Breastfeeding and Weight Loss or Weight Gain
February 19, 2008 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under advantages of breastfeeding, breastfeeding, health of the mother, quotes and literature
A celebrity quote I read the other day got me wondering about breastfeeding and weight gain or loss. Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz, who currently stars in the comedy Definitely, Maybe, told The Sun:
‘I feel sexier after having a baby. I think you feel a lot more confident and much more appreciative of your body and what it’s capable of doing. I’ve got a lot more respect for it.’ She added, ‘When I stopped breastfeeding I gained some. It took me more than a year to get back to where I was.’
I hear both sides from breastfeeding mothers: (1) some mothers say they have difficulty losing weight while breastfeeding, and (2) some mothers say they gained weight when they stopped breastfeeding and were not burning as many calories per day. What was your experience? Did you struggle with your weight while breastfeeding? Did weaning cause you to put on some unwanted weight?
If you are breastfeeding and have questions about weight loss, check out this excellent resource from Kellymom.com: Can I diet while breastfeeding?
i lost all of my preg wt and weighed in bet 54-55kgs eating like a hog at the peak of my bf at 11-13 months… i weaned a week ago and now i wgh 58kg. i still eat pretty much like i’m bf, whole pack of cookies, bread and butter, hmm, know i have to excercise and not eat my dtr’s scraps, weep weep
i’m not burning anything, i feel like a slug
thanks for advice…i’ve bought myself a fitness dvd and returned to work last week
think i’m finding everything including the weaning quite emotional as ifeel like i’m crying all the time. . . i hope all these stories don’t put people off feeding because i would definately recommend it . . .as alfie is probaby my last i feel like it was even more special to feed him as long as i could. . . i’m back down to my normal weight now i just need to sort out my wonky boobies ha and tone up the flabby bits . . .we aren’t giving ourselves enough praise for the fab mams we are … well done all of us x
And well said, Niki!
It must be very emotional to wean… I don’t know if I am ready yet, my daughter certainly isn’t! She loves her milk and now that she is 26 months and talking, she goes around saying”my milk! Mommy milk!” For some reason she says it in English! She speaks a combination of Norwegian, English and Portuguese, but mostly the last one. I wonder whether other people experience the same thing: I feel the milk coming in at certain times of the day, even if she is not feeding. She now switches breasts all the time and says ”Outro milk?” (another milk?) and this has made me feel as though my milk production (which has always been greater than the average) is actually increasing even more. I have to pump at least once a day about 250ml worth of milk because there is so much. 26 months is a long time, but I don’t regret it and I will keep on breastfeeding until the time is right to stop:-)
After I had my daughter, I couldn’t lose weight. I would exercise five to six days a week - I was walking about five miles a day. Nothing happened. Then, after a year, I started losing weight. It’s like my body finally clicked in to weight loss mode. My daughter is now three, and I have a month old son. So far, I’m not seeing any weight loss. I breast feed and do a little supplementing with formula. I’m wondering if it will take a whole year before my body starts to lose any weight. Has this happened to anyone else? It’s hard to stay positive and optimistic knowing that you won’t see the effects of exercise and diet for a year.
I have had 3 girls in the space of 3 1/4 years. My youngest is 7 1/2 months. I seem to remember all the weight sudedenly falling off when 9 months old….very impatient though as I also go to the gym 4 times a week and am very active and nothing has fallen off since November. I am just over a stone over weight and I hate it!!!! I stopped bf about 3 weeks ago, maybe body holds onto fat stores. Fed up with it though!
I have a 4 month old and I just went to the doctor on Friday because I am following weight watchers and exercising 6 days a week (and sometimes 2 times a day) and I can’t lose a pound! I even hired a personal trainer to help give me some tips to improve. Nothing has helped! I am breastfeeding and it is so emotional not to lose weight when you try so hard. I cried about it all day yesterday. If I ever lose a pound it comes back on a few days later. I have only lost 12 pounds since I had her (she alone weighed 7lbs). It just doesn’t make sense! It is hard to hear everyone say the weight just came off with Breastfeeding–NOT FOR ME! I don’t want to quit Breastfeeding, but it is tempting when I feel so bad about my self image!
I 45 years old and am nursing my 11th child who is 11 months old in a couple of weeks. I was 130 pounds when I first conceived 21 years ago. I’m 15 lbs heavier now. I have gained 35lbs with each pregnancy and lost about 12 lbs immediately postpartum. I’ve never lost an ounce until about 5 months postpartum. Then it starts coming off in chunks of about 5 lbs. Boom! Gone! I used to teach aerobics a lot (10 classes a week). Now I’m lucky to walk 12 miles a week…..I’m exhausted from life. Having babies is worth a minor body image adjustment of 15 lbs. I’ve got years, God willing, to lose the weight. I don’t know what my body will do when I’m no longer nursing or pregnant. I think every woman’s body is unique and will balance itself if you don’t worry about it, exercise moderately and eat wisely. Don’t let the short term issues of life disrupt true joy. The popular culture has gotten into way to many heads. Just enjoy your babies. In the end that’s all you have.
I’m 2 months postpartum and haven’t lost much weight after the birth. In fact, the more I breastfeed, the more stubbornly my weight holds constant. Since my experience is contrary to what I read on breastfeeding websites, I did a scientific literature search and found that hormones involved in breastfeeding actually induces the body to retain weight, much of that as fat especially around the belly and hips/thighs. Additionally, production of the appetite suppressing hormone leptin is reduced, which increases hunger. Lastly, secretion of relaxin persists during lactation, so aches and pains in the joints during pregnancy continue during lactation. Check out this journal publication, it’s written in a way easily understood for the laymen.
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v27/n7/full/0802285a.html
I just wish that certain websites do not continue to mislead women about breastfeeding. Many of them speak from anecdotal evidence or from no evidence. I agree that breastfeeding is of utmost benefit for the baby, but it takes up a lot of maternal resource. So while breastfeeding, mothers cannot possibly hope to regulate their metabolism back to pre-pregnancy levels, even with daily exercise. I’ve tried it, and it does not work. I was a very fit person before pregnancy. Now, 2 months postpartum and I look like an entirely different person with an entirely different metabolism. I also do not wish to settle for apologetic arguments, just want to see results.
Me too. I am having a very hard time losing the weight (pass the inital 30 lb loss after birth). I have lost 7 lbs since she was three weeks old. She is 3 months today. I just started weight watchers and lost one pound in a week. GOOD GRIEF! I gained 65-70 lbs in my pregnancy which I know was a lot. I stopped working out and ate carbs. I simply over indulged myself and now I am totally paying the price. I guess breastfeeding exclusively has aided somewhat in my weight loss but I am envious of the women who said the weight just flew off right away. My inital 30 lbs was a lot of water and baby stuff. I knew that - I felt it. We walk for 30 minutes about 4-5 times a week. I think I need to do some hard core cardio for an hour a few times a week to jump start my metabolism….I need to do something because I am starting to wonder if the weight will ever come off…
THANK YOU ISABELLA. It’s just so odd to me to have all this hip/thigh and belly fat when I don’t FEEL fat. My jeans don’t lie and I’m definitely not the size I was prepregnancy, but I always heard that you lose weight when you breastfeed and I am definitely NOT. When I workout it seems that my body goes into starvation mode and holds on to the fat even more. I’m glad it actually has a metabolic explanation. I thought I was just being lazy. ha!
I’m 22 years old and my third child is seven months old. I’m nursing for the first time and also for the first time I am not only not losing, I’m gaining. I only gained about 16 pounds through my pregnancy, and within several weeks of her being born I had lost 12 of those. I now have gained all of that back and weigh more than I did during my pregnancy. Is this normal for anyone else? I haven’t been dieting, but I am eating the same as I have been.
I just had my 5th little girl. I have had several different experiences with breastfeeding, weight loss and exercise. I only gained 8lb my first pregnency. I started a bit over weight and ate exceptionally well and exercised moderately the entire time. I was smaller right off the bat after she was born and it was really fun. However I gain 10-15lbs within the first 3mon and couldn’t start to lose anything until 10-12mon and then it came off pretty easily. That was pretty much the same sinerio witht the next two. The last two have been a bit different. I exercised a bit in the beginning but not much after that. I gained a bit more than the other times but waited the full5-6weeks post partum before I started exercising. It is a little to early to tell with my newest (10wks) but after my 4th the lbs seemed to start coming off around 5-6months with a more relaxed approach that worked with my body. I think that there are two different types of bodies in regard to the response to breastfeeding. I think there are those taht bf just sucks them dry and right away. And there are those that hold onto the weight until later and even gain some shortly after baby comes. I used to really wish that I were the first sinerio, making it so easy but I have actually realized that I prefer the way that I am because in the long run it is better for us that are the second way. We may have a 6- 10 month struggle but after that it starts to come off and then it is that way from then on. I have known friends that are the first example and as soon as they stop nursing it is really hard for them to maintain thier weight and they weill often start gaining. I have just learned that these babies are so worth it and there is time to back to our great fit selves but right now working and being pateint with our bodies, eating right and exercising and being patient while they do what they were made to do will certainly pay off in the end. We are amazing creatures and I marvel at the miricles that our bodies produce.
well i had a baby 5month ago. and im full breastfeeing him. but yet i don’t seem i lost weight. actually i feel i gain more weight. i’m from Korea. and i got to states like 3 month ago. at first i lost weight a little then i start to gain more i think its because of food. here so different. and it makes me gain weight… im depressed everyday. even my husband tells me to lose some weight but i dont know what to do.
My story: I was (am?) a very competitive athlete and 127 lbs at the time of conception. I had a fabulous pregnancy and trained til the end and felt great. I gained a total of 30 lbs. Upon leaving the hospital (c-section) I was down to 139 and thought 12 lbs left — no problem! At three weeks post-partum I was already jogging, having recovered quickly. Now, 8 months later while exclusively breastfeeding I am (up to) 143 and the weight will not budge. I have gone back to training (and competing) at my pre-pregnancy levels, even took two extra month of maternity leave to train, yet NO WEIGHT LOSS SINCE BIRTH. I am not hungry all the time and eat better than pre-pregnancy. My entire body has a layer of fat over it, and cellulite galore on hips and legs. I truly believe my body is hanging onto that 16 lbs until I stop nursing.
I am nursing my third child, and both times before this one my babies have weaned before I was really able to lose the last 5-7 lbs. Within a month or so of weaning, I just realized that my clothes fit again. My baby is 16 months and still nursing, and I am trying to be patient with her and with myself. I still need to get rid of ten lbs. at least. Anyhow, it is 100% true that some people hang on to some weight while nursing. Worth it for the babies, though!
I am still nursing my 15 month old daughter. I seem to be holding on to an extra 5 or so pounds and it is very frustrating. Most of my friends that are nursing are smaller than before they were pregnant. I hope I can lose it once she is weaned.
My daughter will be 11 months old next week. I have been breastfeeding her since birth and never supplemented cereal. At this moment I am 3 pounds lighter than I was when I left the Hospital 11 months ago. I excersize and eat healthy but cannot loose the weight. While I chose to breastfeed for my daughter’s benefits over my own I am nervous that when I wean her I will gain weight. With my 1st daughter I lost the weight really fast and was only able to breastfeed her for 1 month. Does it make sense that breastfeeding is keeping me from loosing the weight? Its discouraging to hear everyone lost their weight so fast and I still look pregnant!
Does this sound right?
Louisa- My daughter is 11 months and has never slept through the night. Sorry, some babies take longer.
Beth- I am a mother of 4. Ages 16 years 6 years 2 years and 3 months. I gained 40lbs with each pregnancy except the last one I gained 19lbs because of diet and exercise. I lost only the pregnancy weight except 5lbs. I exercise 4-5 times a week and have an exceptionally well balanced diet. With all of my children I kept the weight until after they weaned. I nursed 18mo. with all of them. Just remember to keep youself healthy with diet and exercise. Losing weight is not always the most important thing, the well being and health of your baby is. You are doing a wonderful and unshelfish act for your baby, feel proud of yourself the weight loss will happen when you are finished nurturing your baby. Give yourself a big pat on the back.
I posted here back in May, I was breastfeeding and not losing any weight at all. Well, an update, since I stopped breastfeeding literally the weight started falling off. I dieted and exercised (although not much of the latter with a baby to take care of!) and I’ve not lost all but 5 pounds of my pregnancy weight (I gained quite a bit!).
I definitely think that the breastfeeding was the culprit. I know I did a good thing for my baby though so the extra months of the extra weight was worth it in the end. There came a point though where I had to stop, because the weight was getting me down and I felt unhealthy and lethargic.
At least next pregnancy I know not to overeat and gain so much! I’m going to try and stick to a healthy weight gain and avoid the cravings for fried food.
I’ve started weaning and I’m losing weight although I’ve been too busy to exercise or cut down on my food portions. It’s really the hormones of breastfeeding that’s been keeping the weight on afterall. I’m feeling so much more active and go getting and less fatigued. I do not think postpartum mothers desire to lose weight is just a matter of vanity. Carrying around the extra weight is not healthy. The extra fat especially on the belly can lead to long term ill health like diabetes, high blood pressure, possibly heart disease. Moreover, some mothers (possibly a lot) have professions that require them to be active like sport professionals, women in medicine, health and beauty, engineers. It would be hard on them to perform at their previous levels if they don’t regain their activity levels. I am puzzled why lactation experts give blanket advice as if all women are the same (like having to breastfeed full time for at least 6 months). All the emphasis is on baby only too. But real life is more complex than that and some of the spotlight should also be on postpartum mothers recovery and enabling entry back to her normal life.
I agree with Isabella. There is so much pressure to breastfeed and for a certain amount of time. I felt incredibly guilty giving up because of the weight issue (I also had supply problems and was taking herbal supplements my entire time I was breastfeeding). I stopped breastfeeding at about 4.5 months and even now when people ask me I try to avoid having to tell them I gave up so soon.
For me the weight issue was somewhat a vanity issue (I had an eating disorder in the past, so for me, having an extra 40 pounds was agonizing and causing me all sorts of self esteem issues). Other than the vanity issue, it was a matter of feeling just horrible and lifeless. I felt so lethargic as I mentioned above, so much so that I didn’t want to do anything. It was detrimental to my career as I had no get up and go or drive and subsequently got laid off. Now I’ve lost the weight, my energy levels are back and I’m starting to work again. It’s amazing how good I feel in the morning when I look in the mirror and see my body slowly returning to normal which in turn, makes me a happier mother.
It was a real ride for me, and I’m glad I breastfed but I am unsure I will do it with my next.
I breast fed for 6 months, and weaned 4 weeks ago. Since two weeks after the birth I walked for 5/6 miles a 5/6 times a week. I am convinced breast feeding kept the weight on. I’ve always had a very healthy diet. For the past month I’ve been very careful about my diet. I’ve lost 9 lbs throughout all this time. I thought that weaning may help. No change so far, I have 14 lbs to lose. It’s really tough keeping up this schedule and no results. How long do you think it would take after weaning to see results. Can I also ask about the breasts after weaning. Mine has lost al their firmness, does that change, is this how they will be from now on. love my baby, hate the effects on my body.
Rachael - I was in the same situation. I was walking like crazy and eating well, and I did not lose one pound in a year. It was maddening. After about a year, though, it started falling off. I have no idea why, and it was beyond frustrating. All I can say is don’t give up…it will come off. I just have no idea why it’s so different and slow for some people.
Rachael, I think it took me a month or so until my hormones went back to normal. Basically once my period came back after weaning, the weight started lifting.
Chip up, I know how hard it is to stick to a regime. I too, would walk about 5-6 miles daily and no change. Actually, once I stopped exercising, the weight came off. Could be I was not getting enough net calories by too much exercise or could be that I was gaining muscle (although it didn’t look that way!).
As for the breasts. Unfortunately, I think they stay that way. It’s been quite some time since I weaned and they are still a lot softer. A friend of mine once described her breasts after breastfeeding like a tube sock with a golf ball in the end! I was horrified by the description, but it’s somewhat true. I mean, they feel a little ‘empty’ now.
I figured after my next baby, perhaps a breast lift is in order!
An update from my previous post. I have started weaning (down to morning nursing only) and have lost 5 lbs in 1.5 weeks. It seems to be falling off! Of course, it could be because i am pregnant again and not eating as much but I dont think so.
Update. No good news as yet with the weight loss. I weaned now a month ago. Still walking every day and with a careful diet. The scales have not budged one pound yet. My periods haven’t started yet though (baby is 7 months). Seems like I have to keep at the exercise and diet and change my expectations for slower results. How long can does it take for menstrution to begin again. Feel happier about my boobs now, they have lost their firmness and some stretch marks. Buying well fitted bras helped. I like the smaller boobs I have now, as they look better in clothes.
I appreciate your comments. When feeling blue about the weight I read this site again, it makes me feel a bit better to know this is an experience others have had, that my expectations regarding the speed of the process, and hopefully the weight will go in time.
I am having completely the opposite situation as described in this chain. My daughter will be 5 months next week and I have been breastfeeding pretty much exclusively since she was born. I have dropped more than 10 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight and seem to be continuing to loose. Part of it is surely that my daughter is very sensitive to what I eat — like dairy, for instance — no ice cream, no cheese, no cakes or cookies that have dairy in them! I am also probably more active as a stay at home mom than sitting behind a desk. But this is starting to get me worried. Could there be something else going on?? I have always been on the slim side but this is sort of weird.
Lisa — My son is almost 9 months and I am still nursing. I’ve dropped below pre-pregnancy weight without really trying . . . BUT, my son is allergic to dairy so I’ve been avoiding it, too. Eliminating milk, butter, cheese, etc., really forces me to eat better. From the day I started eliminating dairy (when he was about 6 months) I dropped 18 pounds in a couple of months. IPrior to that, I dropped some weight, but nothing to write home about. I totally attribute the big weight loss to dairy elimination.
I encourage anyone struggling with weight postpartum — gaining, not losing, losing a lot — to get your thyroid checked. Up to 10 percent of women experience thyroid problems after giving birth. Simple blood tests for TSH and Free T4 can determine whether hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism is present. Hypothyroidism slows the metabolism, causing weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Hyperthyroidism speeds up the metabolism, causing weight loss.
I agree about getting your Thyroid checked. After my son was born, I wasn’t losing weight and I just had it with my weight loss issue. Went to my doctor and she said to be patient. A nurse told me to have my thryoid checked. I did and it was off big time! So I did get that regulated, however–it didn’t really help with the weightloss. I think Breastfeeding was what was holding me back from losing weight. Now I had my 2nd child (4 months old) and I have had my thryoid tested again (fine) and still can’t lose the weight—VERY FRUSTRATING!
Dear Angela,
Many thanks for your reply. Sounds like a good idea to check out the thyroid. I exercise every day, since my baby was 2 weeks old, walking a minimum of 5 miles and 300 sit ups daily. I have always been very careful about what I eat, I always eat loads of veg and never any processed foods. I really kicked into hard dieting once I had weaned 5 weeks ago now. Normally for me this level of diet and exercise would have me very trim. I am carry nearly 6 extra kilsos (12 lbs) around my waist. It is really driving me crazy. This has no changes since the pregnancy even by 1lb. I can’t think of what else to do, and I couldn’t eat any less, without becomig so frazzled with hunger I’d be a useless for the baby. My mum had an underactive thyroid, whcih started at about this age for her, there may be some genetic vulnerability. What would other symptoms be do you know? Many regards, Rachael
At the time when I was going through this, I hired a nutritionist and she suggested I check out my thyroid. It turned out my thyroid was fine! She just felt it was due to hormones and the body holding onto the fat for stores (because of the breastfeeding).
I really think that was the case with me. After weaning and I got my first period the fat started coming right off. I still am glad I breastfed although it was truly a struggle for me (I had to pump almost 80% because he was not a good nurser) I am glad I stuck at it as long as I could for him. With the next one, I’m not so sure I’ll make the same decision, but maybe the next baby will take to nursing better.
The weight loss will weigh on my mind, but I won’t let it be the deciding factor, my baby will be the number one priority but I definitely will be more careful next time not to overeat during the pregnancy also! So many lessons learned first time.
Rachael, I can only think your hormones have just not kicked back into gear yet. It took some time for me too but then it started coming off easily.
I still have about 6-7 pounds left though. And in 4 months, they haven’t gone. Just around my waist and back. It’s driving me nuts! lol
I heard the middle section is the hardest, and all my friends who gave birth same time still have some middle fat too.
It’s our badge of honor!
Sara, you sound just like me. I had my first child and hardly lost any weight while breastfeeding the first year. Once I weaned, the weight started coming off but I still held on to an additional 5 pounds. My clothes fit great everywhere except around my waist to my back. I have what I call the “muffin top”. I work out 5 days a week so I’m convinced it’s my diet. I don’t eat terrible but I could eat better. I think it can be gotten rid of but I think as far as nutrition, you probably really have to buckle down until it’s gone.
I want to make it clear that I don’t believe that every woman who struggles with her weight postpartum has a thryoid problem. I just mean that it is so simple to rule in or out with a blood test. I also hope that women test both for TSH and Free T4, because TSH alone can be misinterpreted. I’d want to see TSH between 0.5 and 2.0 and some lab ranges take the normal range for TSH up to 5 or 6 and in my mind a TSH that high is a red flag for hypothyroidism and I’d then want to look to see whether or not the Free T4 is in the normal range.
One issue that complicates things is that the symptoms for a thyroid problem often mimic things that are normal for new motherhood (being tired for one!) or other conditions. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, feeling cold, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, depression, irritability, heavy periods. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, anxiety, feeling “wired tired,” insomnia, feeling hot, light or absent periods, trembling hands (sometimes this is noticed through poor handwriting). Of course these are all things to discuss with a doctor.
I have read a lot of posts here on this thread and it seems to me that SOME women lose weight while breastfeeding, SOME DON’T and SOME WOMEN ONLY LOSE WEIGHT ONCE THEY WEAN. I haven’t weaned yet, though I know it’s about time because she is 30 months. I don’t believe every woman who struggles with her weight postpartum has a thyroid problem either, I do believe that some women become HUNGRIER when they breastfeed and therefore EAT MORE and end up GAINING WEIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING. I get frustrated when people keep insisting on perpetuating the notion that EVERYONE LOSES WEIGHT WHEN BREASTFEEDING BECAUSE IT SIMPLY ISN’T TRUE FOR EVERY WOMAN. I can vouch for that. I know that my weight will only come off completely once I wean and am able to eat less and not feel so hungry all the time.
Sara, thanks so much for your comments. Really helps. Wondering how long after periods resumed did the weight start to shift. How much weight might that shift. Does it go quickly, weeks, months? I’m 14 pounds over, all at the waist. My legs are best they have ever been from all the walking, but stuck with a muffin top and belly.
How long approximately after weaing can I expect periods ot come back.
I don’t have any of the other thyroid symptoms so think that is only wishful thinking.
Oh - i’m so glad i found these posts as i am in the same boat as many of you! I am still Exclusively breastfeeding my ds and he is 9 1/2 months old. Am wanting to start supplementing (working full time and sick of pumping) and eventually weaning him by around 10 1/2 months old. I’ve been carrying an extra 7-8 pounds the entire time i’ve been BFing. i’m not as active as i should be (between work full time and being up A LOT at night with a teething baby - i’m exhausted, which doesn’t help weight loss!) and though i do indulge in some sweets, i follow a lowfat vegan diet, full of fresh fruits and grains. Bfing has definitely given me an increased appetite but it has curbed a bit in in the past couple months. so i’m eating less but still no weight loss. i’m convinced that the BFing is causing my body to hold onto that last few pounds of fat. fun huh? yuck. my questions are like Rachael’s above.
How long after weaning will my period come back?
How long after weaning will i possibly (hopefully!) experience some of the weight loss?
Would love to see some posts from those who have gone thru weaning and how the process went for them!!
It is really good to hear that I am not the only mother struggling with the matter of weight loss while breastfeeding. I gave birth to my son two and a half months ago and I am at a complete standstill as far as my weight goes. I am not gaining but I sure am not loosing any weight either. I have about thirty-five pounds to loose to get to a healthy weight that will make me feel attractive again and I feel like it will never happen. I fear that I will become pregnant again before I reach my goal making the weight loss an even more difficult task to complete. I love my son and I know that it is the best thing for him to have breatmilk and I love the bonding experience we share during his meal time. I continue breastfeeding knowing that being a mother is’nt about being concerned about my self image…meaning trying to make myself be a size two right after childbirth (although I will never be a size two anyway) but that being a mother means putting your child first in all things, knowing that it may be difficult at this present time, but one day you will look back and be proud and say that this is one thing right that you did for your child and the self sacrificing was well worth it.
I have been EBF for over 6 months. I weigh 88 pounds, and I am 5 foot 4. I eat probably 3000 calories a day.
Pre-pregnancy I was 96 pounds. I gained 22 pounds during pregnancy - and lost it within 2 weeks PP. Then, I just kept dropping weight non-stop! I am healthy, but very very skinny. I am pretty sure it’s breastfeeding.
I just hope I will go back up to 96 pounds again when I quit BF in a year or so.
Kelly, I had a similar problem as you. I had lost most of my pregnancy weight by 4 week. I then found out that I had an over active thyroid, but that was back to normal by 3 months postpartum. And I just kept loosing weight and I was always hungry. At my lowest I was almost 20lbs. less than my pre-pregnancy weight. My daughter is now 33 months, we nurse to sleep and wake up, but I’m not loosing or gaining. I did start gaining around 18mts-2yrs when she started eating a lot more solid food. I eat cheese, eggs, and avocado to help with the weight gain/maintenance. During the worst time I would add rice protein powder and 2T of oil (flax and olive) to my OJ in the morning and I would have another shake-like thing between lunch and dinner. My lowest weight was 110 and I am now hanging in around 118 (my high school weight), but I am still hungry a lot. I now add my extra rice protein to my daughter’s rice milk to give her a little extra protein. She is also very tiny and allergic to dairy. It is challenging when no one understand how hard you are working to not waste away.
I am so happy to have stumbled across this website! Like many of you, I had started to wonder if something is wrong with me! I weighed 125lbs pre-preg, gained 40lbs while pregnant. 20 lbs came off within the 1st 2-3 wks with no effort. A few more lbs dropped off over the few weeks after that. However I am exclusively breastfeeding my 2 month old daughter & my scale has been stuck at 138 lbs for the past 3 wks! Anytime I cut back on calories or increase my exercise efforts my milk supply decreases significantly! This is hard for me because I worked out regularly pre-preg and was used to increased effort equaling increased results. Anyway, now I know that it is likely that the weight will linger until I wean my daughter. All of the other websites stress that the weight will fall off with breastfeeding, so it’s really good to know that that is not always the case - and its normal! I guess I just have to deal with the extra weight for the next few months. Thanks for all of your posts
i have had a very strange thing happen with my weight. I only gained 20 lbs during pregnancy,am healthy and excersize frequently .My daughter is 14 months old and was exclusively BF for 6 mo. she still nurses every few hours and often during the night. After she was about 6 month old the weight was falling off, i was 10 lbs below pre pregnancy weight (and was normal weight to begin with)and was eating everything, healthy, but a lot of it and always had desserts, and working out a lot. The all of a sudden a few weeks ago i started putting on weight,i’ve put on about 7 pounds in 2-3 weeks. !!! whats going on, i am still nursing a ton. very confused. Im a trying to cut calories, but im exhausted and hungry all the time.
I am so confused why i kept losing all this weight, then all over a sudden have been gaining. Nothing has changed in diet or excersize and Im still BFing all the time! help, any one else experience this?
Just an update. It is now 8 and half months since I had my baby. I exercised daily from two weeks after the birth and I had always been a very health eater. Despite this my weight remained relatively and depressingly unchanged, it was very tough. The breastfeeding kept my pregnancy weight on, no matter what exercise regime or diet. I weaned at 6 months, still no change after that, and I really intensfied my exercise and diet etc. Then 6 weeks after weaning my periods resumed. From then on I had a gradual weight loss, despite a lessening of exercise (from 6 to 3 times a week) as I had returned to work. The weight loss has been at 1 to 2 lb or 1 kilo every two weeks. I am now 5/6 lbs off my pre-pregnancy weight. It is great. I used to be very critical of myself at this weight pre-pregnancy, now I feel really light ad easy to move and love my figure, despite it being more than I would normally be. It is such a relief to feel that you can return to your figure. I maybe gave myself too hard a time exercising and dieting before weaning, next time I will certainly be health but will concentrate the effort to both after the weaning stage and periods have resumed. This website was great for me as usually people talk about breast feeding helping weight loss, which was so opposite to my experience. This made me put myself under massive pressure as thought I wasn’t working hard enough at it, when I really was. I feel much more comfortable about considering a second pregnancy knowing I can get my figure back. Good luck all.
Rachael - thanks for the update and i’m glad you’re feeling better all around. thats great to hear!! i’m happy for you and hope that once my periods return i’ll experience that same weight loss.
I’m the elizabeth that posted above and wanted to give an update on where i am with my weight loss and breastfeeding. Last time i posted, ds was 9 1/2 months old. when he hit 10 months old, i introduced an organic soy formula to him and he took right to it. i subbed that for one or two feeding per day and reduced my pumping at work from twice/day to once/day. i thought this alone might bring back my period - but after one month not yet. when he hit 10 1/2 months old, i stopped pumping at work altogether. i’m just nursing him when i arrive home at 5:15ish from work and then before bed. but at 5:15 he really doesn’t want much because he gets an afternoon bottle around 4. so this nursing session is usually pointless. any other time he gets my frozen milk from the freezer (thawed of course lol) or formula. He’s now 11 months and 1 week old.
My weight has had NO change at all, despite counting calories and eating healthy. like i said previously, my appetite has decreased for the most part but not back to its norm (prepreg). I’ve been eating mostly fruits and veggies and whole grains. exercising a moderate amount about two or three days per week. no change. i mean not one little bit. but i still have not gotten my period back.
now onto the real issue haha - I’m considering starting to pump again for a couple reasons.
One - i know in my heart of hearts breastmilk is best for him. the fact i’ve cut back to basically once per day has really put a guilt trip on me. mothers guilt i know but i intially wanted to nurse him until he was 18 months old. I wanted to do exclusive breastmilk till 12months nad then continue on with some supplementing until he was 18 months. He’s battling a cold now, ear infection from daycare, i feel awful about it!
Two - deep down i know the reason i’m cutting back and starting to wean is for my own vanity… i know i know… its awful but i’m just being honest. i’m sick of carrying around this extra 7 lbs and its all around my middle. makes me feel gross. but admitting it to myself (and on here) i realize how selfish it is to put my own vanity above my own child’s needs and health. I just don’t feel right about it.
I really liked Lynne’s post above - Lynne you made so many great points and i really appreciate them. Being a mother isn’t about concern of my own self image. and you also said that one day i’ll look back and be proud of what i did for my son and the self sacrifice was worth it. I think you’re right… and so NOW - i’m in the process of trying to build back up my supply with the darn ole pump. i have such a love/hate relationship with it. love it for getting that good ole milk out but hate the process. sigh!
anyway - will continue to update you ladies and will check back for others updates. I’m thinking after following these posts, i’m going to cut myself some slack while i keep breastfeeding and focus on my son…
having breastfed with both my children for 12 months i could not for the life of me lose weight while breast feeding.. i even went to a personal trainer with my second child… now 1 week after weaning her the weight is already coming off… im so glad to have found this site coz i thought i was the only one who couldnt lose weight while bf…
I commented several months ago about not losing and even gaining weight postpartum while nursing. I joined weight watchers and a gym. I was working out three times a week and sticking to the routine very well, but still I hadn’t lost any weight. My daughter turned one about two weeks ago and is almost fully weaned. I just got my first period this week and I have lost about two pounds. It’s not much, but I hope a good start. I don’t have any research or medical knowledge to back this, but I feel like it’s a combination of things. Getting your period back is just such a release of hormones and a huge step for your body towards going back to normal. That along with not nursing and losing that increased appetite and feeling like a person again instead of a boob are all factors for me. With my first child I only nursed for about six weeks and I was very quickly able to pull out of that pit of feeling fat and being depressed and with some hard work was able to lose pretty quickly. I still feel guilty about not nursing him longer and I think all of this is worth it, but I am still ready to have my energy, my sense of humor, and my sex drive back! I am very hopeful that I will see positive changes physically and mentally in the upcoming months.