Does Breastfeeding aid in weight loss?

[hippee]

Hello,
Just wanting to know, I have heard loads of conflicting information re breast feeding and the calories it uses up.
Did anyone find that breastfeeding helped regain their figure? Or is this another old wifes tale?
I didn't breastfeed sucessfully with DS#1 but I intend to give it another go this time.
Thankyou

[xkwzit]

I think (unfortunately) that everyone is different.

I have heard of some women who find it helps them lose weight and others who say it doesn't. I don't think I felt it made any difference to me. I have heard stories of several women who found it really boosted their metabolic rate to the point where they must deliberatly snack on good fatty foods (nuts/avocados etc) to maintain a healthy body weight.

Cheers

[Miaow]

I've found with me that yes it has made me loose a lot of weight - Im lighter now than i was before I had her though Im probably exercising a little more also - walking the pram etc

[Goosie22]

Hi,
I lost weight easily while breastfeeding. You do burn more Calories but you also seem to be very hungry. I tried to be really healthy and minimise sugar and fat, seem to satisfy my hunger.

Breastfeeding & Weight Loss (http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html)

[nemosmum]

Nup:no: BFing made me hungry all the time and really thirsty so even though I was burning calories I was eating heaps so it was a double edged sword :rolleyes:

Hopefully you will be one of the lucky mummas whose weight just flies off once bfing:yes:

[Priscilla]

I breastfed Cameron and still am. He's now 8.5 months and I intend on breastfeeding until he's 1. I have lost all the baby weight that I had put on and am back to my old self again. I did drink heaps and heaps of water as I found myself to be constantly thirsty but I don't think I was hungrier than usual.

I agree - breastfeeding did help me loose the weight but I also credit two other points:

1. I was brought up to eat three LARGE meals but not alot of snacking in between so I kept this eating 'style' both throughout the pregnancy and after birth
2. The sleep deprivation!! Cameron's not a good sleeper and wakes every two hours for a cuddle/feed ever since he was born.

So breastfeeding, big hearty meals and pure exhaustion are what I think helped me get back to my original 53kgs. Good luck with your weight loss!

[Jem]

when i bf ds1 i found i lost plenty of weight by the time he was 6 months...

but ds2 is 1 and im still bf, but havent lost nearly as much weight as i did with ds1 :o

i guess everyone is different,,, and also stress was a big contributor to my weight loss too.

[2 Cherubs]

Nope not for me....All tho....I havent gained weight...Just stayed the same from after birth....I only put on 2kg while preg....I lost weight while preg...Weird I know!!!!LOL
I eat heaps now I am breastfeeding....But unfortuately no weight loss.....

[Briannabear]

Breastfeeding definately helped me to lose weight. My metabolism changed dramatically. So that teamed with good healthy eating helped me lose a lot of weight.
I was a size 12-14 before I fell pregnant with my first baby. I got down to a small 10 before I fell pg with this baby.

[1stbaby]

Has not helped me at all to lose weight. But I am conscious that I need to eat well to keep up my milk supply so maybe I am eating too much. And I dont suppose the chocolate biscuits are necessary.:D

[Briannabear]

And I dont suppose the chocolate biscuits are necessary.:D
Just think of them as good therapy! :p

[hippee]

Thanks for your input Ladies!
It cheers me to see there were lots that lost weight or at least didn't gain anymore!
Will find out soon enough with only a week to go....

[zenifa]

My DD is 9 mths old and breastfed. I have found myself to be more hungry and thirsty and although active, it hasn't helped me shift any weight. I lost some in the 1st 6 weeks postpartum, but I still have some DD-kilo's to shift, so for me, it didn't aid weight loss. I have to agree though, chocolate is necessary ;)

[Tam-I-Am]

I actually weigh 5kg more now than I did 8 weeks after DD was born, and she's 11 months old and has been breastfed since birth.

Perhaps I'm not the best exempler though - I was extremely unwell after DD was born, spent a lot of time in hospital and on antibiotics, and i think there was a whole week after she was born that I didn't eat anything except jelly - or I threw up what I did eat (sorry for TMI).

So I lost a lot of weight very quickly, and very unhealthily - and have obviously put more weight on. I'm 5kg heavier than when I fell pg with DD, so that's not too bad I guess, but I would like to lose it again! (Iwasn't the thinest to begin with!)