Since weight gain during pregnancy is important for the growth of the baby, it is normal and healthy for a mom to gain 25 to 35 pounds during her pregnancy, depending on her weight before getting pregnant. Unfortunately, much of that pregnancy weight gain isn't automatically shed as soon as a woman gives birth. It's very common for women to want to lose weight after having a baby. Yet it's also important to give the baby the best nutrition possible. Breastfeeding is one way to encourage both weight loss for the mother and healthy nutrition for the baby.
Weight Loss From Breastfeeding
While not every woman who breastfeeds her baby loses weight, there is a link between weight loss and breastfeeding. According to La Leche League International, women who breastfeed their babies lose about 1.3 to 1.6 pounds per month for the first four to six months, without dieting. This is because it takes a lot of extra energy for a woman to create breast milk. La Leche League International also states that women who exclusively breastfeed and do not use formula lose more weight naturally than those who use formula.
Diet for Breastfeeding
One of the main concerns that women have about breastfeeding is having to change their diet drastically. In reality, breastfeeding women don't have to change their diet much at all and they can still lose weight eating the foods they love. The website BreastfeedingBasics.com states that breastfeeding moms can eat anything in moderation while breastfeeding and still lose weight. A general, balanced diet of about 1,800 calories per day is recommended for breastfeeding moms by BreastfeedingBasics.com. Women will need to eat about 200 to 500 extra calories a day, however, once they reach their goal weight and no longer want to lose weight.
Exercise
A moderate amount of exercise is healthy and encouraged for breastfeeding women who want to lose weight. Despite some rumors that exercising decreases breast milk production, La Leche League International states that exercising doesn't harm breast milk production; it actually may increase a woman's milk volume. Breastfeeding women should exercise 30 minutes three to five days per week.
Fluid Intake
According to BreastfeedingBasics.com, breastfeeding women need to drink plenty of fluids to allow their bodies to make enough milk and to facilitate weight loss. The website recommends that women drink to thirst, having about six to eight glasses of water per day. Breastfeeding moms can also get fluids by choosing low-calorie soups like chicken noodle soup and healthy water-packed produce like watermelon and celery.
Diet Pills
Since weight loss from breastfeeding usually comes slow and steady, some women look to other methods, like diet pills, to speed up their weight loss. La Leche League International warns against using diet pills while breastfeeding. Since most of what a mother consumes goes through her breast milk and to the baby, there could be potentially harmful effects on the baby if a mother takes diet pills. Rapid weight loss can also decrease milk production, according to La Leche League International.
