“I do yoga and Pilates, but the body itself knows what to do,” she said. “When you’re breastfeeding, the body has its own way to shrink.”

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined weight gained during pregnancy and the elimination or retention of that weight postpartum. The authors concluded that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months as recommended can help most women return to their pre-pregnancy weight by six months postpartum. The study also addressed one of the concerns from a previous review of similar studies in that it took into account the pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) of the women studied. Basically it concluded that women who were heavier before pregnancy were the most likely to continue to struggle with weight postpartum. The study also concluded that exclusive breastfeeding resulted in lower postpartum weight retention in all women. Women who gained a reasonable amount of weight during pregnancy and breastfed exclusively for the first six months were likely to return to prepregnancy weight by six months postpartum. According to WebMD, researchers estimated that women who breastfeed retain 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) less than women who don’t breastfeed at six months after giving birth.

Thanks to Mama Knows Breast for highlighting this study!

Photo of scale by peter_w.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

2. Wal-Mart Employee Tells Mom to Stop Breastfeeding — myFOX Milwaukee, Wisconsin (If you visit this article, be sure to vote in the poll about whether or not the employee should have asked the mother to nurse in the bathroom!)

3. YMCA breastfeeding problem is “misunderstanding” — WFAA-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

4. Salma Hayek discusses breastfeeding and weight loss (or rather, the lack of it) — Celebrity Baby Blog (this ties in with the Breastfeeding 1-2-3 reader discussion on the subject)

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

‘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.’

Source.

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?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The 34 year old said: “(I lost weight) breastfeeding! That and moderate exercise and an eating plan with the help of my personal trainer.

“I wasn’t about to jump on the celebrity mum bandwagon of getting super-skinny, super-quickly.

“I am more concerned about keeping healthy and spending time with Violet than anything else.”

Jennifer, who is married to actor Ben Affleck, gave birth to their daughter last December. Good for her for promoting a healthy attitude about breastfeeding and weight loss!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3