did/does BF help you lose weight?

hollandmama · April 2014

This is not for bragging, I am really very curious about this topic. When I had LO (8 months ago) my gyn told me that BF would make me lose almost all the pregnancy weight. After around 3 weeks I had lost all but 4 pounds and now I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight (and size). While pregnant I was eating normally, but postpartum I have been eating for two (like seriously I eat 2 normal plates at lunch and dinner). So my question is, did this happen to you too?

I ask because I never heard about BF helping you lose weight, wouldn't it be another big reason for women to choose to BF? Anyhow, my gyn did tell me that if I continue eating like this after I wean LO then I'll be in trouble =((

Anyways, I found this article but wanted to read from real mommies in here: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20081208/breastfeeding-helps-moms-lose-weight

Valancyy · April 2014

Yes, it definitely helped me lose weight. I didn't lose it as fast as you, but I ate whatever I wanted and still lost all my pregnancy weight, and then some.

And she's right about being in trouble after BF...if you keep eating the same. This happened to me after both my boys. After weaning (at 7 months and at 16 months) I kept eating the same...and gained about 10 lbs each time! I really have to watch that this time around.

hollandmama · April 2014

Valancyy said:

Yes, it definitely helped me lose weight. I didn't lose it as fast as you, but I ate whatever I wanted and still lost all my pregnancy weight, and then some.
And she's right about being in trouble after BF...if you keep eating the same. This happened to me after both my boys. After weaning (at 7 months and at 16 months) I kept eating the same...and gained about 10 lbs each time! I really have to watch that this time around.

Oh man... I will miss all these cookies

BoyOhBoys · April 2014

For me as well. I am below pre-preg weight and haven't changed anything in my lifestyle besides BF.

vvvvvfee · April 2014

breastfeeding requires an extra 300-500 calories per day above and beyond what was needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight. so clearly it can help with weight loss. i also lost all the weight i gained while pregnant, plus an extra 5 pounds or so, and i have hardly been exercising at all (unfortunately).

i was definitely hungrier in the first couple of months postpartum than i was when i was pregnant. but as DS got well-established on solids and i produced less milk, i got less ravenous.

some women even lose additional weight after they wean, as your body may be holding onto a little extra fat as a reserve while you are breastfeeding.

agfox92 · April 2014

I could have written this. I quickly lost any weight gained during pregnancy doing nothing but bfing. During pregnancy I ate normally. Now I eat so much more.I'm writing this with a piece of dessert in my lap actually lol. Hopefully I'm not this hungry after weaning!

bingbongsmama · April 2014

I did lose a lot at first but after a few months I gained it all back. BF made me very hungry and I was eating more than what I was burning off through bf.

babywisher · April 2014

I lost all my pregnancy weight fast. Now I am 10 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight. I am still eating a lot and am hungry often. I think being home chasing after 2 kids vs being at a desk all day helps as well. I just hope I won't be wanting to eat as much when I wean!

RingOfFire11 · April 2014

No, I lost all but 10 of the 30 I gained while pregnant (I'm 10w pp). I eat really clean and am on the MSPI diet but the last 10 won't budge. I haven't been exercising though so I need to get on that.

SidraJedi · April 2014

I lost all of my baby weight by 3 months PP but I cannot tell you for certain if BF had anything to do with it. I didn't supplement or use a pacifier or spend more than 3 hours away from baby the whole time. I started pregnancy overweight. I ate healthier during pregnancy than I ever have in my life and continued while nursing. I drank lots of water the first six months PP and then sort of normalized since then. I'm sure these things were also factors. I don't know how helpful my info is but there it is anyway...

blush64 · April 2014

In no way did breastfeeding help me lose weight. In fact, I did not lose it entirely until I was about done.

I breastfed my sons just over 2 years each. They were ebf and did not even take a pacifier. I was also never away from them until they were over a year old. I did not eat badly buty body seems to want to hold on to weight while I nurse.

With my daughter the weight is coming off slowly but this time my eating habits are partly to blame. (And age)

kjsmith9 · April 2014

The differences in all these answers is interesting...

BFing made me drop weight quickly. I was in the 180s pre-pregnancy, and gained about 35lbs I think... I was back to my PP weight around the 4 or 5 month mark. DD will be 16 months old tomorrow, and I'm now in the 150s. I eat like crazy and don't really exercise (not bragging about that - I know that I *should*) other than walking the dog most days of the week. But I also have a fairly active job so maybe that helps...

lioness13 · April 2014

I haven't lost any weight. It sucks. I am hungry all.the.time. I'm looking forward to losing the weight when I wean.

hollandmama · April 2014

Thanks for the insights ladies, I was sure it was not true that it always helps to lose weight! At least now I know why they don't mention it that often.

Mum2Be28 · April 2014

In the beginning it did. One week after delivery I was back to my pre pregnancy weight. But I didn't gain that much anyway. I lost 10 pounds in first tri and then gained 20. So I only gained 10 pounds on top of my original weight. Now I've lost 10 more pounds and I've plateaued at this weight for over a month. I think I'll have to make some changes to my diet to lose more at this point.

URMySunshine77 · April 2014

I BF and lost all of the weight by 10 months PP.

DahliaFlower · April 2014

Yes, it did. I am pretty hungry most of the time and DS is a very good eater. I am back to work and I can't eat as much as I'd like because of time constraints.

bunniekrissy · April 2014

I wasn't trying to lose weight at all, but I was quite underweight by the time DS1 was 10 months old. BFing definitely took a lot of calories out of me. I'm trying to be better about eating plenty this time around.

ILoveRunning · April 2014

I lost weight quickly after giving birth. By 6 months PP I was down to 115, which was 10 below my pre-pregnancy weight and I was starving 24/7. By the time my son was 2, and down to nursing only a couple times a day, I was back to 125 and maintained that weight until I became pregnant again this year. I found that my appetite changed as my DS ate less, so that while I did gain when he started to wean, it was only to the point where I had started originally.

88sharonlee · April 2014

I had heard that BF would help me drop the weight and luckily it did. I lost 50 of the 60 pounds I gained within 3.5 months PP. Yes I gained 60 pounds!

So while I'm close to my pre pregnancy wright I'm not toned like I should be so I need to start working out soon.

I'm actually nervous that when I wean I'll have to be much better at watching my diet!

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