I don't about many of you, but I am nursing my almost 9 month old daughter. Nursing is a definite pro to losing weight after pregnancy, but for me, I tend to hang on to about 5 pounds of weight with each child. When I found out I was pregnant with Mairead, I was about 118lbs. When I got pregnant with Lilah, I was about 125lbs (give or take) and with Clara, I weighed about 128lbs. Clara was the only child that allowed me to get back to what I was before I was pregnant, which was still not what I wanted to weigh!
I think I hold onto the weight because each time I have become pregnant (except for the first - haha), I have been nursing a child. So, in essence, I have been consecutively nursing for - count em - 4 years. Yes, four years.
According to
Kellymom.com (a wonderful resource for breastfeeding mothers), mothers should wait until their baby is at least 2 months old before they start a weight loss regime. It takes this time to establish a healthy milk supply. You must also maintain adequate calories throughout the day. This has been one thing I have had to
really focus on. There was a time earlier in my challenge where I was counting calories. I wanted to see where my calories were coming from. At this time, I noticed myself holding back a bit, and then, I noticed a decrease in supply. Once I upped my calories to about 1800-2000+ (I don't count anymore), my milk supply returned. I am also not a big water drinker, so making sure I drink enough fluids during the day also plays a huge role in my supply, too. So, if you are noticing a milk supply issue, pay attention to calories and fluids.
I eat what I want to eat. I don't want to have to restrict myself where I don't enjoy what I eat. I have made changes like eating healthier, more whole foods, cutting out foods with high fructose corn syrup, eating larger meals (I try to eat about 500 calories per meal) which leaves me with room to snack a bit, too. I will cut up fresh pineapple, have fresh berries, or grapes so when I have a craving to munch, I can munch on something better than junk. I have found that making sure I eat enough during meals will also limit my snacking. I eat a lot of eggs, Greek yogurt, fruit, tuna, fresh fish, salads, etc....and still love a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long day!
An exclusively breastfeeding mother should take in 300-500 calories per day above what was needed to maintain pre-pregnancy weight.
A friend of mine asked about lactic acid build up in milk after exercise.....well, I looked it up, and kellymom.com says:
Research has not shown a noticable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). The lactic acid in breastmilk does increase somewhat if mom exercises to maximum (100%) intensity, also described as exhaustive exercise. This increase may be present up to 90 minutes post-exercise. There are no known harmful effects for the baby.
Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.
Although a highly publicized 1992 study indicated that baby might fuss or refuse expressed milk from a mom who had been exercising at 100% intensity, the results were questionable because the babies were fed the milk by dropper (unfamiliar to these babies), and the mothers reported that the babies had not had problems with nursing after exercise in the past. A more recent study showed no change in infants' acceptable of mom's milk an hour after exercise, even for the moms who exercised at maximum intensity (and thus did have a slight increase in lactic acid in their milk).
Dr. Ruth Lawrence, in her most recent volume (Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 edition) says that there is no reason to wait to nurse after exercising.
I have nursed Clara many times after a long, hard run, and she hasn't seemed to have a problem with the milk. I know some babies may have a problem because of the sweat and salty taste of their mothers skin, but for me, I have had no problems.
Have any of you had any experience with this? What have you learned?
