Is this an actually benefit of breastfeeding?

Danielle - posted on 03/25/2010

no i put on weight after having mny daughter and she was 100% BF, i was so looking forward to it too ho hum.
but the do say that BF helps to reduce the risk of some cancers and osteopriosis (spelling) so even if it doesn't help with weight loss there are still lots of benifits to yourself

Kirsty - posted on 03/25/2010

It's definitely true!! One month on is very early to notice, i imagine your body keeps hold of some fat to help you cope with the sleepless nights, etc.

I went to weight watchers when my baby was 4 months old and i was allowed to eat an extra 10 points because i was breast feeding (which is a LOT of food!). 2 months on, i've lost 2 stone (28 pounds).

Saying that, if you decide to go on any kind of diet then make sure that you're eating and drinking enough so it doesn't affect your milk.

Maia - posted on 03/25/2010

I think its true i gain 10kg when i was pregnant with my daughter and i lost that and more in 2 to 3 months. i agree it does take time :)

Angie - posted on 03/24/2010

I guess I got lucky, I lost all and then some weight in 3 days after I had my daughter. But.... Iv'e pretty much gained it all back :( but shes still nursing and I just started pumping again to help shed some lbs lol

Kim - posted on 03/24/2010

I gained 45lbs with my pregnancy (yikes) and the first 30lbs shed like warm butter...could have been due to BF and took around 6 months. However that last 15lbs took some excercise and calorie balancing to come off. My little guy is now 18 months old and I just reached my preprego weight.

Lacey - posted on 03/24/2010

I have found losing the weight to be true for me. I have exclusively breastfed and introduced solids around 5 months. I gained 26lbs when I was pregnant and have lost 32 since I had my son. I am actually concerned that I am losing too much weight. I am always eating and hungry, I guess my little one is getting all the nutrition.

Sara - posted on 03/24/2010

I gained 37 lbs. I was 158 pre-preg, got up to 197, and weighed 195 when I gave birth. Lol I'm a fatty. :P BUT I was back down to 160 when Eric hit 5 weeks old. I need to work on losing more, for some reason I was scared to do any workouts while I was pregnant, but I had already been trying to lose weight. But breastfeeding has health benefits for Mom, like everyone has said, and it definitely helps you lose the weight faster. :) Your belly got flat bc BFing makes your uterus contract, so it shrinks quicker. And of course if you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight.

Julienne - posted on 03/22/2010

I gained 17kgs whilst pregnant and i am back down to my original 54kg at 4 months post baby. My daughter just seemingly sucked the weight off me. It does take a while though.

Tara - posted on 03/22/2010

its very true! i lost all my weight by 4 months! there are other benefits to mom for breastfeeding as well

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 03/22/2010

I'm about 13 lbs under my prepregnancy weight right now. It didn't start coming off until my daughter was about 4 months old.

Tasha - posted on 03/22/2010

It's true! I lost all of my baby weight by 5 months. Good luck!

Lizelle - posted on 03/22/2010

The effect of breastfeeding only really kids in around 3 months and gradually stops once you introduce solids. You can expect to loose about 1lb every month just from breastfeeding if of cause you don't eat like a manic. It worked like magic with my first born. I ate more than I ever did before and still lost weight, but it didn't work second time round even though I ate much less. I had to find out that if I don't get enough sleep my body goes into survival mode and I don't lose any weight. Spoke to some other moms and seems it's quite common second time round.

Beck - posted on 03/22/2010

I didn't lose the weight with bfeed that I thought I would BUT like any weight loss its more about the calories in (of which I know I was eating too many due to being really hungry at first and eating the wrong choices) I lost the 12kgs of 'baby fat' within two weeks of giving birth. The extra 6kgs of 'comfort' food that I had eaten during pregnancy and then while dealing with lack of sleep in the first few months stuck around for a lot longer. I had to work hard to lose a few kgs here and there. 12mths down the track I am still breastfeeding 4 times a day and am still 4kgs heavier than my conception weight. I put it down to...lack of time to exercise as much as I could pre baby, eating 'what ever is on hand' cos I am busy and hungry! and I do think a little is weight in my breasts, arms (muscle) from lifting my boofy boy and also a little around my tummy and hips. A lot of my friends actually LOST weight when they stopped bfeeding and put it down to their body no longer needing to store fat to support bfeeding. There is no way I am stopping though just to lose that weight.
I know I have to give up the treats if I want to lose the weight but for now I am happy (enough) and just enjoying my beautiful, healthy baby.
Good luck with your breastfeeding jouney, I hope it continues to go well for you.

Minnie - posted on 03/22/2010

My experience has been similar to Geralyn's. I've nursed two babes...and while I have lost a total of 16lb over my prepregnancy weight with my first (got pregnant at 129 with my first, now that my second is 17 months old I weigh 113) it has been very gradual. It's not an instantaneous thing, but I have been able to lose this weight from breastfeeding alone- I am not good at motivating myself to actually workout. And I don't diet.



Your daughter is only one month old- give yourself some time! And remember also that every woman is different.



Regarding your supply and your daughter's weight gain- have you seen a local La Leche League leader or an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant? Much of the time weight gain and supply issues can be fixed by working on latch, positioning, and frequency of nursing sessions.

Celeste - posted on 03/22/2010

It's true, but it didn't happen for me, even with exclusively nursing twins. It's my fault though LOL I was hungry all the time and probably ate more than I burned.

But, your baby is only a month old, so don't be so hard on yourself!

Allison - posted on 03/21/2010

As far as I know, it is true. It does take time, though, and your baby is only 1 month old. When you're pregnant, you need an extra 300 more calories per day, but when you're nursing you need 500 calories more per day (making milk take more energy than growing a baby!). So if you eat well, you should be burning some of that extra weight.



That being said, often nursing moms are hungry and tend to eat a lot, which they need, too. Plus, its hard to be active with a newborn and your body needs sleep when you can get it. Try not to be hard on yourself. It took 9 months to put the weight on...it should take about that much to take it off.

Geralyn - posted on 03/21/2010

Its true, but it doesn't happen overnight. It took about 5-6 months for me, I would lose and plateau, lose and plateau.... There are also important health benefits for mom.