Baby Weight - Sharpsburg,GA

9 months up, 9 months down. I gained 45 lbs w/ my first 50 with my second. Breastfed both. My youngest is 9 months old now and I feel like I am just now getting my body back (hips closing, jelly belly going, etc). I am back to my regular clothes and weight is off, but body is just now getting back. Be patient, you'll get there!

I totally get where you are coming from. My daughter just turned a month old a couple of days ago. I only gained 28 pounds with this pregnancy but I feel like I havent lost any of the weight.

I actually googled today safe dieting while breastfeeding. All the websites said that if you are exclusively breastfeeding than to not even think about dieting until your little one is at least two months old. By then you will establish a base milk supply. It also said that you shouldnt try to lose more than a pound a week or it could deplinish your milk supply. The recommended amount of calories you should be consuming is more in the 1800 range.

I would be careful about the amount of calories you are consuming and how much you are exercising at the moment. Try to give yourself a break and understand that you just had a baby! Be patient with your body, and remember you are supplying the nutrients for your little one and that is more important than anything else.

The average amount of snap back time is ten months so you have nine more to go.

Congratulations on your little one!

Hi M.,
I haven't read the other responses. so this might be a repeat. I want to recommend that you look into the South Beach diet. It really works well and quickly. You give up the white stuff (flour, sugar, rice, potatoes) and all carbs for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks you add back in good carbs (apples, etc.). It isn't too difficult to follow, and it is a healthy way to lose weight. Of course, exercising makes it go even quicker. HTH!

I am in the same situation and have done this with all five of my pregnancies. I would be really careful doing any strict diets while breastfeeding. You will lose the weight as your hormones level off but probably not as fast as you want. I was told to eat at least 100 grams of protein a day and I'm not sure you are doing that. You have to look at it as your baby's health and nutrition are first priority. Mom's have to really be so selfless. After your baby is three months old your hormones should start to level off and you will see that your walking and healthy diet will pay off. Be patient I know it is difficult but it takes two years for your body totally recover from pregnancy and delivery.

You really need to be eating at LEAST 1500 to 1600 calories per day if you are exclusively breastfeeding. Your body takes around 500-600 calories a day producing milk and for both your recovery and your baby you need those calories. Breastmilk is composed of water, fats, and proteins, most basically, so you need to feed yourself to feed your baby.

That said, I lost all of my baby weight plus more (lowest adult weight) by exercising for about 30 minutes a day and eating well (not to mention nursing for over a year). Walking is fine for now, but wait until 6 weeks or your doctor's okay to start exercising more heavily. I have never done a weight loss clinic or been part of a group, I just kept a journal, took before pictures, jotted down my measurements and weight once in a while, and prioritized exercise and eating well. It takes time, but I did lose about 28 pounds by the time my baby was about 7 or 8 months old.

Please, please, please eat more calories than you are eating now--even if you just drink a glass or two of milk more.

Trust me, I know it's hard to hear, but it takes time.

It doesn't sound like you're eating enough food. Can you try upping your mileage or adding some other type of exercise to your routine? There's no better way to spark a healthy appetite than to exercise more. Exercising more will probably even make you feel better about your body because you'll realize that you are strong and healthy, and that matters more than the number on the scale.

Ditto what the other moms said about dieting while breastfeeding. Not the best idea.

Just remember it took 9 months to put the weight on... Give yourself a little time to get the rest off before you start going drastic. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. I lost a lot of weight when I started doing Bodypump classes at the gym. It burns a lot of calories and builds muscle. It's a great fat-burner class. May just want to switch up your exercise routine before you spend a lot of money on a clinic that may or may not work.

I lost the majority myself but did baby boot camp to get the rest of the weight off. Try looking for your local baby boot camp sessions.

I didn't breastfeed my kids so am not an expert on it , but arn't you supposed to eat extra calories so that the baby is fed properly? Your baby is only 4 weeks old so no you won't have lost 50lbs yet. From the update you posted , saying you don't feel hungry and food is your enemy , that is not going to be any good for the baby and he/she would probably be better off formula fed if you are going to count calories and go to weight loss clinics.

If you are breastfeeding, you really need to eat more calories per day then 1000-1200. You may not feel like you're starving yourself, but it's really bot healthy for you OR your baby.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-calories-fluids...

Here's some info on how to loose weight properly while breastfeeding:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html

The problem with not eating enough calories while breastfeeding, is your body will go into starvation mode. When your body does that, it slows down your metabolism to conserve energy. Your body will start to burn muscle instead of fat, to keep your fat stores. Burning the muscle will slow down your metabolism even further. While you can loose weigh at first in starvation mode...it will actually cause you to GAIN weight. (or gain back what you've already lost.) You are going against the way your body naturally works, so it will do everything it can to keep fat and weight on your bones.

4 weeks is so soon. I'm not sure what the restrictions are for vaginal births, but I would wait and talk to your doctor at your 6 week check up. I gained 55 lbs, and still have 25 to lose and my daughter just turned 5 months. I find that the less I think about it, the better it is. Also, I don't want to risk losing my milk. I will get my body back soon enough, but nursing is only for a finite time.

I know how you're feeling (really, I delivered on 9/30), however there are a number of reasons why you should not diet right now.

#1: if you diet while breastfeeding, your body releases a chemical (which is then in your breastmilk) that is not good for the baby. If you decide to go ahead and diet, then you need to stop breastfeeding. Seriously.

#2: If you start to lose weight too soon after pregnancy, you may find that you lose body fat in the "wrong places". I have a friend who lost her baby weight soon after delivering (her son was in NICU and her weight loss was triggered due to the stress/situation); she lamented that she didn't lose it in her belly and mid section as much as losing the padding/curve of her bottom and fullness in her breasts.

#3: Toning your mid-section is not the same as dieting. You have to remember that your abdominal muscles have been blown out. You haven't had to use them for the past 10 months. So, you'll need to focus on strengthening those muscles. When your pregnant, your body let's you relax--basically, you've had 10 months of letting your tummy hung out. You now have to start holding your abdominal muscles/stomach in when you walk/stand/sit, as well as doing kagel exercises and crunches. That will get your mid-section looking more like you want.

#4: your body is still adjusting it's hormone levels and restarting certain processes that were put on hold while you were pregnant. Dieting during this readjustment could make that transition more stressful in your body and hormone production.

I know it's not how you want to look, but as long as you avoid eating fast-food/processed foods, sweets and avoid alcohol, you body will lose the weight even if you are eating a robust diet with dairy fat and protein for your breastmilk quality. It took you 10 months to gain your baby weight; give yourself at least 8-10 months to lose it naturally. When I first asked my OB when I should focus on losing the baby weigh, she told me "No dieting for 1 year. If after 1year, you're not where you want to be, then you can focus on weight lose, etc."

Here's a few good links & articles:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/104712-fast-lose-baby-fat/#
http://www.essortment.com/all/postpartumweig_rwvc.htm

Good luck. Try to savor the time with your newborn instead of worrying about your weight. This itty-bitty baby stage goes by so quickly!

Gained 37 lbs with my pregnancy and used mummy magic weight loss tea for two months three times a day and shed all extra weight including tummy bulge.