How do you breastfeed without gaining weight?

I’m 1 month postpartum. My pediatrician told me “no calories no milk”. I’ve been eating more and my milk has com in more steadily but I’m gaining weight 😐. I’ve been eating high calorie food and increasing my portion size too.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a diet to follow or workout regimen that’s worked for them?

I’ve seen women lose weight while breastfeeding so what’s their secret to keep the milk strong?

Read more on Peanut

The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.

Learn more about our guidelines.

Add a comment

Honestly girl, put your weight on the back burner for now. If gaining weight is what your body needs to provide for your baby, that’s fine. They won’t be a baby forever and you can lose the weight later. Focus on healing and recovery, and all the rest will follow. I say this because I’m right there with you at almost 3 weeks postpartum 🤍 let’s heal, feed our babies and worry about the rest later

seconding this, your body will do whatever it needs to in order to feed and nourish your baby! if it makes you feel better maybe stick to whole/healthy high calorie foods, such as salads with lots of protein, eggs and bacon or sausage, things like that. as long as you feel good about what you’re eating i feel like that’s the most you can do. we are so hard on ourselves as mommies and there is so much pressure to bounce back but we are providing our babies with nutrients no one else can and our bodies are amazing for that! give it time, you will go back to your “normal” weight again, but you won’t get this time back with your baby! you are beautiful inside and out❤️honestly if it helps just get rid of your scale. out of sight out of mind!

I couldn't lose any weight for a long time. My daughter is now 1 yo, and I just started losing weight. At first, I dropped from 190 to 185 naturally and when I realized that I went running to a nutritionist. I Know there's a window when your hormones starts stabilizing and J wanted to seize that opportunity. Now I am on a very lax diet, I still need to eat enough because I am breastfeeding but I dopped from 185 to 172 in less than 2 months. I'm hoping I will keep going. Ideally I would like to be around 130 (my normal weight) but if I drop to 145, I will be very happy.
I would say don't worry about it for now but stay on the look out once you introduce solids. If you see that your body is willing to lose weight start making changes.
I know for experience that trying to lose weight while breastfeeding and having a body that is not ready for weight loss, will just be very frustrating and maddening.

in our community

Can someone pls help i keep making this post and nobody is responding

My boyfriend booked a trip for us to go to mexico for a week as my push present. I have severe anxiety leaving my 7 month old with my mom. I know she will be in good hands but she’s exclusively breast fed for the most part but accepts bottles just fine. i have all my pumping parts packed and will pump when baby normally eats but i don’t want baby to forget me or have latch issues when i return!! any mommas ever experience this?

Postpartum

I’m only 3 days postpartum (FTM) and already have extremely bad anxiety. I’m crying every night, as I think of another night of no sleep. My baby will not settle in his cot, he cries every moment we put him down unless in his chair rocker. So me and my partner are having to alternate after 3/4 hours of being awake with him downstairs. I’m trying everything to get him to settle. It’s a load of overwhelming stress. I’m 23, I was desperate for a baby and now I have one and feel completely useless. I miss it just being me and my partner.

When does it get better?

I was crying on the phone with the perinatal mental health team today and the lovely lady, bless her, kept assuring me that it gets better. I kept telling her I hope so because people have been saying that since having my LO and it just feels like it keeps getting worse. She assured me it gets better....

Night time routine

Heya, my 3 week old daughter is currently exclusively breastfed and I’m not pumping. Can anyone recommend the best way to share the load with my partner? At the moment I’m doing all the feeds/burbs/settling and my partner is sleeping through which obviously isn’t sustainable, I’m trying to work out the best way to get him involved. Any advice very much appreciated!

Rapid cool/ hot shot method

Sorry if this sound stupid but how are we doing the hot shot method?
Are we boiling the kettle and letting it cool a little before adding to hot flask? Then with the cool water do you boil the kettle and leave it to cool right down before putting into another flask?
My baby brain is fried trying to work out the easiest way!

Rant/WWYD

My sister (youngest, 24) has two kids, 4 & 1, and i (oldest, 30) just have my one who’s 6mo old right now, so i ask her for advice or call her to vent about things sometimes. Well im tired of her turning around and telling my other family members that I’m “losing my sh*t.” Literally have not lost my sh*t nor have i ever freaked out to her about my baby, i just call her to talk and tell her what stage my baby is in or talk through how im feeling, but she chooses to tell people that im like a complete nutcase or something which worries me that my family is going to start being judgmental about me as a mother or looking at me funny like I’m some fragile ticking time bomb.

What would you do in this situation? I’m already pretty much decided that I’ll stop telling her anything about my struggles, but I’m almost at the point where i feel like it should be confronted because she, of all people, should understand what I’m going through.