Exercise and Breastfeeding

I breastfeed and exercise and my 9 month old is a hefty 21 lbs being born at 6lbs and 6 oz. and someone mentioned about supplements... I take milk thistle mostly because of sinus issues and so I can pump a little milk for him to have if I need to leave him with someone

I just weened my 3 year old (wwaaahhh) and I excercised while nursing her (running and lifting weights). You will have to make sure you get plenty of liquid and nutrients, but there is no problem with both. Be warry of advice from doctors who are not educated on the subject, because they will tell you all sorts of falsehoods. Use common sense and you will be fine (women are built for a much more strenuous existance than we are given credit.) Good luck and congratulations!

I've been running and breastfeeding. At first we thought it was making milk taste funny because my son fussed every night after I run but it turned out it was cholic. He grew out of it and it was fine. A way to tell is to run at another time of day and see if baby behaves the same (if you end up facing this). I have a milk supply problem though so I've cut back running as I was having a hard time getting my calories right with that much exercise. It will be tough to keep up with that, let me warn you. You need between 1800-2200 cals to be able to breastfeed. So you have to add back in whatever you burn running.

there is absolutely no reason to not exercise if your dr has approved it. after my first child i exercised 5x a week at the gym with 4 days being 500+ calorie burning classes. i breast-fed until she was 15 months old. (she quit b/c i was pregnant again and the milk changed taste.) i had my second baby and (with ob approval) started training for a 1/2 marathon 5 weeks postpartum. we run up to 20 miles a week. i have had no change in my milk production, and nurse immediately after exercise. there is no need to dump milk after exercise, so far i haven't noticed it getting "sour" as some people may say. my coach has had 4 children and breast-fed all while training and competing in marathons, triathlons, and cycling races. she actually said the babies like it a little better after exercise b/c they are getting some of your endorphins in the milk. i have spoke with a lactation consultant and a la leche mentor. both have said that it is safe to exercise and breast-feed. i asked about calorie consumption and the answer was eat when you're hungry, but obviously eat nutritious foods. the main thing everyone will tell you is STAY HYDRATED. here's a link on hydration https://mylifestages.org/MyLifeStages/featuredarticle/200...

basically, use common sense and listen to your body. when you are hungry eat, when you are thirsty drink. and don't worry if you don't drop weight asap... i've been running for 20 weeks now and haven't lost anything - but my pants are loose and i've been burning fat :o) good luck! let me know if you have more questions.

I exercised throughout pregnancy and while breastfeeding with both my kids and didn't have any problems.

Hi -
I run long-distance too and did before, during and after both pregnancies - kids are now 7yrs and almost 4yrs. I had the same thing - lots of milk and BF until my oldest was almost 2. The second time, I didn't have as much milk, and she seemed to pass me up (I needed to supplement with #2 and never did with #1). But, I still BF her until she was 15 months old. I don't attribute the lack of milk to running though. I think it was just a combination of having more going on and not making myself drink more water, chasing a 3 year old, etc...

Just remember to hydrate more than you would normally. I talked to a friend of mine in a running club who said that while she was nursing she only ran on a treadmill so that she didn't overly tax her body by sweating outside in the Texas heat.

Hope this helps!
C.

hi C.,
When I started running while bf for my first child, my milk seem to slow. (So I waited a bit to run again)

However this time around (2nd baby) I am able to run daily and it not effect my milk supply. Not sure why either...give it a try and see how your body handles your milk supply. Everything I read says exercise is beneficial and doesn't effect milk.
Good luck :)

I didn't have any problems with my son running/working out and breastfeeding. I agree with the other posters, I think with #2 (due 7 weeks) will be tougher mainly b/c I'll be chasing a 15 month old around. If you have supply issues, there are great supplements out there that can help and be sure to get your water and you may need to increase your calorie intake some. On busy days I would sometimes forget to eat enough and it would take a few days to get my supply back on track! Good luck.

I ran and did weights until I was 6 months pregnant.

After I delivered, I immediately began walking and was running 3 miles by the time she was 3 months. When my daughter was 6 months, I began training for the marathon.

I breastfed up until she was 9 months and had no issues. I stopped at 9 months b/c of Hurricane Ike. We were displaced for 3 months and it was too much to handle.

FYI: I had a c-section.