra calories just producing that milk, so you have to allow your body what it needs for your own health and your milk production... then cut out the excess.

more on dieting/exercise and breastfeeding (and this is from an IBCLC's website, so I trust 100% of her advice):
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/mom-exercise.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html

maybe also meet with a dietician/nutritionist... find out for your age, height, weight & weight loss goal what your calorie intake should be... then add the 500 for your milk and there you go!!

Answer 3

You will burn an extra 500-600 calories a day breastfeeding. You need to eat a balanced diet to keep healthy. You can exercise. It's just important to make sure you are getting plenty of healthy stuff so your milk is very nutritious.

After I had my daughter I breastfed, but I didn't watch my diet. I ended up losing tons of weight, and getting really thin, but she had to nurse very often to get enough milk, and I became severely depressed. As long as you are getting plenty of protein and calcium and eating enough calories, you should be fine.

Answer 4

Hello, I'm a breastfeeding Peer Counselor. I breastfed both of my children for 18 mos each.

Kat is right, you are going to burn 500-700 extra calories a day by breastfeeding. It's important to eat healthy and excercise but going on a calorie restrictive diet is not advisable. Just eat non-fatty, very healthy foods, continue to take your prenatal vitamin and excersice and you will watch the pounds melt away. Mine did!

Your body will nourish the baby first but if you restrict too many calories, then you and the baby may suffer.

There seems to be more restrictions on breastfeeding, but it's just because people don't know how to trust their instincts as mothers and they also may not be educated about breastfeeding. It's really simple. Read, read, read and make sure it's reliable info. Let me know if you need help.

Answer 5

Your friend is right about replacing the calories. It's okay to burn the calories, but you need to be eating an additional 500 calories a day for your baby.. your appetite will tell you this also.. the weight watchers program adds the 10 pts. for nursing moms, which is equivilant to this.. but keep in mind that if you exercise you will need to add the pts. for exercising. You shouldn't worry so much about dieting.. just worry about your baby.. the weight will come off before you know it. Best wishes and congrats on deciding to breastfeed. It can be challenging but it's far worth it because of the benefits your baby is getting from you. Stick with it.

Answer 6

Well the first thing you need to do is talk to someone who knows what they're doing. Don't rely on random ideas from friends (I'm sure she means the best, but don't take everything she says as 100% correct.)

Here are my non medical thoughts:
You can't "diet" while breastfeeding because then you risk not getting enough nutrients to pass on to your baby. The most important thing is that you're eating healthy so your baby gets the best from your milk.
As far as working out... that is fine. It is good for your health, but be aware that you burn about 500 calories per day so you're really "working out" most of the day! So if you work out more than that, you're burning calories that should be "saved" for breastfeeding... so yes, I think you need to be eating more in that situation.

Don't be too stressed out about exact numbers of calories and hours you work out... your body will tell you. If you're hungry while breastfeeding, then eat! Your body is telling you its time to eat because its trying to make more milk. If your body says you're tired, then rest - don't go workout... you need to save that energy for the next breastfeeding time.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Go along to a local breastfeeding group! There ao helpful, dieting shouldn't effect breast milk if its not extreme, but even so, breastmilk would still be better than formula. Your body is extremely clever and making whats best for your baby!

Answer 8

Am I the only one who gained weight when breastfeeding???? My daughter was on the breast most of the day I couldn't move let alone exercise! The free time I got I just managed to cook/clean/iron etc before it was time to latch on! I envy the mothers that lost weight ... unfortunately the extra weight and I became best friends and now it seems to have moved in for good!

Answer 9

Your body will provide for your baby...you burn so many calories while breastfeeding too!!
dont worry, you can diet and exercise, just make sure you are still getting adequate nutrition.

Answer 10

True that your calorie intake affects your production. Breastfeeding alone uses substantial calories and many women experience weight loss with maintaining a normal healthy caloric intake and moderate exercise.