Weightloss and BF

[ZeeBaby]

Has anyone noticed that they have lost weight since BF? If so, how long have you been BF?

[MarisaSF]

Best diet I ever tried! My friend called pumping "liposuction." I felt I had a tapeworm both times I nursed... I guess I sort of did. My kids were parasites. LOL.
I really felt like I was "wasting away" after 5-6 months of nursing. I didn't start returning to my normal size until after my kids weaned (one at 19 months, one at 12 months).

[vludmilla]

Hmm, I know BF usually results in weight loss but I found I didn't lose much, maybe gained because I had to eat more to make milk. Of course, I'm kind of tall and maybe a little underweight to start with so...maybe my case is different for a reason.

[ThreeofUs]

I lost 50 pounds while BFing - best diet I've EVER been on! :)

ETA: I bf'd for 15 months. I saw a difference within the first month - I literally could not get enough to eat (just ravenous) and the pounds just slid right off. Now, we were also dealing with a baby with severe reflux, so maybe the stress had something to do with it.

[ZeeBaby]

How long did you BF for? I am not seeing any effects right now, but it has only been 7 weeks.

[Octobermommy]

I have gained both times while breastfeeding. It is so not fair. But once I am done the pounds come off.

[pb&j]

I lost all my preg weight and then some by about 1 mo postpartum. I got really skinny just before he started solids. I was just over my pre preg weight after he weaned at 12 mos, and got back to my my pre preg weight before getting pregnant again.

[kedss]

I didn't really lose that much with DS, though he was mostly BFd, and I'm EBFing Hannah, and I doubt that I'm losing that much, I haven't weighed myself yet, so I'm not sure where I am. I guess its different for everybody. :)

[egoldber]

Amy was EBF until about 7 months. I lost a bunch of weight by about 3 months, most but not all of my pregnancy weight. But those last 10 pounds really hung on. Then when she started eating more solids, I needed to cut back on my eating but I didn't until she was about 15 months. So I ended up weighing yb 15 months almost as much as I did one month postpartum. Not fun.

I found those last pounds much harder to lose this time around, but being almost 40 probably didn't really help.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 I gained 27lbs but lost 60 within a few months of breastfeeding. I know I wasn't eating enough though. When he stopped nursing as much, like around the year mark, the weight started coming back on. So, while some moms hang on to a few pounds till they wean I had the opposite happen. Big bummer.

Ds2 is now 8m and I am 7lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight. I had gained 40lbs with him. The loss was much slower this time! I seemed to plateau at my prepregnancy weight. At 7m I weighed myself and was happily surprised to have lost 6lbs w/o having donw anything. Yay bf'ing! :)

Beth

[o_mom]

I lost a huge amount while BF DS1. I gained around 45-50 and lost it all by 3-4 months PP. I lost even more, but then figured out my thyroid dose was messed up :P I gained about the same with DS2 and DS3 and lost it all in about the same time, but without the extra loss. I don't know what will happen when I wean since I have never weaned without being pregnant.

[StantonHyde]

Nope. I gained about 25 pounds with each baby. With DS, I kept 15 pounds over my pre preg weight (so I was 185 and a size 16) until he weaned at a year and i went on WW--lost 25 pounds (down to 160 and almost a 10--which is what I weighed in my 20s) With DD, I did get down to my pre pg weight within 3 months (I had miscarried in between so I started at 175 with her) and then proceeded to gain 5 pounds when she switched to solids. Unfortunately, my mom died when DD was a year and my weight went all over the place. I am now weighing in around 180 and I have to get back to 174 just so my BMI is 24.9 and I fit into a size 12!!!!! It didn't help that she was 9 and a half pounds at birth and I was 40 when I had her. I needed to keep up the milk production and that child ruined my stomach muscles :love5:

I know lots of moms who keep about 10 pounds on--just part of lactating. If this is baby one for you, it should come off really easily within 6 mos of weaning. Remember--9 mos on, 9 mos off.

[mommyp]

I gained 37 lb with DD and lost 25 of that by 8 weeks pp. Those last 12 lb are still coming off, but MUCH more slowly, I am not yet back to pre preg weight. I have about 6 lb to go for that. But I am not worrying about it, I am eating a lot because I get really hungry! I try to make it healthy stuff.

[brittone2]

I find I lose most of the baby weight both times by 10 months or so post partum (DD is 19 months and still nursing). I am still hanging onto 5 lbs or so more padding than I had before starting either pregnancy, but I'm okay with that (I was on the smaller side to start with and I think my body holds onto it to be on the safe side).

7 weeks is nothing. It will come off...just give it time :)

[mariadm]

I gained 70 lbs with my pregnancy and I have lost 59. My lo is almost 6 mos and I am still bfeeding.:yay:

[DrSally]

With DS By my 6 week appt. , I was back to prepreg weight. The nurse said, "are you bfing?". Then 2 weeks later, I was 10 lbs. less that prepreg! However, once I found time to eat more regularily, it came back on. I read once that nursing facilitates a "fat transfer" from mom to baby, and I love that image!

[elliput]

At my six week post-partum check I was 11 lbs down from my pre-preg weight (gained 26 lbs). I lost probably another 8 lbs before starting to gain back once I was done pumping (at 12 months), despite DD still nursing 2-3 times a day.

I got to thumb my nose at my mom who had chastized me for eating ice cream when I was just a few days post-partum. :p

[gatorsmom]

From previous posts here as well as talking to IRL friends, I've found that BF moms fall into one of 2 weight loss catagories:

1)you lose weight while BFing but then gain some back when baby weans.

2)you don't lose much while BFing (no matter what you do to lose weight) but then it comes off after you wean.

I'm in the second catagory. After all three pregnancies I BF and didn't lose much weight post partum. I ate sensibly and exercised frequently and lost very little weight. The weight came off quickly, though, once the babies were fully weaned. My OB says that he sees that pretty often.

[jk3]

It was not a huge contributor to weightloss for me. I was able to lose all but 10 pounds while breastfeeding but I was also working out a lot during those 13 months so I don't think the weight came off any faster except maybe the initial 25 pounds.

[new_mommy25]

Never worked for me and my kids nursed around the clock. With both children I actually started to lose weight and look more like myself around one year when they were nursing less. With my DS I was back to my old self at about 18 months and then got pregnant again. With DD I am finally back to my pre pregnancy jeans (the ones I wore before I got pregant with my first child) and she turned two in May.

[mdb78]

I gained about 25 pounds while pregnant and lost it all by 2-3 months. I also lost an additional 5 pounds that I want back, but can't seem to gain. I've always been petite and thin, but now I just feel to thin. I weaned dd when she was 13 months.

[TraciG]

I lost almost all in a week !!!!!!!!! I think I had maybe 7 or 8 lbs left ! I gained 28 lbs while pregnant. Now that I am barely nursing I did gain a few lbs, & have to watch what I eat a little now, still SPOILED from being able to eat whatever I wanted !!!!!!

[Nooknookmom]

Oh yeah! Lost all 25 lbs seemingly w/ in a week. Gone - hasn't returned & we're 15 mo & still BF.

I was thin b4 & during the pregnancy though.

I do believe when I am done BF I will suddenly puff up like a blowfish (mainly due to my arrogance that I can eat what I want)

...Oh well though it's been great to eat Cold Stone w/ no worry :) :) :)

[MommyAllison]

With DD, I lost weight steadily - don't remember when I lost the pregnancy weight, but right around her first birthday I suddenly looked much thinner, like my body let go of the weight it was hanging onto. I ended up being about 25lbs under my pre-preggo weight when she turned 2 (which was actually my normal weight before getting married). She is in the end stages of weaning now.

With DS, it is coming off slowly but steadily - I gained more with him than with DD, so I've lost about half and have a ways to go to get to pre-preggo weight. I just want to wear my cute jeans again!