Many women wonder about extended breastfeeding and weight loss. It is common for many nursing moms to lose weight from the extra calories burned by producing breast milk. Some mothers have trouble losing weight while breastfeeding and are curious about how to effectively achieve weight loss without affecting their milk supply.
Breastfeeding Burns Extra Calories
Many expectant mothers are happy when they learn that breastfeeding burns an extra 200 to 500 calories each day. This makes it easy for some mothers to lose weight in the postpartum period. It only takes a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose one pound each week, so for some mothers all it takes is breastfeeding and eating well.
Dieting While Breastfeeding
Nursing mothers should never consume fewer than 1500 to 1800 calories a day, with most doctors recommending women stay at the higher end of this range. Fad diets, diet pills and fasts are never recommended during breastfeeding as they can cause a drop in milk supply and quality. The best bet for nursing mothers is to eat healthy, unprocessed foods, limit sugar intake, drink lots of water, take a multivitamin and exercise. This, along with breastfeeding, will ensure that mothers are healthy and will contribute to weight loss.
Exercise While Nursing
Some myths about exercise and breastfeeding may make mothers cautious. Many women are told that exercise will cause a buildup of lactic acid in breast milk and cause the baby to refuse the breast. Recent studies at the Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences University of New Hampshire has shown that this is untrue, finding that even after intense exercise, lactic acid levels are only moderately increased and babies do not nurse any differently. Other times, mothers are told that exercising will cause their milk to dry up. There is no evidence to support this myth. As long as a mother is eating well and drinking enough water, milk supply should not change.
Extended Breastfeeding Helps Weight Loss and Health
Studies at the Centre for Health and Society, Institute of Preventive Medicine have shown that mothers that breastfeed longer than six months lose more weight than mothers who formula feed. On top of that, mothers who practice extended breastfeeding have a decreased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Mothers who breastfeed longer than eight months also benefit from bone re-mineralisation. A 2009 study at the University of Pittsburgh showed that breastfeeding at least two years lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by 23 percent.
Diet Suggestions for Nursing Moms
Along with the 1500 to 1800 calories required by nursing mothers, there are some other important diet guidelines to follow. It's recommended that breastfeeding mothers continue taking a prenatal vitamin after pregnancy. Nursing moms need 25 extra grams of protein per day and should drink more than eight glasses of water daily. Mothers should limit caffeine intake and avoid alcohol. Nursing mothers should educate themselves on which types of fish are safe or unsafe during breastfeeding. The following fish are low in mercury and can be eaten freely: salmon, shrimp, prawn, rainbow trout, Atlantic mackerel and sole. Other fish have moderate amounts of mercury and should be consumed only once or twice a month: canned tuna, Albacore tuna, cod, bass, halibut, lake trout and sablefish. Fish that should be avoided in nursing mothers are bigeye tuna, shark, marlin and swordfish.
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