Is weight gain normal when you are reducing breastfeeding/pumping? Any extra tips on how to combat it? I am now just nursing or pumping once a day (I've been cutting back slowly for 3 or so months), and I've gained 5 pounds in the last 2-3 weeks, plus @ 5 days a week I just feel bloated & weird, for lack of a better word. Not much gain, I know, but it has been noticeable after being at the same weight for the last 11 months while breastfeeding. It didn't seem to matter what or how much I ate while I was BFing, I wouldn't gain anything. (Not that I went all out, but if I had a bad day or week, I was pleasantly surprised the scale didn't reflect that)
BUT - obviously I know I would need less calories as I cut down on breastfeeding. However, I've been back on a stricter track eating (mostly) healthy for the last couple months, and working out (although only 3x a week at the moment). Do I just need to watch what I eat even more & step up my workouts? Or are my hormones just trying to balance out or something? I feel like I'm getting close to getting my period back, but it hasn't quite come yet. Also, I just started monitoring my morning temps a couple weeks ago to see if I'm ovulating yet, and they seem to be all over the place, more so than they were before for me. Is this supposed to be an easy transition or does it take a few months to get the body back on track? I'm starting to get nervous - I don't want to continue gaining weight!
I think I have heard that a lot of women hold onto 5-10 lbs while breastfeeding and then they drop it pretty quickly when stopping. As far as your weight gain, maybe your body is holding onto that extra fat because you are still producing milk, even only 1x a day. I would not cut back those extra 500 calories until you are done breastfeeding completely.
Doctor says 500 extra calories are required while breast feeding. When you stop, you need to cut out those extra 500 calories.
Breastfeeding burns calories, so it is definitely normal to fluctuate a bit when weaning. I gained a few pounds after I stopped breastfeeding both of my children. It took a couple months for my body to get back on a normal cycle and then the weight seemed to return to normal. For me it was always those last 5 - 10 pounds that were the hardest to shed and get back to pre-baby weight.
I gained 25 pounds while pregnant with my first (140-165). I went back down to about 145 very shortly after birth...and stayed there...until 6 months, when we introduced food. Then I gained about 5 pounds, and when we weaned totally, after 13 months, I gained the other 25 over the next couple months. We got pregnant when he was 2, and I miscarried at 3 months, and lost a bunch of weight--which I attribute to hormones and not to being emotional. I felt quite healthy in all respects. Got pregnant again 4 months later, gained 10 pounds, and, 2 1/2 years later, I'm done nursing #2--and have gained 25 pounds. I am almost up to 200 pounds, when 6 years ago, before baby, I was 140. I know there was a point with #1 where things leveled out and I felt like I was in control again. But, even though I've eaten better this time (the first time, it was like, hey, I can eat ANYTHING! and I did!), I'm still gaining the weight. It's very frustrating. The weird, wonky feelings will go away in a month or two, but the weight gain, for me, took a while to plateau the first time. The second time, I nursed so long (and we just quit) that I'm hoping the weight gain will not pack on a bunch here at the end. I know I was emotional, irritable, and weird feeling when I stopped with my first--after a year. Like I said, with #2, it's been sooo gradual, I haven't noticed the mood effect as much, but the weight gain seems to be the same. I am not a super well controlled person; I feel rotten when I can't eat and I'm hungry--and I AM hungry, like I was when I was nursing. Perhaps you are more in control of those things--good luck! I'm not sure there are a lot of helpful hints in my story, but I at least wanted to say, no, it's not uncommon to gain weight when you wean!
My son is now 14 months. I had lost all the baby weight plus some by the end of the year. He now only nurses before nap and bed and I have noticed some of the clothes that had gotten loose are now fitting again. I had my yearly exam and complained of being very tired, bloated and hormonal. My ob/gyn said it was just my body trying to get back to normal. She said that as I weaned him in the next few months I would feel better. Two weeks later I got my period.
I breastfed my daughter for 14 months. I gained 35 pounds during pregnancy and by 6 months after birth I was 10 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. I dropped weight non-stop and I did NOTHING and ate whatever I wanted within reason- breastfeeding dropped the weight for me. After starting solid foods, I gained 5 pounds in 3 months. By the time my daughter was done breastfeeding I was at my pre-pregancy weight and probably gained another 5 pounds over the next year. It seemed like as my daughter breastfed less, my appetite slightly decreased and I gained a bit. As you wean, you do have to start watching what you eat more and exercising more. Don't worry about it, it sounds to me like you are doing just that! And...great job breastfeeding so long!
