Breastfeeding & Low Carb Diets

Once you've had your baby, you may be ready to try to lose the baby weight, but if you're breastfeeding, you have to be sure that you are eating enough food to sustain your baby as well. Low carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins or South Beach, offer quick weight loss to many people, but the same may not be true for breastfeeding women. While the diet is safe for breastfeeding women, Dr. Atkins said that weight loss would be "painfully slow" due to the hormones needed for breastfeeding.

Calories Needed for Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding requires extra calories to produce the milk for your baby--500 extra calories a day. An average breastfeeding woman should eat around 2,200 to 2,500 calories per day to support herself and her child. This is significantly more calories than the traditional dieter, who should eat around 1,200 to 1,500 calories.

If you do not eat enough calories for breastfeeding, you will not lose weight. Your body realizes the importance of feeding your baby and will hold onto its fat stores if it feels that you are not feeding it enough. While part of the appeal of a low carb diet is that you don't have to count calories, a breastfeeding woman should do so in the first part of the diet to be sure that she is eating enough. After having a good idea of how many calories you are eating on a low carb diet, and ensuring that it is high enough, you can stop counting calories.

Low Carb Diets

Atkins and South Beach are two popular low carb diets. Both consist of a highly restrictive first phase that lasts two weeks. During that phase, avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates, including the healthy carbohydrates you find in whole grains. After the initial two weeks, you can begin to introduce some healthy carbohydrates into your diet.

If you're going on a low carb diet while breastfeeding, you may want to consider skipping the first phase of the diet. For some people, this phase is too restrictive and doesn't provide enough nutrition for both you and your baby.

Milk Supply and Low Carb Diets

Some people experience low milk supply as a result of following a low carb diet. This is primarily caused by not eating enough calories. One of the advantages of a low carb diet is that you are not hungry due to the types of foods you are eating. This can cause you to eat less overall.

To monitor your milk supply, pay close attention to your baby's diapers. If she suddenly is not going as often, she may not be getting enough milk. You'll also find that she is not gaining enough weight. If you notice either of these signs, be sure that you are drinking enough water and eating enough calories.