Breastfeeding PREVENTING weight loss...anyone else?

[Warby]

Ladies, please tell me that there are others like me. I am not making excuses; this is really what happens. While I think it was helpful in the beginning, I know that for me, breastfeeding interferes with weight loss.

I am breastfeeding my fourth, and it has been the same story everytime. "Baby weight" (lots of fluid) is lost relatively quickly but fat clings on until I stop nursing. I have tried breastfeeding-safe diets, lots of exercise, and no results. Some sort of hormone thing. Once I stop nursing, the weight comes off with diet.

My son is 16 months and he is the longest I have nursed. I'm not going to stop nursing him just to lose weight, but have accepted that I will probably be chubby until he stops. Boo. The fact that I am 39 and my metabolism is slowing doesn't really help.

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[summer rain]

Yes me. While still BF my second eldest (I have 5) I lost three stone within a short period of time but only when he was nearly one and before that I had lost only a couple of pounds from when I was 42 weeks pregnant. With my second youngest I managed to lose 2 stone (28lb) when he was a year old but my starting weight was 200 lb and I only lost the weight by walking miles every day, something which just wasn't sustainable. With all my others I put weight on despite eating sensibly and getting a lot of exercise. One of mine though I switched him to formula from 3.5 months due to medical reasons and with him I gained the most weight ever even though I had stopped BF so when that happened I started to think that maybe my hormones are messed up in the first 12-18 months anyway and perhaps breastfeeding prevents things going even more haywire? Xx

 

[Warby]

Glad I am not the only one. The other thing I noticed about myself is that I really pack on the pounds during pregnancy. With my first, I ate a high protein, low carb diet throughout and still put on 30 pounds! My subsequent pregnancies I did not eat as healthfully (what was the point, I wondered) but still managed to gain 40 pounds by eating pretty much the same as I did before getting pregnant. I think there is something about pregnancy/baby hormones that make my body hold on to fat.

 

[Aliop]

My body clings onto everything whilst breastfeeding too! I'm feeding my third who is 18 months old now but he's dropped down to 2-3 feeds a day and finally I am losing weight but I am being super super strict on my eating (1200-1400cal) to see this happening.

My second self weaned at 16months and literally I dropped 4kg in two weeks doing nothing at all different bar not breastfeeding! Then I got pregnant again and the cycle started over LOL

You're not alone!

 

[Bunnikins]

yeah definitely. I quit breastfeeding amost 2 weeks ago and and have lost 7lb already (may just be the weight of my boobs?). I also eat a LOT when BF cos it makes me very very hungry there is no way i could diet while BF!

 

[MoldyVoldy]

Breastfeeding definitely made it difficult to lose weight for me. I was always so hungry, and when I would try to diet it made me physically sick. Bummer. LOL

 

[SazzleR]

I am embarrassed to admit that both this time & with DS1, I actually put weight on in the first few weeks I weighed myself at 2 weeks post partum & I weigh more now I think part of the issue is that I'm STARVING all the time but there must be. Hormone thing going on too. Maybe it's an evolutionary thing to keep us unattractive & stop us making more babies while feeding one

 

[jenmcn1]

Yes absolutely!! I exclusively nursed my 2nd baby for 15 months, and within 3 weeks of stopping nursing her, I lost my last 15lbs! It literally dropped off me but while nursing I ate healthy, exercised, etc and nothing I did would help!! I just had my 3 rd baby 10days ago and I have a good 20lbs to lose still....and u know it won't come off until I'm done nursing....which won't be anytime soon! I've been told some women just hold onto an extra 5-12lbs. It bugs me but I've come to accept it. Not easy though. So I can totally relate to how you're feeling

 

[leigh5tom]

Me! I find I'm so hungry & need to eat regularly or my blood sugars dip & I get quite light headed! Fruit doesn't help, I need sugary stuff like biscuits. Wahhhhh xxx

 

[Warby]

Ladies, it is so good to hear these stories. After reading other posts that say things like "all I do is breastfeed and eat hot fudge sundaes and I am ten pounds below my prepregnancy weight" or "help, I can't stop losing weight and none of my clothes fit me", it is nice to know I am not the only one for whom breastfeeding = pudge.

In the first few months I was super hungry but my appetite is back to normal now. I have increased my physical activity too but no results. It is maddening.

 

[MoldyVoldy]

i am embarrassed to admit that both this time & with ds1, i actually put weight on in the first few weeks I weighed myself at 2 weeks post partum & i weigh more now I think part of the issue is that i'm starving all the time but there must be. Hormone thing going on too. Maybe it's an evolutionary thing to keep us unattractive & stop us making more babies while feeding one

lmfao

 

[sun]

I know quite a few mamas who will lose some, but the last chunk of weight doesn't budge until they stop BF.

 

[Cyan]

I am so happy to read this! I was wondering what on earth was happening to me - I've always been small and found it easy to not over eat but now I'm nursing I have to wilfully stop myself pillaging the cupboards and ransacking the fridge, I'm soooo hungry all the time.

I tried to get a grip on it a few weeks ago and tried to diet safely, not too low calorie just a lot more sensible choices and portion size. In the past this would have given quick results but now, aside from lots of muttering and grumbling about "stupid diet stupid fat arse stupid salad bah hmph sniff"... nothing. Not a pound, not an inch. Nothing. So for now I've just resigned myself to love levers (too big to be called handles), entire cake top (muffin isn't apt either) and a bottom the size of a small European country. Sigh.

 

[Agcam]

I was hoping that this was the case with me. I initially lost a lot of weight, and then reached a certain point and the numbers on the scale haven't changed since then.

Unfortunately, stopping breastfeeding (about a month ago) hasn't changed anything. I'm still carrying an extra 5-6 kgs compared to my pre-pregnancy weight. I know at this point that exercise is what is probably needed, but do not know how to make the time between work, home and LO.

 

[Amcolecchi]

OMG this forum is amazing!! I am a first time mom and when my baby was born 4/4/14 I lost 14 pounds in two weeks (apparently my body likes the numbers 4 and 14 lol). BUT NOW NOTHING!! I am breastfeeding, eating healthy and enough and working out..WTH!?!?!

 

[misspriss]

I lost quite a bit of weight in the beginning, and I'm 5lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, but I can't seem to lose another pound. I need to lose a good 20-25 more to be at a healthy weight, and nothing I seem to do helps. I'm afraid if I restrict calories too much, I will hurt my supply. I'm always so hungry too. It's frustrating.

I just spoke with my younger sister (who is in college for athletic training) and I'm trying to convince her to be my personal trainer.

 

[Mrsb3]

For me, feeding full stop makes me gain wright because wether it's formula or bm it involves a lot of sitting down! My 12 month old used to feed every 1.5 hours on formula when he was a newborn and at 3 months was still on up to 12 bottles a day.... I actually gained weight after I had him. I started to loose weight though when I started to wean him at 5 and a half months- by 7 months the weight was finally dropping off. I'm bf my 10 day old right now and I've been sat on my bum for hours!! I know they say bf burns 300-500 calories a day but what's that 3 borbon biscuits?? Everyone is different though this us just what happens to me. And yes I need the biscuits sleepless nights make me crave sugar