Gaining Weight While Breastfeeding

Yes I am right there with you!! People say breastfeeding helps you lose weight and I swear it's a myth. I am normally quite petite but can never lost the baby weight until I am done breastfeeding. And like you said, it melts right off. My daughter is 8 months and I still have 20 lbs I want to lose. I have tried diet, exercise, nothing works. I am counting down the days until breeastfeeding is done because I will finally be in "normal" clothes again!!! Good luck!

Maybe it's not so much that you start losing pounds after you wean, but that weaning happens at the same time your baby is getting more active and you are running around after them more and burning off the pounds that way. Correlation instead of causation, in other words. What age do you wean at?

Dont worry you definately are not alone... my girl is 19m now and i still havent lost it all... weaned her from breastfeeding when she was 14-15months old... i guess i dont try hard enough, but it seems to be just so hard to loose it...
i dont think you are eating too much... but it's just the way you are... and oh, does it suck... :P

You are not alone. I have had a weight problem anyway. With my first son however I was working out, eating right... really trying to loose weight. Finally I weaned him... but I wasn't loosing more than five pounds more. Turned out I was pregnant again! :-)
Now Cody is here, and six months. I will wean him in another six months (give or take) and I have every confidence the weight will come off a bit easier.

i haven't lost any weight either. i was a petite 120/125 when i got pregnant. got up to about 160 and after delivery i went down to 140 and have stayed there. my son is just about 4 months old, i am breastfeeding and expected to lose (though i'm still not working out the way i was before i got preg). i chalked it up to the holidays - that i maintained weight over holidays instead of gaining any, but expected at some point to start losing....*sigh* so, no -you are not alone.

I gained weight when I was breastfeeding. It was when I stopped that I lost the weight and the weight kept dropping for another 6 months. I was worried also but you are definitely not alone.

That has been my experience so far. Everyone says you hold on to the last 5-10 lbs. of baby weight until you stop breastfeeding, but for me it has been more like 20-30! Part of the problem for me is that I haven't gone back to a reasonable calorie intake for a non-pregnant person, but I have so much trouble maintaining my milk supply that I don't want to risk not having enough because of trying to lose weight. So once I wean my baby boy (who is now 7 months) I'll be heading back to weight watchers. I figure I can wait a few more months before getting back into my old jeans...which I hope I'll be able to do eventually!

Good luck, and don't feel like you're the only one who is carrying around the weight despite breastfeeding your baby! :-)

I gained weight while breastfeeding my last 2. It is frustrating when everyone tells you that breastfeeding is a good way to get the weight off and stuff like that. You are not alone! Remember, everyone is different, so just because one person has one experience, doesn't mean you will be the same.

PLease be careful about taking calcium supplements. They can and very often lead to kidney stones. Calcium also interfers with the absorbtion of iron, thus causing moms to be anemic and more tired.

If you do take the calcium supplements drink a glass of unsweetened ruby red grapefruit juice every morning and take an iron pill or a pro-B vitamin complex. This will help your bodies natural ability to take in iron and boost your energy. Grapefruit juice also helps control cholesterol and should not be drank if you are on any meds for you cholesterol. It also naturally softens kidneystones allowing them to pass undetected or it breaks them down completely.

Infact alot of heartburn that women experiance is linked to kidney and gall stones...even though it is acidic, drinking grapefruit juice will help lessen the occurances.

I am not a grapefruit farmer, nor do I have any stock in citrus. I do however have three and almost four kids that I have nursed and used this theory with and it worked. I also have a network of natural home friends that have used the grapefruit method and it relieved their indegestion and heartburn problems.

K.

I have baby #2 and am exactly the same as you both times - I know it can be discouraging b/c most peole say you lose while nursing but I also work as a doula and know many moms who hold the weight until their done - w/ my 2nd girl my doctor actually said my body is not producing enough estrogen and think's it's post menopausal - and post menopausal you gain weight - he said it's the nursing - I definitely see a difference even month to month depending on how much she is nursing - don't worry - it's worth it and you'll lose it eventually - the other thing is that it takes at least 9 months to gain all the weight so to pressure yourself to lose it in less time is too much - just enjoy the kids - I think it's healthier to lose it slowly anyway - your still young and I think that also helps - good luck - hope your family is adjusting well to your latest addition! good luck!

K., you are so not alone! My appetite is surging now that I'm breastfeeding, and while I try to make healthy choices, I feel constantly hungry, which isn't helping my weight. But I'm confident that it will eventually come off, as I'm sure yours will too!

I agree, I was straving all the time and even though I did lose alot intially, my body never returns to normal for at least a year, I get so fustrated, I nursed longer with my first and I felt my body and stomach go down quicker but it was the same with both kids, it was just time for me. Be patient you just had a baby,the added bonus is with nursing your stomach will go down so much faster,and you burn extra calories that I was to exhausted to even try to burn off.

I had people telling me I should cut my calories,I wanted to secretly choke them cause I was starving. But calcium supplements are the best way to lose weight. I took a ton because you need it now for your bones and teeth and I'm not into milk. A boost of some vitamin d is good too for energy and take some vitamin b complex it will help kick your metabloism back into gear. and lots of water not only do you deserpately need it,it is a natural appetite surpressant.But just be patient. I know I felt huge. but it takes awhile for our minds to see our bodies as they are again. I still buy the wrong size sometimes cause I think there aint no way in hell I'll get one leg in that.

plus this is your third the other two will run any excess weight off in no time I promise till then try and rest and let your body heal you know when you can lol! congratulations!