Breastfeeding mother weight loss
Wait until your baby is two months old before dieting. Liquid diets, low-carb diets, fad diets, weight loss medication, etc. Nursing mothers can lose weight safely if they follow some basic guidelines. 5, October-November 1997, p. One study showed that breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight when their babies are three to six months old than mothers who are bottle-feeding and consuming fewer calories. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Download the free app to join the community. Pumpspotting is a breastfeeding app that connects nursing moms and helps them to find, rate and share the best places to pump and nurse. 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days). Diets of less than 1500 calories per day are not recommended, although fasts of less than one day have not been shown to decrease milk volume. If a mother gains weight or has stopped losing weight after the first two months, she can increase her activity level and reduce her intake by 100 calories per day. Mothers who do not breastfeed will need to rely totally on diet and exercise to burn additional calories. A review article published in 1996 confirmed that exclusively breastfeeding mothers showed a greater loss of weight with a decrease in the percentage of body fat as well as hip and lower thigh circumference at three months postpartum than mothers who were bottle- feeding or partially breastfeeding. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) — so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories. During pregnancy, women gain extra pounds to store energy for producing breast milk. Losing weight is a concern for many mothers after the birth of a baby. While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. are not recommended while breastfeeding.
Peters, Missouri, USA From: LEAVEN, Vol. Research tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss. Mothers may ask if it is possible to lose weight and breastfeed. Keep weight loss at less than 1. 115. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2. We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time. 33 No. 5 pounds per week. A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Excessive dieting can result in a reduced milk supply. Note: This article highlights information on weight loss while breastfeeding featured in the 1997 revision of the BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK and THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING. According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (3rd Edition, Riordan, pp 440), it is noted that fad or rapid weight loss programs should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. Three great tips for weight loss (whether you are nursing or not). Leaders will want to check both of these resources for more information on nutrition for breastfeeding mothers. For some women, breastfeeding makes it easier to lose weight, since additional calories are used. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.
