Does the amount of milk produced effect amount of calories you burn?

[Mrs5707]

I am just wondering if the amount of milk your body makes has any effect on how many calories you burn while breastfeeding. I *think* what actually burns the calories is your body making milk, not the act of physically breastfeeding (which I'm sure you burn then to) of course I could be wrong this is just my thoughts here... but if anyone knows if the amount made correlates with calories burned I would be interested to know.

 

[hopingforit]

I was thinking that the amount of milk you produce would have some effect on how many calories you burn but I make 40oz per day of milk and have had 35lbs of the 70lbs left to lose from pregnancy. I've had that much left since 2 weeks pp and haven't lost a single pound since then. I don't actually breastfeed though. I pump. So maybe the way a baby can get it out causes you to burn more calories? I'm not sure. People told me how breastfeeding is amazing for losing weight but im just not seeing it.

 

[Mrs5707]

Yeah I know how you feel, I have lost about 30lbs and have 15 to go and they don't seem to want to budge, I'm almost 10 weeks pp, and I pump, too and only nurse at night...

 

[cautious...]

I breastfeed exclusively and haven't lost a pound really since the initial weight loss! Whoever said the weight would fall off while bf'ing lied!!

 

[Bluesea]

interesting, I lost all my baby weight plus some by 6-months! i also eat like a horse now!

 

[lemongrass]

I haven't lost any since my initial weightloss and I ebf. I wish it fell off!

 

[DragonTamer]

When i had my 7 yo the weight melted off and i stopped nursing when she was about 3-4 months old, this time I've nursed 7 months so far and i lost the initial weight (206 the day before he was born dropped down to 170) but then out of the blue i GAINED weight and I've been stuck at 191....wth!?!

 

[Steph82]

Interesting thought. I would guess that you burn the calories from your body making the milk. So the more milk, the more you burn?!

I also lost 24lbs (all of my pregnancy gain) by 2 weeks pp. now at 5weeks pp, I have only lost 1 more lb. I was hoping to lose some extra with bf

 

[freddie]

Hmm I'm not sure but I have definitely found BF to make me lose loads of weight! I was back to prepregnancy weight in about 4/5 days pp lol and within a couple of months I weighed a stone less than I did prepregnancy... I was already very slim so this was not intended and rather a surprise!! My weight has remained the same now - I wonder if I'll go back up to normal weight when I stop breasfteeding?!

 

[Katerpillar]

Not sure either but I do know that I am fatter than I was before I fell pregnant!! Urghh! BF makes me soooo hungry! Like a hunger I've never felt before ha ha! Actually looking forward to getting my body back once I stop.

 

[chevy4by]

Breastmilk averages 22cal/oz, so I figure if I pump out 10oz, that should equal 220 calories, right? I don't really know, but it makes sense in my mind .

 

[marymoomin]

There is a school if thought that your body switches into "famine" mode whine breast feeding and in order to preserve you and this results in you not bring able to shift a pound. This happened to my with dd- only boost weight after I finished bf.

 

[AllyTiel]

I have pumped exclusively for 7 months now and I lost the 33lbs I gained being pregnant plus 6 more so now I'm down to 120lbs. Pumping is just as effective as straight breastfeeding as far as losing weight goes in my experience.