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Breastfeeding and losing baby weight?
Does breastfeeding really help with losing the baby weight? Do you have a success story to share?
Thanks!
26 Answers
- josiLv 51 decade agoFavorite Answer
Breastfeeding can definitely give you a good start. You do burn more calories when you are breastfeeding but you have to combine it with a somewhat sensible diet and at least some light exercise. It also usually doesn't happen right away, so just give your body a chance.
What worked for me was that I started drinking pretty much only water and lots of it. The 8 glasses a day thing help to keep you hydrated for breastfeeding and helps the weight to move. I didn't cut out all the junk (it's just not worth it), but I did try to eat somewhat healthily. It was that combined with mommy duties and a bit of exercise. I would try to get out everyday for a walk with my daughter in the carrier or in the stroller. My daughter is now 16 months and I pretty much holding steady about 25 lbs less than when I got pregnant. Who knew I'd end up smaller!
- KarlaLv 51 decade ago
Yes I think it does help because I haven't been dieting or exercising, but I've committed myself to not eat after 8:30 at night, tried to stop eating sweets, and no fried food, and I have lost 31 pounds out of the 40 that I gained during my pregnancy. My baby is 4.5 weeks old. I'm definitely NOT dieting and normally I need to exercise a ton in order to lose weight.
- LauraLv 51 decade ago
if the nursing mother isn't porking out and vegging in front of the TV then it does.
With a proper diet and exercise routine (even just a brisk walk with the baby every day) a breastfeeding mother can quickly shed the pounds. The reason is because just the feeding takes about 500 calories each day.
Say a woman consumed 1,500 calories before she was pregnant and was active (but not so active that she could run a marathon) with a balanced weight. If she returned to that same level of activity post-birth and still consumed the same amount of calories, she'd be burning more than she consumes, so her body would turn to her fat reserves and slowly work that out as well. If she added a short walk with the baby for "fresh air" then she's burning even more calories!
500 calories per day translates to 3,500 per week (that's more than two days worth of energy!), and if I remember correctly that's around the equivilant of around 2 lbs. In addition, most of the pregnancy weight is dropped when the baby pops out (baby and placenta) so there isn't a whole lot to lose in the first place.
If there's ever a time to start on a healthy weight-loss diet and exercise routine, it's after popping out a kid. It's nearly effortless, rewarding, and at a great time in a woman's life when she'll love hearing "you look great!".
- 1 decade ago
breastfeeding burns 500 calories every time you do it, so it helps with losing some weight. you have to remember it took almost 10 months to gain all the weight, so it will take at least the same amount of time to lost it.
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- 1 decade ago
yes because when you breastfeeding the baby take calories of you by drinking your milk and not mention when baby sucking on your nipple that make your stomach contraction so make the stomach shrinking and flatter. i just breastfeeding my baby for whole months and just 3 week i breastfeeding i lose all the baby weight extra more skinnier than before i was pregnant . i would like give my baby breast feeding until 1 years but i couldnt do it because have to drink medicine for my worse acne.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I lost 60 lbs right after birth and didn't breastfeed. A friend of mine told me the weight loss is up to the individual cause 1 friend asays she only lost weight cause she was to tired to eat like normal and the baby burnt up the calories and the other went on a water, fruit and vegetable diet Only no butter salt, nothing and the weight fell off..........
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I was unable to breastfeed my first, and I am currently pregnant with number 2....
Two of my close friends swear that breast feeding helped them to lose the weight quickly. One of them even gained some back when she quit breast feeding her son at 3 months. So, I would say, yes! it works, as long as you keep doing it!
I plan on breast feeding this one, and hopefully I can lose some of the 80lbs that I have gained in the last 9 months!
- RainCloudLv 61 decade ago
Breastfeeding does burn more calories per day, but you must eat more calories in order to keep up the supply. I breastfed 2 of my kids and it helped some, but not a lot.
- 1 decade ago
It hasn't helped me until I went on Weight Watchers nursing mothers program. It didn't work for my sister, either and she breast fed 5 kids. I'm sure it has worked for others but I truly believe, its all in your genes.
- 5 years ago
distracted dining will get you in trouble avoid eating in front of a television or in a movie theater as you re bound to consume more calories