Yes, I understood the promise well. I too was led to think that nursing was equivalent to an easier “Biggest Loser Challenge” at home.
It was my belief that after every time I went to the belly those stomach fats and love handles would go away. And I’d be sporting my pre-baby, fertility treatments, and my pre-wedding pants within a matter of minutes. checkout the Article about Emergen C while Breastfeeding.
The truth is, it’s not about the weight loss promise of postpartum.
Unfortunately, our bodies aren’t operating the way they would in a calculus class, particularly when hormones are at play. For instance, I’m a dietitian, and the more. I breastfed the slower my weight loss progressed and I began to gain weight.
Umm, what? After suffering through morning nausea, insomnia, birth, and the agony of a toothless baby eating your raw tooth a dozen times each day. You’d imagine that the universe would give us moms a break.
Then, why do the numbers not add up? Let’s examine the most important reasons why breastfeeding isn’t the weight loss solution it’s claimed to be.
You’ve eaten for two (literally)
Prior to the mythology of nursing to lose weight, came the notion that we should “eat for two” during pregnancy. Although this belief may make pregnancy seem more appealing the reality is that most pregnant women. Require 340 calories during the second trimester, and 450 additional calories in the third trimester.
Instead of counting calories or treating every meal of the nine months like an endurance race. I would suggest just being aware of your body’s signals for the subtle changes in hunger due to your increasing needs.
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You’re hungry
I’ve always had a large appetite but nothing could have prepared me for the hunger that I felt after having my baby. After a few days of my milk starting to flow. I was able to see that my small bowl of steel-cut oats. Topped with some berries and a tiny sprinkle of hemp hearts were not enough to stifle my appetite.
In my own dietetics practice, I generally suggest paying attention to their initial signs of hunger. To ensure that you don’t let yourself become so hungry that you’ll eventually overindulge. So, until I realized I was more adept in anticipating my Michael Phelps. like hunger it would have been easy to overshoot.
It’s not unusual to see women eat too much to avoid running out of milk. Since the recommendation in support groups for breastfeeding includes “eat like a queen” to “make it rain” milk.
As a dietitian struggling to supply and breastfeeding generally. I could have been happy to over-do my needs at any time in the course of the day. Recognizing that carrying around a bit of extra weight was enough to maintain my supply.
You’re slacking on sleeping (obviously …)
We’re aware that this isn’t a “lifestyle choice” right now however. Chronic sleeping insufficiency hasn’t done anything to help maintain an ideal weight.
There is more to this disturbing tale. Apart from a hungry and unquestionable desire to eat cupcakes for breakfast. Many people find themselves also awake at the end of the night to an infant crying and hungry.
If you think you’ll prepare a healthy bowl of vegetables in the early hours of 2 a.m. to have a quick eating snack. While in a semi-sleep-deprived state you’re at a higher degree of superhuman.
Cereals, nuts with salt chips, and crackers. In essence, if there was an easily-accessible shelf food item I could put in my mattress. It was unintentionally thrown into my mouth prior to the dawn.
You’re having trouble obtaining supplies
Many women do not feel that their breastfeeding journey is easy nor “natural” at all. Taking medication and other supplements to increase their milk supply. Metoclopramide (Reglan) and Domperidone are typically used by mothers as lactation aids that are not listed on the label. However, for the majority of women, they are prescribed to treat delayed emptying of the gastric tract.
When you take these medications with no gastric emptying issues, you’ll become extremely hungry, extremely fast. As if breastfeeding by itself weren’t enough to make you want to keep yourself at the kitchen counter. You can also take another medication that causes you to need to snack all the time.
What has happened to me?
I was assuming that I would lose weight after I came off domperidone. However, after that, it appeared as if my body was reducing its hunger signals. And I didn’t see anything about the scale. After a few days after I had pumped my final glass of milk. Awoke and my entire body was leaning out. I also noticed that I was less hungry, and was not tempted to snack all day.
