The benefits of direct breastfeeding included slower weight gain and lower BMI scores at 3 months, according to a Canadian study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Still, even pumped breast milk was superior to none at all, in line with past research.
You would burn fewer calories at those pumping sessions than you would if you were nursing then, because you are producing less milk.
Both breastfeeding and pumping are excellent ways to feed a baby breast milk. Breast milk is the natural food for infants, and pumping can offer benefits that are similar, although not identical, to providing breast milk directly from the breast.
At the other end of the spectrum, increasing the milk supply too much through pumping can lead to engorgement, blocked milk ducts, and increased risk of breast inflammation, or infection (mastitis).
All breast pumps can have unpleasant side effects: Some women, for example, find that their nipples become sore and irritated. Here it is helpful to try out several types of pump with different attachments. Some women find expressing milk stressful and awkward, or they may have problems operating the pump.
Thanks to biological and behavioral changes, it's totally normal to gain weight when you stop breastfeeding. "It's really common that women will stop breastfeeding and their weight goes up," G. Thomas Ruiz, M.D., an ob/gyn at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, tells SELF.
You will burn some stored body fat, but your body protects some fat for the purpose of breastfeeding. Many women don't lose all the baby weight until they completely stop nursing.
Overall maternal adaptations during lactation include increased basal metabolic rates and mobilization of fat stores [22–24]. Maternal fuel metabolism is altered markedly, with a 15 %–25 % increase in energy expenditure for milk production [24, 25].
Some mothers tend to gain weight after the WHO-recommended, six-month exclusive breastfeeding period. “Once her baby starts complementary feeds, the calories expended by the mother reduce but her appetite is still ravenous because her stomach size has expanded,” says Dr. Joshi.
Breastfeeding. It takes about 500 extra calories a day to make breast milk. You get those extra calories from the foods that you eat every day and the fat that is already stored in your body. Using up those fat stores helps you to lose weight gained in pregnancy faster.
If your weight retention or gain is related to breastfeeding, whenever you decide to stop breastfeeding you may find it easier to lose weight – if that's what you want.
“Some women find that when you're not nursing and your metabolism changes, they keep weight more persistently or they gain. Others don't. We all have our own experiences,” she says. If you do start to pick up pounds after weaning, don't panic.
While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.
Ginger can help boost your metabolism, and it raises your body temperature to produce oxytocin and encourage lactation. Ginger can help you dissolve body fat and promote better digestion. This makes it a safe way to lose weight while breastfeeding. It also helps suppress your appetite, so you don't overeat.
To prevent adverse reactions in the baby while breastfeeding, it's recommended to avoid consuming citrus fruits, cherries, and prunes. Citrus fruits have been associated with digestive problems, fussy behavior, vomiting, and diaper rash in breastfed babies.
For example, if you breastfeed three times per day and produce 5 ounces of milk during each feeding, you are producing 15 ounces of milk per day. When producing 15 ounces of milk per day, you will burn an estimated 396 calories per day.
Some have even found it harder to lose weight while breastfeeding. Eating more calories than recommended, not getting enough exercise, and retaining water weight are some reasons it could be harder to lose weight while breastfeeding.