Breastfeeding

[prongs]

Hi,

Does anyone have any recommendations for doing the 12 week plan while breastfeeding? My baby is 3 months old, and I'm looking to get back control of what I eat. Will the normal calorie allowance be OK for me? Or should I be eating more? I know that other plans take this into consideration.

Any other helpful hints from experienced breastfeeding mums are welcome!

Thanks!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, prongs

I'm afraid none of us is medically qualified to answer your questions, so you should see your GP/midwife/health visitor/practice nurse for advice.

I'd like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out. If you just post a few words to introduce yourself and respond to others there, you'll soon break the ice. Here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You'll find all the information you need to navigate the forum in the header, so please take the time to read it carefully.

Wishing you all the best

[xvanillaskyx]

Hi prongs, congratulations on the birth of your baby 😊 Like you I have a 3 month old but am desperate to lose weight. I have a lot to lose over 7 stone 😐 anyway I have been sticking within the calorie range that the NHS BMI calculator has provided nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyw... (figures can be find on the page under your BMI figure) usually more towards the top end for now as I am also breastfeeding and this burns at least 300 calories a day. I feel that as long as the weight loss is gradual i.e around 1 to 2 pounds a week then it is fine. I did speak to my doctor and they thought it was a good idea that I was following a healthy eating plan (Mediterranean diet) based on calorie counting. I hope this helps and welcome to the forum 🤗

[xvanillaskyx]

Oh and I am limiting my carbs by making sure I weigh my portions of these and have swapped to wholegrain. I also don't use any low fat products at the moment as I have changed to whole fat milk, natural yogurt etc as I find I am fuller for longer and snack less 👍

[Julieandrog]

Hi

I recently retired as a midwife, very little robust research into tbe subject. If you are enjoying your feeding and you have a thriving baby eat well and healthy leave any major weight loss plans until that bubba is weaned, its only a matter of weeks.

Logically you are manufacturing a huge amount of milk that needs fuel but not 'empty calories' and we all know what they are!

Julie the madwife!

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

If it is of any comfort, it has been shown that babies in countries where food is short will take everything their body needs from the mother - it is the mother who will go short rather than the baby. Make sure you eat a wide variety of foods in all different colours so you don't lose out on essential minerals and vitamins. Breast feeding can make you hungry as nature intends you to have a little spare for times when food is short (fortunately not often in this country) so have healthy snacks to hand like bananas, fruit and nuts, yogurts and soups - eat these instead of chocolate and biscuits and crisps if you can. Try and get enough sleep when the opportunity allows, (when baby is sleeping) as being sleep deprived may you more prone to comfort eating!

[Hidden]

I'm an IBCLC although not currently practising. My qualification is still up to date.

The Australian tutorial group advised that when you're by you need an extra 500 to 750 calories per day. I'd have to do some digging to find the reference. Dartmoor Dumpling has pointed out how efficient your body is at making milk. So it's about you and your body rather than the impact of your food on the baby.

That being said it's vital to keep up your energy levels. I have memories of cutting out a mid morning snack and having to be shovelled off the floor.

Even listing what you eat will be educationalfor you though.