Book: choose F-feeding if you want to lose weight faster than is healthy. - Page 2

[Artisan]

I am someone who BFs and has trouble losing weight postpartum... and this just makes me want to vomit.

[hypatia]

Yes, I think this book was all about how pregnancy disrupted this woman's eating disorder.

I don't believe that this is accurate:

In most cases, bottle-feeding moms can get to their prepregnancy weight faster than breast-feeding moms. (quote from author of the book).

Honestly, I'd want to see some good, hard data about that one

I didn't interpret that quote to be a data-driven kind of thing. I don't think she meant that on average formula feeders lose weight faster. Instead, what I thought she meant was that if you're in that subclass of people for whom dieting (at whatever cost) is more important to you than your baby's health, then formula feeding "frees you" to engage in the disordered eating habits you had to set aside for pregnancy. I think the theory goes that if you breastfeed, you should refrain from dipping into all-out eating disorder mode out of respect for your child's health. I know I'm reading a little between the lines, but that's what I got out of it.

What is sad, and what deserves critique, IMO, is that there is such spectacular social pressure for women to lose weight and conform to an idealized body size / shape regardless of their health needs and their baby's mothering requirements.

Yes, that's what I thought was horrifying about this book. I was stunned that somebody wrote a book giving legitimacy to this social pressure to maintain weight during pregnancy. I just think it's sad if women buy into the idea that a pregnant body is fat and weak, and that weight loss is more important than your baby's health, they will really miss out: They'll miss out on the power and beauty that so many women discover in their pregnant bodies. They'll miss out on the opportunity to provide their child the benefits of breastfeeding, and they'll miss out on what it feels like to be child-centered and become absorbed in your baby after birth (if they're too busy focusing on dieting to notice).

I just think this book is dangerous and I can't believe it got published.

[MommytoTwo]

that's not how it is for everyone, and frankly, that doesn't take away from the worthiness of breastfeeding.

Ditto that. I am nowhere near my prepregnancy weight, and even that is not my goal weight. But I am eating healthy and exercising, and I'll worry about dieting strictly when DD is no longer nursing.

[Leilalu]

This woman actually published this?????????
Wow,um,ok.Lets beak it down shall we?

The body actually stores fat for ue during pregnancy and nursing.Fat is where vitamins are stored.Hence-"fat soluable"vitamins It is natures way of ensuring a healthy baby.


Nursing actually unlocks the fat stored during these times. And everyone loses weight at a different pace. There are also studies on how FF moms gain weight back, while nursing moms keep it off. so there .Where is the nose in the air smilie??:LOL

So, it is obvious this woman is unstudied. I hope noone takes this book seriously

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by hypatia

Instead, what I thought she meant was that if you're in that subclass of people for whom dieting (at whatever cost) is more important to you than your baby's health, then formula feeding "frees you" to engage in the disordered eating habits you had to set aside for pregnancy.

Great insight. You are spot-on!

I just think this book is dangerous and I can't believe it got published.

Believe it - -that's what mainstream culture is all about. :

[*Erin*]

ok, yea, that sucks. that breaks my heart that someone would ffeed just so they could crash diet. ugh. i hate that our society is so focused on weight. women's weight...
my dh and i joke that all that instead of extolling the health benefits of bfing to the baby, the potential for fast pp weight loss should be the focus. you know, appeal to the moms who are all about vanity and would never breastfeed otherwise. i know everyone is different, and i'm definitely not the norm, but i went from nearly 270 lbs pp to 150 lbs. in six months. with no dieting and eating 4 healthy square meals a day. only thing i did was breastfeed on demand, and carry my baby all the time. i didnt care about losing weight, it just happened.

[kerikadi]

I know this is not the case for all mamas and she is wrong to generalize but what she said it exactly how it is for me

I am a certified personal trainer. I am also a :tandem mama and when I do EVERYTHING right I lose VERY slowly. By everything right I mean NO sugar, losts of good food, exercising 5 times a week and doing it correctly mixing lots of cardio and weight resistance. When I am breastfeeding it is VERY hard for me to loose weight. I don't gain much in my pregnancies, in my 4th pregnancy I gained 28 pounds which is the most I have ever gained in a pregnancy and even though I lose the first 20 or so pretty much right away, those last 8-10 pounds (had a few to begin with) is AGONIZING.

If I were to write a book I would say that it can be very difficult for moms like me but there are also plenty of BF women that lose all their weight and then some easily. Maybe she was just writing from her own first hand experience.

Keri

[Firemom]

I think also, that some people read to much into statements. Another one is that breastfeeding babies get sick less often. You then get the comments that I formula fed my baby and my friend breastfed and my baby never got sick and hers did.

No one is saying breastfed babies will not get sick, but thats how some people interpret that.

For every breastfeeding mom who loses weight super fast, medium fast or slowly there is going to be a breastfeeding mom who can't drop a lb while breastfeeding. But if you look at it statistically that same breastfeeding woman who cannot loss any weight may not have been able to lose the weight while bottle feeding either.

[Fiercemama]

Add me to the list of slim breastfeeding mamas! I lost 25 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight within the first 2 months or so while breastfeeding. I have a BIG appetite and could never get my hands on enough to eat! DD is just turning 3, and is slowing down with the nursing. The pounds are creeping back on. Time for another baby!!!! :LOL

[zinemama]

I'm surprised no one has noted what struck me as the hugely ironic aspect of all this: doesn't ff your kid set them up to be at greater risk of obesity later on?

[Rainbow Brite]

I gained 50lbs while pg. Dd is 7.5 months and I'm 15lbs below my pre-pg weight. The only thing I have done is tried to eat healthier! I've been 15 below since dd was about 3-4 months.