Dieting While Breastfeeding

Your baby snuggles next to your breast and you’re feeling just a little smug because you’ve conquered the breastfeeding battle! Your newborn latched right on from the start and is growing like a weed - and you fear you are too! You’re constantly famished and you fill your plate like your husband instead of the petite girl you were before motherhood. Amazingly, you eat more now than you did when you were pregnant. So how can you ever lose the fat you put on over the past nine months?

Dieting after giving birth seems like a naturally smart choice since you’re no doubt left with a stomach similar in appearance to white bread dough and calories are being spent on milk production for baby, which adds up to faster weight loss for Mom. But, is dieting safe for a breastfed baby?

According to the La Leche League International, you don’t need to be in a hurry to lose that post-baby weight. You gained it slowly over nine months and it’s there for a purpose – as reserves to help nourish your infant. Most professionals agree that you should wait two months before making an effort to lose any weight. Remember that just breastfeeding your child burns 200-500 calories per day.

But, your baby is now two months old, and you’re ready to begin a weight loss program. Here are some guidelines you might want to follow based on various studies and doctors’ advice. The first step is to ask your physician about a weight loss program. You can expect to safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week without affecting your milk supply or the health of your child.

Steer away from liquid diets, low-carb or fad diets, and weight loss medication. A sudden drop in calorie intake can affect your milk supply. You should consume at least 1800 calories per day though most women can easily lose weight while consuming even a higher amount. Increase protein in your diet for healthy muscle mass which in turn burns more calories. The recommended amount of protein for nursing moms is 65 grams per day. And please, don’t skip meals! Your body metabolism will falter if it thinks it is in a starvation mode and hang on even tighter to extra weight.

Eating six small meals per day is a perfect way to keep your strength and energy up as you diet and keep you from overeating at the next meal. If structured programs suit you best, Weight Watchers has a special plan especially for nursing mothers. And watch your drinks! Soda or sugar laden juices should be replaced by water or decaffeinated iced teas. Water is also critical for a healthy supply of milk.

Increasing activity level is a must for removing leftover baby fat. Walking is a powerful way to get in shape, and you can include baby in the hikes. Backpacks, baby slings, and strollers are handy for outings. Invest in a quality support bra which will enable you to walk quickly, jog, or engage in other aerobic exercise without breast pain or damage to the tissue. Exercise not only helps with weight loss, but is a natural mood lifter and can soften the blows of hormonal shifts that occur after childbirth. Adding yoga or pilates to your program is an effective way to strengthen your inner core muscles which helps with good posture and protects your back. These are also stress relievers, and what new mother couldn’t use some stress relief?

So don’t be dismayed when your favorite pair of jeans won’t zip. With a little patience, time, and effort you’ll be feeling fit and healthy, energized and ready to keep pace with a toddler.