The Nursing Baby - Q&A

And Melissa asks:
Hi I have a 10 week old son who was born 6 weeks early and never took up to nursing so I have pumped and bottle feed him since birth even in the hospital while he stay for three weeks. My question is does it matter in weight lost if you bottle your breast milk or nurse when it comes to losing those unwanted pound? And how can I bring them extra pound of and still have strong supply?

Check out our Breastfeeding and Diet Page and our article on losing weight. Melissa, pumping your milk burns the same energy as when baby gets milk directly. Nursing moms need about 500 calories extra per day as long as their baby is breastfeeding exclusively. An ounce of breastmilk provides around 20 calories to your baby.

Here's a reprint of our "Breastfeeding, Exercise, & Weight Loss: Do They Mix?" article:

There is little evidence that your milk supply will be affected as long as you get 1500 calories per day, and aren't exercising to exhaustion.

Are you worried about baby liking the milk after exercise? Some studies seem to indicate that lactic acid is only found in the milk during high intensity workouts, not low-to-moderate. You may also have heard about the concentration of immunoglobulins being decreased the first hour after exercise. Don't let this bother you too much. After all, a feeding of low-concentrated immunofactors breastmilk is still better than formula. And exercise is believed to enhance your immune system.

If you think about it, it makes sense that moderate exercise and dieting will have little effect on milk supply. Our bodies have been well designed to perform during lactation. If they weren't, how could our past ancestors have been able to raise their children?

Want to learn more? Read the research: http://www.nursingbaby.com/nursing/exerevi.htm

And remember, from your baby's point of view, your body is already perfect!

For those looking for a weight loss plan and support, I recommend Weight Watchers. They have a nursing plan, and some meetings are setup to allow moms to bring their kids with them! These tips are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have questions.