How to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding (2023)

FAQs

Is it harder to lose weight while breastfeeding? ›

The reasons why some women may have a harder time losing their baby weight while breastfeeding can be diverse. For one, breastfeeding tends to increase hunger. Studies show that some women eat more and move less while nursing — compensating for the extra calorie burn of breastfeeding ( 17 ).

Breastfeeding mothers should consume at least 1800 calories a day and can safely lose around 1 lb/week (La Leche League, 2010; Lauwers & Swisher, 2015). Aim to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables while minimizing empty carbohydrates and junk food.

You may lose some of the weight gained during pregnancy while exclusively pumping. Pumping mothers can burn up to 500 extra calories per day. But keep in mind, you'll need to eat often to replenish calories lost and keep up your energy levels.

Since a breast pump mimics a baby sucking at the breast, your body responds similarly when it comes to the metabolic response. But while both pumping and breastfeeding burn calories, breastfeeding tends to be more efficient and therefore moms who breastfeed do it more often, burning more calories in the long run.

That may sound extreme, but nearly every mom who's ever exclusively breastfed her baby can agree that breastfeeding is a workout and makes you HUNGRY, since the body needs to replenish the calories it burns producing milk (about 20 calories per ounce).

Your body will generally hold on to an extra 5-10 pounds above your pre-pregnancy weight, until several weeks after weaning and this is to protect your ability to produce milk, in case of illnesses or famine/severe calorie restriction, which is often seen in fad diets.

How to lose 20 pounds in 2 months while breastfeeding? ›

Making breast milk and breastfeeding burns calories. Your body generally burns between 200 to 500 extra calories a day while you're breastfeeding.

The baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, and other fluids leave your body, and over the next six weeks, you will continue to lose weight as other fluids in your body return to pre-pregnancy levels.

An oversupply of breast milk generally refers to a mother who is able to nurse her infant, or multiples, and is still able to produce a significant amount of breast milk (more than 4-5 oz) in a pump session after a feeding.

For many moms, 10-15 minutes of pumping is long enough. Once a week, add up the milk you pump in a 24-hour period. Write it down and compare your totals each week. You'll know right away if your production drops.

A lot of extra weight after baby happens because of a hormonal imbalance. It takes a while to get the hormones back on track after baby. For some women, it takes a lot longer than others. If your hormones are still out of whack after baby, it may manifest itself through an inability to lose weight.

It might take about 6 to 12 months to get close to your pre-pregnancy weight. Losing one to two pounds a week is what experts recommend as healthy for most women. Your body needs time to recover and heal after pregnancy and childbirth, so try not to rush the process.

On average, exclusively breastfeeding mothers may see a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per month. For those struggling to lose those extra pregnancy pounds, breastfeeding isn't the answer. Instead, the focus should be on a healthy diet and exercise.

Calorie Intake

When you are breastfeeding, increased caloric intake is needed both for your health and nursing. Producing breast milk requires an additional 500 to 700 calories per day. It is fine to use weight loss shakes as a quick snack or the occasional light meal.

Healthy infants who breastfeed effectively are often thought to be more efficient than the expression of milk either by hand or with an electric breast pump. Breastfed infants have been shown to remove 50% of the total volume of milk removed at a breastfeed in the first 2 min and 80% in 4 min [31].

How many calories does 1 oz of breastmilk burn? ›

How many calories does breastfeeding burn? There are 20-22 calories per ounce of breast milk. The recommendation is to have 10-12 feedings a day. This comes out to an average of over 500 calories burned a day.

Yes, lemon water is considered “safe to drink” when breastfeeding. It is most commonly recommended to stay hydrated and keep digestive issues, such as bloating, at bay (1). When breastfeeding, this healthy drink could add variety to your daily water intake.

There's also some evidence that prolactin, the hormone responsible for the production of breastmilk, not only slows down the body's metabolism of fat but may also act as an appetite stimulant.

Overall maternal adaptations during lactation include increased basal metabolic rates and mobilization of fat stores [22–24]. Maternal fuel metabolism is altered markedly, with a 15 %–25 % increase in energy expenditure for milk production [24, 25].

You should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight by 6 to 12 months after delivery. Most women lose half of their baby weight by 6 weeks after childbirth (postpartum). The rest most often comes off over the next several months. A healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds.

While the level of prolactin, a hormone produced by the body during lactation, drops once a new mother stops breastfeeding, this is a gradual process. When stored in the body (instead of being expelled while nursing), prolactin reduces fat metabolism, which leads to weight gain as well as depression and grief.

Doing 16/8 intermittent fasting while breastfeeding (16 hours of fasting with an 8-hour, non-restricted eating window) is your best choice. It means a shorter fasting time and allows you to eat whatever you want and as much as you choose. Consider a 14/10 fasting schedule for the first few months as your body adjusts.

Your metabolism is changing

It turns out, the less you weigh, the fewer calories your body burns. So, despite the success you had at whatever calorie threshold you previously set, you're going to need to lower it to get after those last 10. Try 100 fewer calories for every five additional pounds you want to lose.

Does pumping delay your period? ›

Pumping or expressing breast milk by hand does not have the same effect on your body as breastfeeding does. If you choose to pump and bottle feed your baby, it will not hold off your period.

They seem calm and relaxed during feeds. Your baby comes off the breast on their own at the end of feeds. Their mouth looks moist after feeds. Your baby appears content and satisfied after most feeds.

As a nursing mother, you need about 16 cups per day of water, which can come from food, beverages and drinking water, to compensate for the extra water that is used to make milk. One way to help you get the fluids you need is to drink a large glass of water each time you breastfeed your baby.

Often, excess or rapid postpartum weight loss is due to lifestyle issues and the pressures of new parenthood (like being too tired to eat), other times there may be a health concern that needs treatment. Either way, help is out there. So, if you're worried about losing too much weight, contact your doctor.

Your body is still healing.

“Many women gain a large amount of gestational weight. And after the baby comes, you have less time to exercise, less sleep, and your body is still healing from pregnancy and delivery,” explains Laura Arndt, a pre- and postnatal expert and the CEO of Matriarc.

If you're exclusively pumping, on average, you should try maintain full milk production of about 25-35 oz. (750-1,035 mL) per 24 hours. It may take some time to achieve this target, do not worry about hitting this on day one! Babies may take more milk from the bottle than when breastfeeding.

Some women feel the let-down reflex as a tingling sensation in the breasts or a feeling of fullness, although others don't feel anything in the breast. Most women notice a change in their baby's sucking pattern as the milk begins to flow, from small, shallow sucks to stronger, slower sucks.

Can pumping decrease milk supply? Pumping itself does not decrease your breast milk supply. In fact, it can help boost it. But if you are having trouble with low milk supply, the first step is to check that you are using the right breast pump.

Ultimately, if your baby has reached its birth weight and you're pumping enough milk during the day, it's okay to sleep eight hours without pumping at night.

Is it normal to only get 2 oz when pumping? ›

The normal amount is anywhere between . 5 to 2 ounces (for both breasts) per pumping session. And it's not unusual to need to pump 2-3 times to get enough milk out for one feeding for baby. Please don't assume that not pumping a lot is any indication that your milk supply is low.

Avoid going longer than 5-6 hours without pumping during the first few months. When pumping during the night, milk yield tends to be better if you pump when you naturally wake (to go to the bathroom or because your breasts are uncomfortably full) than if you set an alarm to wake for pumping.

Prolactin is the hormone that tells your body to make milk ⁽²⁾. It will also increase your appetite. This increase may cause you to eat more calories than you need for milk production. Those extra calories could cause you to gain weight instead of losing it.

Your body will generally hold on to an extra 5-10 pounds above your pre-pregnancy weight, until several weeks after weaning and this is to protect your ability to produce milk, in case of illnesses or famine/severe calorie restriction, which is often seen in fad diets.

That may sound extreme, but nearly every mom who's ever exclusively breastfed her baby can agree that breastfeeding is a workout and makes you HUNGRY, since the body needs to replenish the calories it burns producing milk (about 20 calories per ounce).

On average, exclusively breastfeeding mothers may see a loss of 1-2 pounds a month and over time, breastfeeding moms tend to lose more weight than mothers who do not breastfeed (Dewey, Heinig & Nommsen, 1993).

"You'll have to slowly build up post-pregnancy to your usual fitness level which may take time to rebuild any lost muscle mass. Muscle mass directly affects metabolism so this may decrease the rate at which you lose weight until you build up your muscle again," says Shapiro.

Lactation and Adaptations of Maternal Metabolism

Overall maternal adaptations during lactation include increased basal metabolic rates and mobilization of fat stores [22–24]. Maternal fuel metabolism is altered markedly, with a 15 %–25 % increase in energy expenditure for milk production [24, 25].

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 [PDF-30.6MB] recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding while introducing appropriate complementary foods for 1 year or longer.

Is intermittent fasting safe while breastfeeding? ›

"Intermittent fasting for weight loss while breastfeeding will not harm the baby as long as you continue regular feedings," says Bruce K. Young, MD, an internationally known leader and innovator in obstetrics and gynecology.