Did you put weight on after you stopped BFing?

It was around this same time (10 or so months), that I found myself losing more pounds than I could account for. Initially, I dropped 20 of my 30 pg pounds and within a few months, I lost the last ten. In the second half of the first year, I started to lose even more (while eating like there was no tomorrow) and by the time he was 1 1/2, I was wearing clothes I hadn't touched since college!

At around 2 though, I started to creap back up slowly. My appetite was back to normal because nursing had slowed down so much I believe. I am now the weight I was when I became pg--respectable, but I miss being able to wear anything and everything in my closet. DS is 3 1/2 and I seem to be holding steady these days--appetite and weightwise.

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ditto. ds is 27 mo and still nursing often, but the pounds are coming back

The good news is, my appetite has decreased over the past few months, so I don't feel the need to eat as much. Just have to be more careful....

I was back down to a size 5 when I weaned my first ds at 15 mos (traumatically, and I really really regret it! I was a single mom living w/ family and gave into stress and pressure from my family. My poor baby is the one who lost out, though.) I almost immediately gained about 20lbs. Now, I'm nursig my 9 mo old ds #2 and I'm just not losing the weight AT ALL! I have an appointment for bloodwork to have my thyroid checked next week. Something's not right here. I was always the same size as my sister and now I weigh about 30 lbs more than her. Her 2nd son is 1 month older than my second son. We just visited last week and after about 2 days of being together 24/7, she said to me, "Wendy, you eat less than me and I keep losing weight and you don't seem to lose any. What's going on?" (She is really too thin, and I'm really too heavy.) That's when I realized I really needed to stop putting off that appt. I have several other symptoms. Anyway, complete tangent, off topic there. But YES! I did gain weight after I weaned ds #1. LOL! I doubt that will happen this time. At least I hope not. I'm not anywhere near as thin as I was 4 years ago. I'm still not obese, but I'm getting close.

Well I weaned fully about a month ago and the pounds are building daily! Even with a new work out schedule. This happened with my oldest child also. I think my body leveled out after it became use to not nursing....or so I'm telling myself this happened and I'm not imagining it

Yup. I have a similar story to share. When dd was between 12 - 24 months, I kept dropping weight. Some was due to bf-ing, which was still very frequent, but some due to havng to adjust my diet for her stomach/food issues. Then, she seemed to be growing out of those issues and nursing much less frequently, so I started eating like I used to, but I have found out the hard way, that I can't. I was a size 6 at my thinnest, which I hadn't been since I was in junior high. Now I have gained 20 pounds over a year's time and am heavier than I have ever been. I thought a few of those pounds were due to a pg that resulted in a m/c, but apparently not, since I gained a couple since. : I'm working with my new metabolism and still figuring it out.

I lost weight really quickly and easily after giving birth despite eating like a horse! I do contribute a lot of that to bf'ing.

At 11 months I returned to work and therefore was bf'ing less (I never pumped). We have a gym at work so once I returned I went back to working out but also started gaining weight. I totally contribute that to the reduction in bf'ing.

I am still working full-time now and ds is 27 months. I've stabilized but, yes, I'm a few pounds heavier than I was before returning to work. A friend of mine claimed she hung onto about 5 pounds while bf'ing and lost them when she weaned (she weaned both children around 8-12 months). I am hoping it's the same with me but I doubt it because of what I've just told you!

Allison
mom to Callum 5/8/02

Yes!
It has been a while since I nursed, but I nursed my son till he was 2, and then my daughter Samantha till she was 3. Both times I continued to lose weight while nursing--especially during high needs time like the 18 month old phase. We went on vacation in Hawaii with my son when he was 20 months old--and I nursed him around the clock (all night long every hour) because he was freaked out about the hotel room. When I got home from that vacation I was *so* thin. I had lost 9 pounds in 10 days!! It stayed off till I weaned later that year.

Immediately after weaning I gained weight--usually 10 pounds within a few months after weaning. That was even with watching what I ate too! I could eat like a truck driver while nursing and still lost, and after weaning could be very careful and gain--so the nursing was a great diet aid for me.

I never understand when I read women who say they that they actually lost weight when they weaned I mean, when you think about it physiologically--it makes no sense. It makes sense to lose while nursing because you are burning calories like crazy with the nursing and your metabolism is heightened. But the women who have told me that they lost because they weaned did not nurse too long (they weaned pretty early) so maybe they would have lost that pregnancy weight anyway?

I think bf'ing helps me to initially lose weight, but then I have to watch that with my hearty appetite that I choose healthier foods. I gained 10lb last summer (while ebf ds) because dh would bring home cheese puffs for me to snack on. With my huge appetite, a bag would disappear in two sittings.

Dd weaned at 20 months when I was 2mo pregnant with ds... up until I was 20 weeks pg, I continued to lose weight.

I am 5lb less than my pre-ds pg weight now and could stand to lose another 10lb or so. : I am figuring I will likely lose a few lbs when ds weans, but we will see.