Please don't throw tomatoes at me....

[Mom to Brandon and 2 cats]

But, do any other nursing moms have trouble keeping the weight ON? I'm down 15 pounds from my pre-pg weight, 2 sizes smaller. I'm a stick! 5'4" and size 2 does not look good on me.

It's not as if I don't eat - I do, constantly! (And, I must confess, plenty of junk food).

I'm thinking I may be able to gain some weight when I wean?

[Calmegja2]

Maybe we should throw Krispy Kremes at you? LOL! ;-)

It's a different ballgame while you're nursing, you're body's not quite your own. I would assume that when baby weans, you'll settle back to your normal size....

[rrosen]

I've got plenty of extra weight to share with you. Tell me where I can send it ;-)

[Rachels]

Me! Me! I was also down 15 pounds. It's not picnic being underweight, for those who feel a tad envious. Your skin and hair look like hell, you're fatigued all the time, and you catch every bug that anybody in a ten mile radius might possibly have.

FWIW, I have gained six or seven pounds in the last year, so it seems to come back a bit once you're nursing an older baby or toddler. I still pack in the high-calorie stuff pretty often (ice cream pretty much every night, etc). And I really try not to cheat and skip meals, although it's easy to do that.

Hang in there! I feel your pain. In addition to everything else, I have NO clothes. I look rough these days.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[jojo2324]

Me too. I lost weight during the pregnancy (morning sickness), so my start out weight was lower, really. I lost it all (back to lower pregnancy weight), and kept it off while nursing. I loved it, truthfully.

Alas, the same has not occurred the second time around. :( Silly me for thinking it would...

[ppshah]

I too was 10 lb below pre-preganancy while nursing. And I was looking good too! But alas it did not last. After weaning I have gained 5 back. Now I'm struggling not to gain the last 5. Keep eating!!!

[lukkykatt]

Me too! This only happened to me the first time around, not the second :(

I am 5'2" and was down to 103 pounds when I was nursing my first son. No matter how much I ate (and that was ALOT), it didn't matter. I started supplementing my meals with Haagen Daas milkshakes. Boy, those were the days.

Second time around, whole different ball of wax. Maybe because I went into nursing like it was an all out food-fest, based on my previous experience, or maybe because my second did not nurse as voraciously, who knows?

But it does happen. If you think you are losing too much, check in with your doc.

[smilequeen]

No tomatoes :) Is it bad that I'm hoping I have this problem though b/c for me, to be 15 lbs below my pregnancy weight would not be a problem. I started out 15 lbs higher than I would have liked anyway :) Sorry, I know I don't have any advice...just something to hope for...lol

[doubleL]

But I have to! Tomatoes! Tomatoes! :)

Lou

[jojo2324]

Yes, yes, everything exactly as Andrea said!!! Just like that. :(

[suribear]

Good thing I'm out of tomatoes.

But seriously, my SIL is just like you and I realize it's not fun to be on the other extreme either! She looked a bit sickly at one point, but now that she's weaned she is gaining a bit and looks fine :)

I am dreading weaning because I will gain weight unless I get strict about diet and exercise.

Kris

[jamsmu]

Right there, too! I was shocked when I got on the scale on Thursday and found I am down to 100 pounds. I haven't been this light since high school. Its a little scary for me because in hs I had an eatting disorder. I actually snapped at a friend the other day for commenting on my stomach. I was like, "all I do is eat!" And, like Rachel said, I'm exhausted and weak all the time. DH and I actually talked about it last night because I was so concerned. I'm planning to wean in August/Sept but am starting to feel so weak that I may have to sooner.

[nwaddellr]

I almost posted about this the other day because I needed to gloat somewhere! Luckily I'm not at the "lost too much" end of the scale, just the "wow - I can't remember when I weighed so little" end. It's unfortunate to hear it doesn't stay off after weaning...

[Rachels]

Get your thyroid checked! If you're so weak that you think you need to wean for that reason alone, it's worth making sure everything else is really okay.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/knit.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[COElizabeth]

It's worth checking your iron level, too, while you're at it!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

[StaceyKim]

Wow, this is cool information! I guess nursing really does BURN calories. I am planning on nursing with #2 (I hope I can successfully do it!!!), so we'll have to wait and see the results. I did lose all my pregnancy weight with DS and then some (down to 105) but I was watching calories and exercising to get there.

[C99]

I have this problem as well. I don't like being this thin; none of my clothes fit! Although, it's kind of nice being able to wear skirts from my early college days!

[Rachels]

>I am planning on nursing with #2 (I hope I can
>successfully do it!!!)

There's an amazing support network here if you need help! Also it's worth getting the names of some good LCs now to take with you to the hospital. Hospital LCs aren't always the greatest, and good support in the first few days counts for a lot.


-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/knit.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[hez]

Thank you for saying something... and for letting me know I'm not alone. I was just telling DH yesterday that I'm sad about all the mean nasty looks I get from other new moms when we're out shopping. I'm getting comments that I 'look anemic' or I hear 'Are you feeling okay? You're not depressed are you?' Nope, I'm fine, I'm eating as much as I can, and give me a few more months then I'm sure I'll put a little bit of weight back on when DS is a year and either weaned completely or weaned to a couple sessions a day.

Then again, I'm sure I'm just sensitive to all the looks & comments because I think I should be trying harder to get the weight back on...

[DeborahM]

Wish I had your problem....

I noticed that as my baby got older and nursed less that the weight stopped coming off, as he get closer to a year (and older) and was eating more "real food" than nursing. Unfortunatly, my appepite didn't slow down..... so after I lost most of my pregnancy weight I ended up gaining 10- 15 lbs. back. Maybe I'll learn this time around ;)

Deborah
Mom to Thomas and soon-to-arrive baby girl

[sirensrise]

ok, i dont have that problem, but just curious, would it be rude to ask how thin do you consider too thin? for the ladies who are about 100 lbs, are you 6 feet or 5 feet?
sorry to be so nosy, this is a very interesting topic to me. i am still about 8 lbs or so over pre-preg weight, but i was kind of thin to start with.
thanks.

[McQ]

No, no, no! Don't tell me this. I didn't gain much weight when pregnant with Declan and it all came off in mere weeks with nursing. And while nursing I ate like a pig and still didn't gain weight.

I'm gaining and expanding MUCH quicker this time and I'm so hoping it comes off just as easy. Please, please oh pretty please!!!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[Rachels]

I am 5' 4" and about 107 pounds now.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/knit.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[hez]

{Ducking!}

5' 7" and about 110-115 depending on the day... Would rather be ~125-130.

[jojo2324]

Well, pre-#1, was 5'4" and 135 for YEARS. Post-#1, down to 120. Now, after losing most of the preggo weight from #2, I am back up to 140...10 pounds less than what I weighed when I was 9 months PG!!! :(

I would love to be back down to 120-125.

ETA, sorry hit reply to wrong response...this should be down further.