Breastfeeding and Dieting/Losing Baby Weight

[CrunchyKnitter]

So here's the deal...DS is now 3 1/2 months old and I am only down 10 lbs from what I was when I went into labor. Wouldn't be the biggest deal ever except I gained more than I "should have" so I'm currently sitting at about 30-35 lbs heavier than when I got pregnant. On someone who is 5'1 this is a lot. I used to wear a size 4-6 and couldn't put on a 12 or 14 the other day and even when I got a pair of jeans on, they didn't fit right and looked awful b/c of my still 7 month looking belly hanging around. Yeah, yeah it's what's on the inside that counts..blah blah blah, but I FEEL fat and ugly. It doesn't help that my skin (thanks to PCOS) is still awful from pregnancy. I want to take pictures with my son and husband and not look at the in disgust.

But my problem? I'm absolutely terrified of supply issues. It is my number one concern right now and has been since the start. I almost try to force feed DS if he goes over 2 hours w/out eating still. lol So naturally I'm worried about dieting and breastfeeding since I know you need extra calories to make enough milk. I have counted calories before and hate it so I don't really want to do that and that seems like teh only option, if dieting, to make sure you're still eating enough with regards to breastfeeding, right?

I'm also more hungry than I ever was while pregnant which makes dieting quite hard!

Anyone else have this struggle? Iwant to lose at least some of the baby weight and feel good about myself, but I'm also starving all the timeand concerned about supply issues.

[lifeguard]

I don't have any real advice as at 13 months I still haven't lost ANY of the baby weight. I also have pcos & that just makes it more of an uphill battle.

Have you increased your activity/exercise at all?

[EmilyG]

I'm right there with you! I seem to gain weight while breastfeeding, rather than loose! I'm 3.5 months postpartum and about 5 pounds over my delivery weight! So frustrating, I feel so fat, I hate to see myself in the mirror or pictures, but I don't want to do anything to put my supply in jeopardy. With my first I joined weight watchers when she was 18 months old and my milk was completley gone by the end of the first week, so I'm terrified of that happening again!

Hopefully someone else has an idea. You always hear that breastfeeding is supposed to be great for loosing the baby weight, but for me it's just the opposite!

[rivkah]

9 months on, 9 months off! This is how my previous two were, and how #3 is shaping up to be. I gain a LOT during pregnancy too (50 pounds)! while I am much plumper for a while (like two sizes bigger), I just enjoy actually having boobs for a while before they shrink down too.

Unless you are Hiedi Klum or Angelina Joli, you probably are not going to look like your former self in 3 1/2 months (or ever really). My advice--eat good food, not too much, and carry your baby around.

[*MamaJen*]

I'm 5'2" and I gained right at 40 pounds during my pregnancy. I was pretty slim before and it was a lot of weight on me.
It comes off, it really does. For me, it was this very gradual 2 - 3 pounds per month. I guess I lost about 10 pounds during the delivery. By nine months I I was back on the high end of my normal weight range, and by 18 months or so I was actually a little below my pre-baby weight.
Nursing makes you hungry for a reason -- you're converting those calories to food for the baby. But you can get back to exercise. Even just taking the baby for a good long walk in the stroller a few times a week helped me get back to pre-baby shape.


Not to hijack, but this is something I wrote a few weeks after my baby was born.

So here I am, taking a break from my massive closet overhaul project. All the maternity clothes are getting carefully packed away, hopefully to be pulled out again in two or three years. Despite the fact that I am so utterly sick to death of each and every pair of stretchy waisted slacks and empire waisted shirts, it still makes me feel a little sad to pack them away, and a little happy to think that one day in the not too distant future I might be pulling out those clothes again and dreaming of next baby who is just barely starting to make my belly swell.
The pants that still don't fit are also being packed away, but not so far out of reach (My darling size 2 skinny jeans, we will be reunited one day soon, I swear to you). The pants that didn't fit a couple of weeks ago but now--yes!--can just barely slide over my ass are heading back to their place of honor in my closet. And as for the many, many cute little shirts that used to be snug and sexy, but now take one look at my ridiculous breastfeeding cleavage and say to me, "Um, you've got to be kidding me if you think I'll fit over those mountains without busting at the seams," well, all those are going in a separate box to hibernate until weaning time.
It does feel quite a bit like a rite of passage, four weeks postpartum, to sort out the closet. Staring into the mirror as I try on nearly every piece of clothing I own, I've had plenty of time to see how pregnancy changed my body. I truly liked my body when I was pregnant, all dramatic curves full of visible life. It's funny, then, that the part of my body that bothers me the most postpartum is the place where the baby used to live inside me. The lower part of my belly has never really been flat--I'm too curvy and Italian for that--but it used to just fit into the crook of my hand. Then for a few months it was stretched as tight as it could go. Now it's all soft and squishy and poochy, with a few purplish striations where the baby stretched too hard against the skin. Without the baby, it looks deflated. The lower hem of my shirts get hung up now on my love handles.
I read something recently, I forget where, about celebrities who pose for beautiful pregnancy photos but get tummy tucks and liposuction and breast lifts as soon as the scheduled C-section is over. It's true, I think, that in this society we do celebrate the pregnant form, but the flab and sagging and stretch marks postpartum are considered something to be ashamed of. I hate that I'm catching myself even remotely buying into that mindset. I thought I was too smart for that.
But honestly, I'm not unhappy with the way that pregnancy has reshaped my body. I understand why it looks the way it does. And I love that my body was able to create and grow my son, and now it's able to give him all the nourishment that he needs to thrive. And I know that over the next few months I'll live a healthy lifestyle and my body will return to a more familiar shape, though maybe still different and less girlish than it was before I became a mother.
Aaron wandered into the room as I was pulling off one shirt and trying on another, and brushed a kiss against my cheek and said absentmindedly, "Mmm, sexy mama," and wandered off again. I don't know if he knew I sort of needed to hear that, but I loved that he said it all the same.

[Materfamilias]

I think you're being too hard on yourself. 3 1/2 months is just too soon to expect to lose a lot of weight. Have you got the go ahead to exercise? Can you strap the babe on and go walking?
I wanted to lose the baby weight from dd in nine months and did, by counting calories (I know, I know, but it works!) and exercising. I was worried about supply issues so that's why I took so long; and now I'm below pre pg weight, but I still have belly and hip fat, like a camel's hump, I think. It's my emergency supply

[Magical_Mama]

Some thoughts

I wouldn't worry too much about cutting calories. Our bodies are designed to feed our babies even when food is scarce. It's not healthy to dramatically cut calories (for you or baby) but if you merely cut down, it shouldn't affect your supply.

If you're hungry all the time then maybe the answer is in changing what you're eating. I'd suggest lots of fiber especially in the forms of fruits like apples, veggies like broccoli and nutrient dense carbs like brown rice. I'd also drink tons more water to stay full. Snack on stuff that's going to be lower calorie and great for you and baby's health.

I'd also suggest just getting moving. I used to put my little ones in a fleece pouch and then dance around or power walk around the living room. It helped keep them happy and lull them to sleep and the movement helped get me back in shape. I also did simple at-home stuff like make myself walk up and down the stairs 10 times. And stroller walks around the block, walking fast and holding my belly in.

I'm short too (4'11" and a half!) and I know how it sucks to have the weight take so long to come off. I agree with what someone said about 9 months on and 9 months off. It takes longer than we expect, but it does slowly get better!

~Alicia

[aleatha5]

I am right there with you. I lost 24 pounds almost instantly, but I did have mastitis three times and I think that it was an artificial weight loss because I gained 4 back after that cleared up. Then I was hanging out at 20 pounds down, 20 to go for 2 months or so. Then Thanksgiving came and now I am up 3 more pounds. ARGH. So, as much as I hate to, I have started counting calories again. I am keeping it around 2000 and not going crazy, ie if I'm hungry I eat something healthy, but it is tough, I worry about my supply. Particularly if I pump less than average, it almost makes me want to rush out and eat something.

AND the worst part is, I've returned to work so I use my lunch break to go home and bf, then I rush home after work to bf. My ds is reverse cycling, so I stay up until 12-2 sleep for a few precious hours and then do it all again. So, I rarely have the energy to do much and the lack of sleep makes me super hungry . Plus, it's winter, so I can't walk outside after work (even if I had the energy) b/c it's pitch black.

So, I definitely feel your pain. If you find a secret weight loss strategy, please share.

[hotharmony]

I think that 3.5 months is the perfect time to start dieting and exercising to loose the weight gained in pregnancy. I personally do a combination of south beach phase 2 and calorie counting. The key is you really need to eat more than you think.

BTW, I am down 45lbs since having my baby last December.

[pagodafish]

Sharing your boat....

I could have written your post. Only I am now 6 months PP....

I recently gave up on trying to lose the weight. I started eating when I was hungry and decided to give myself a break. Deep down I know I wont look like this forever.... (it's hard to ignore the external pressure to look a certain way by a certain time) and guess what? I lost 6 pounds in the last 3 weeks. Can't say for sure why, but I suspect it's because I stopped stressing out about it, and it's possible that I am actually eating MORE now?

Also, I think I felt better about myself once I decided to let it go- and I've noticed I'm a lot more active during the day. Just little stuff: more movement, more laundry, more tidy-ing up etc....

Anyway- hugs to you. It's hard to look in the mirror and think "where did I go? Sniff. Snort" Ahhh, that's right. It's still me I just look kinda funny right now.

[CrunchyKnitter]

Thanks so much for the support, ideas, and advice everyone. It helps to know I am (fortunately and unfortnately) not alone with this problem. I've decided that for now I am going to just eat better and get really serious about that (did a major Whole Foods trip yesterday with lots of fresh organic fruits and veggies, lean meats, and whole grains) and try to move more. I had a rough recovery with a tear that wasn't healing properly and am just now not feeling any pain so I think I can at least do some walking, etc. I'd love to get backto yoga, but I feel like my body is so out of shape, sore, and fat it would be so hard! haha We'll see! Good luck to everyone else!

[georgiegirl1974]

With DD, I didn't do anything, and the weight came off slowly...I settled into a nice weight a few lbs above my pre-pg weight about 10 months post partum. I didn't work out or watch what I ate, but my diet has always been reasonably healthy.

With DS, I started working out 6 weeks post partum and watching what I ate. I didn't deprive myself, I just didn't go crazy (like I'd only have a small sliver of pie at Thanksgiving instead of one piece of pumpkin and one piece of apple.) When I was hungry, I tried to eat healthy, well balanced items that weren't junky (like cheese with whole grain crackers or veggies with hummus.) I was pretty successful at losing all but 10 lbs by 3.5 months post partum. My biggest motivation was that I was the maid of honor for my sister's wedding. I really worked hard though. It did not affect my supply (my son doubled his birth weight before 4 months).

I ended up losing another 7 pounds in the past 3.5 weeks because I was hospitalized for 5 days with pneumonia. It did not affect my supply.

I would try not to worry too much about your supply. Don't go on a 1000 calorie diet or try to run a marathon. Normal exercise (45 min of cardio and 15 min of weight) a few times a week should not affect your supply. Weight watchers also has a program for nursing moms if you are interested.

Interestingly enough, my son gained much more weight in the first few months than my daughter did even though I've been hard core about losing the weight with him.

[gracemamma]

I feel your pain- lost a bunch at delivery and then it didnt budge for a couple of months-even after I started walking with DD 4.5 mos. in her carrier for an hour a day. But then it started really moving-hurray! I've still got 20+ lbs to go but here is what is really working for me:
-walking that hour very day with DD in her carrier- fresh air and a break for us both
- eliminating dairy- did it because DD is sensitive but really helps me
-making big pots of lentil or bean soups for the week, brown rice, oatmeal etc and just having it handy, yummy fresh fruit ready etc.
-going to bed early with DD so that I am functional the next day and not feeling deprived from the get go if she wakes up at 3AM, 4AM, 5AM etc due to teething- like this morning for example-LOL!
Good luck!