Mothers feel ravenous and struggle to lose weight while breastfeeding

“as a FTM i've heard this saying "you can't overfeed a newborn" plenty of times, but is it actually true? My baby is currently three weeks old and has been steadily eating 3 or 4oz (usually 4) every single feed since he was six days. I almost exclusively pump and bottle feed at this point because he never seems satisfied or full after breast feeding, and my letdown is far too fast for him. He also has suddenly refused to latch on my right side no matter the position, and won&#39”

“I dropped weight quickly after giving birth, back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I'm now gaining weight at, 8 weeks PP. Is this a result of my eating habits and the fact that I cannot do a lot of activity right now, or is this just part of breastfeeding? I'm not sure if I should be cutting calories while breastfeeding and I'm hungry alllll the damn time. I can't workout just yet as I haven't been cleared. But even if I was, I would not have the time as baby eats constantly a”

“Guys im a mom of a 14m old boy i bf and he is obvio taking solids now. But like its 2 am and im craving food. I wanted to know if this is part of hungrr due to breastfeeding? And do other mothers who are breastfeeding their kids feel like they need more than 3 meals past the 1 year mark submitted by /u/Spicycilantro8m3 [link] [comments]”

“Like really? When I get up earlier guess who wakes up earlier with me? My 8 month old. I'm 5kg from pre pregnancy weight and it genuinely feels like 20 on my body. Currently going through some spurt or regression so when I get home we are fighting naps until he naps or dinner time. The only exercise I've gotten is taking stroller walks a few times - I genuinely feel so lost. I feel like I'm just a mom, wife and employee - and when I try feeling like myself it seems like there is no s”

“Baby girl 4.5 momths, with multiple food allergies and sensitivities ( FPIES). I was on elimination diet until today, after eliminating 30 different food items I still couldn’t get to the bottom of this mystery. So finally switched today to Extensively hydrolysed formula after seeing that I’ve lost way too much weight from constant 24/7 bouncing, rocking and pacing, 80% of my hair and my nails have turned brittle. Basically malnourished. Keeping my fingers crossed now, hoping my baby will be ok.”

“FTM here and my LO is about 10 weeks now. I had the usual night sweats the first few weeks of BF and hunger then it leveled off. Now, the last few weeks I’ve been struggling to sleep after this 3:30 feeding, which of course leads to me being exhausted all day… The problem is I get insatiably hungry, like eat a whole meals worth of chili or devour yogurt like no one’s business. I’ll crawl back into bed and still be uncomfortably hungry which means I can’t sleep. I’m also cold. Like freezing. I’ve”

“FTM so the postpartum experience in general is a first for me. I am breastfeeding my baby still and he nurses 5-6 times a day on average. He eats his solids and currently will eat 2 meals and maybe a snack some days. My struggle is that I legit CANNOT lose a single pound since I plateaued at 3 months postpartum. I gained 40lb in pregnancy and lost about 20lb by 3 months and NOT A SINGLE pound since lol. I have gained and lost weight a few times in the past (not pregnancy related, it was due to l”

“FTM so the postpartum experience in general is a first for me. I am breastfeeding my baby still and he nurses 5-6 times a day on average. He eats his solids and currently will eat 2 meals and maybe a snack some days. My struggle is that I legit CANNOT lose a single pound since I plateaued at 3 months postpartum. I gained 40lb and lost about 20lb by 3 months and NOT A SINGLE pound since lol. I have gained and lost weight a few times in the past (not pregnancy related, it was due to surgery or med”

“Hi! 38 weeks pregnant, second time mom, but this will be my first time trying to breastfeed. No one in my family, mom, grandmas has ever breastfed before so I’m in uncharted waters. I’ve been getting good information from doctors on how things will go after baby is born and expect to meet with a lactation consultant in the hospital. The one thing I am curious about however is weight loss while breast feeding. I’m reading a lot of conflicting stuff online. So I’m just wondering what everyone’s ex”

“Back to pre-baby weight doing nothing but weaning. After 2 years breastfeeding I never really lost any weight after having my daughter. I gained the most right at the end of the pregnancy and kinda just kept it on breastfeeding. If I cut my diet my milk supply would drop so I sucked it up and didn’t try to eat less. I wish I could post a picture of my health app…. 📉 literally looks like that… I stopped breastfeeding and the weight has fallen off in the last year. I did nothing different. I’ve l”

“I’m considering breastfeeding my 19 month old until he turns 2. But I’m so tired of being chonky. I used to be super fit and in shape, I had my dream body, prior to pregnancy!! I’ve remained pretty active during pregnancy and throughout postpartum. I lift heavy a lot. But I eat so much because I’m just always hungry with the breastfeeding. I’ve tried increasing my liquid intake, I’ve tried eating more vegetables, eating more protein. But I haven’t seen anything really budge on the scale, I caved”

“Unsure how to flair this, but I also would like RECOMMENDATIONS. For context I’m 19, 5’0 & was roughly 115-120 lb before I got pregnant, 130 lb at the end of my pregnancy after I had my baby, and was now at 8 months postpartum I am a whopping 87.8 POUNDS! Baby is EBF & it’s like over the course of 3ish months I lost all that baby weight plus more very quickly, every time I try to look things up on TikTok I never see anything, it’s usually women trying to lose the extra baby weight &”

“Baby is 5 days old and has been jaundiced. Today her bili levels were almost to admission levels. The doctor recommended to supplement. I feel so defeated. I did my best to provide breastmilk. Although it was just pumped due to latching I pumped every 2 hrs and gave her my milk. I really wanted to give her the best start at life but shes only 5 days and I already feel like a failure. :( submitted by /u/Impossible_Mousse727 [link] [comments]”

“How long did it take you to lose the baby weight if you did. I’m 7 weeks PP and still have 25 pounds left to lose my body looks completely different and I totally have a mom butt now. Just wondering if I’ll naturally lose the rest of the weight or will it cling on submitted by /u/Practical_Maybe_3769 [link] [comments]”

“I’m so confused. 5’10 140-145lbs pre-pregnancy. I gained about 20lbs during my pregnancy. Didn’t notice more fat overall, just some girth to my thighs and obviously my belly - which measured right on track the entire pregnancy. Now Im 4 months postpartum and almost 30lbs heavier than pre pregnancy. I’m exclusively breastfeeding and my breasts are at least 5lbs of that - but what the heck? I walk daily (power walk) and eat healthy. I was doing weight training until the 4month sleep regression hit”

“I am about 5 months postpartum and I’m back at pre pregnancy weight if anything maybe 2lbs less. I’ve noticed that my weight fluctuates a lot for instance one day I’m at 174lbs and the next I am 168lbs. I wanted to begin strength training with a combo Pilate during the week but I’m not sure if it would tank my supply. I’m not an over supplier I make enough to feed my baby. I’ve also heard about calorie deficit but I’ve noticed when I eat less my baby gets fussier and latch and unlatches angrily”

“I'm 3 months PP - I wasn't too worried about my PP body to be honest, I mean I just grew and gave birth to whole human. But I'm 3 months on and breastfeeding makes me SOOOO HUNGRY and THIRSTY. Way more than pregnancy. I constantly crave soemthing sweet, constantly want to eat est est and drink drink drink, milk, smoothies, juice, soda, you name it. I'm trying to est healthy and in moderation but the cravings are soooo real. I know feeding my baby is way more important than gettin”

“I would be interested in your experince. I consider doing fasting-mimicking fasting (Vegan, max 1000 kcal a day) because while LO nurses less I still ate "normal" (like a milk cow) and gained weight. I want to fast for a week to reset my habits and maybe accelerate the reduction of milk produktion. I do supplement Mg, Ca and Zn, Cholin, B Vitamins and plan to continue. I just wonder if it will be extra hard. submitted by /u/Spaghetti_Ninja_149 [link] [comments]”

“I’m 6 weeks postpartum and I read that it’s possible to lose weight but I can’t figure out how many calories I need to eat to not lose my milk. Plus is 6 weeks too early? I read I have to wait until my milk is stabilized? How do I know that? I gained 40 lbs and I think 5 more since birth. This is the most I’ve weighed in my life and it’s taking a toll on my body( submitted by /u/ShorelineWinter [link] [comments]”

“I’m a short girl and gained weight and kept weight while pregnant and breastfeeding my first and second. I started losing the day I stopped breastfeeding with both. Found out that I’m having a third and planning to breastfeed again! BUT the weight gain is SO hard for me. I’m already spiraling about it. Being barely 5’2 and well over 200lbs was so painful and uncomfortable. And I feel cheated having spent most of my 20s chubby instead of skinny (I know I’m vain!!). Please someone give me hope tha”

“I'm 11 weeks pp and struggling with whether to restart breastfeeding because I'm feeling guilty for not providing the benefits of BM. I had a difficult delivery with significant blood loss and a 4th-degree tear, which delayed bf. My baby struggled with latching, preferred bottles, and I've always had a low milk supply. Despite pumping 6-10 times a day, trying power pumping, and breastfeeding, I produced only 1–1.5 oz per session at best initially. Around 6–8 weeks, my supply dropped”

“I’m 5 months post partum and EBF but I can not loose the weight and I think I fell for the you can get skinny if you breastfeed. My mom even said well you can loose weight if you only ate one meal a day and I’m like I don’t think that’s how it works loo I’ve been at my pre pregnancy since probably 2 weeks postpartum lol however I did notice I don’t gain nor loose weight and I don’t change my diet. With my first I couldn’t not maintain a supply no matter what I did and with my second I’m grateful”

“Hi everyone! I’m currently breastfeeding and was wondering about other moms’ experiences with weight loss while breastfeeding. I’ve heard that breastfeeding can make it easier to lose some of the pregnancy weight, but I know everyone’s body is different. I feel like it's been helping me. For those of you who did lose weight while breastfeeding, did you notice it came off pretty naturally, or did you have to make changes to your diet/exercise too? I’m also really curious about what happened a”

“I’m usually about 118-120lbs. I think I reached about 150 at the end of my pregnancy. I’ve been breastfeeding since my son was born in July (he’s 10 weeks now), and I’ve lost quite a bit of weight. I’m now 116. I feel like I eat a good bit, but I am super active during the day. I would say I get about 8k-10k steps. I have to walk with him a lot bc he’s gassy, we take walks, and I have to walk upstairs to change him. Still I’m surprised I lost this much so fast. Should I be concerned or is that j”

“Breastfeeding my first was a nightmare and ultimate failure (it was 2020 so no lactation support.) But my second, from what I can remember, was so breezy after the first 3 weeks or so. So I thought I'd have it well in hand this time around. Hahahaha. Babe is 10 days old. Uncomplicated full term vaginal delivery. Baby came up between my legs rooting. Good latch and a vigorous eater. Milk came in while still in the hospital. She had a touch of jaundice but cleared it by day 4 without photother”

“I'm 1 month postpartum with my first baby girl, currently exclusively breastfeeding. I try to eat well, but craving is hitting hard. Having fast food like McDonald's, Popeyes, or pizza once or twice a week, but the guilt is really getting to me. Let me know if anyone dealt with this and how to overcome 😭 submitted by /u/jawclench [link] [comments]”

“Is this normal. I lose my appetite and energy and sometimes even feel sick when breastfeeding. My friends all seem to get hungry when breastfeeding so I got a bit worried. Has anyone else felt like this? I do a mix of formula and breast milk because I’m worried I don’t make enough to feed my baby. Should I just give up breastfeeding and stick to formula? submitted by /u/spongebobsjellyfish [link] [comments]”

“I don’t even know if it’s possible to “stay full” during breastfeeding. All I know is that I’m insatiable… I eat a meal and I turn around looking for the next thing to shove in my mouth. I’m living in my kitchen at this point. I try to prioritize whole foods and protein but it’s really hard with my velcro baby so I find myself just grabbing what I can when I can unless I have someone to hold her for me. What are you guys eating? Please, share anything. submitted by /u/iwannabeacowboi”

“I was really into postpartum thinking that breastfeeding would make losing the pregnancy weight pretty easy. Breastfeeding takes so much energy, everyone says. I thought the weight would just fall off. But my experience has been nearly the reverse. I’m breastfeeding and I still have more pregnancy weight than I thought I would. Honestly the hardest part isn’t even working out. It is the need. Some days I feel like I could eat all day 😭 I’ll eat a normal meal and be hungry again soon after that.”

“I’m 13 months pp and I’ve been the same weight since I was one month post partum. I lost weight with my other 3 by this time but I’m still holding on to 20 lbs! I did have a lot more stress this time around, and I’m almost done breastfeeding my milk is drying up and she’s less interested. I’m working out and not over eating…anyone else’s body hold on to all the weight until they stopped breastfeeding and then it finally came off? submitted by /u/Favoritefam6 [link] [comments]”

“Hi guys, Does anyone else have an uncontrollable urge to eat Sugar? Is it because I’m breastfeeding? Will I ever lose weight? submitted by /u/Western_Pianist2128 [link] [comments]”

“I’m 3 weeks pp and I notice the scale is starting to move up a little bit. The first week out of the hospital I was down 23 lbs. I was feeling so confident! But now the scale is creeping up again slowly and I’m starting to worry. I struggle wirh my weight a lot and I lost 50 lbs before I got pregnant. I still weigh less than I did before losing all the weight but I’m worried I will get back into bad eating habits. I feel like I’m starving though and can eat anything I lay my eyes on when I open”

“I am a FTM. My baby is 7 days old today, and we got off to a rocky start with breastfeeding. I had gestational diabetes and my baby had low blood sugar when she was born. In order to correct this, they force fed her donor milk for the first day. It worked, and she passed the rest of her tests. However, she was very full and wasn't interested in latching or feeding. I was told (by nurses) that this was ok as she didn't need much for the first 2 days. Second day, I tried to latch again, bu”

“I mean the title says it all. I am five months pp and weigh I 179. My doctor checked my A1C and shocker….it’s high. Breastfeeding is my worst enemy but baby girl needs me. Any suggestions on how to manage weight? I need to get my A1c down as it puts me in pre diabetic categories. I walk multiple times a day and eat relatively healthy so I’m at a lost. submitted by /u/Specific_Anybody_438 [link] [comments]”

“Just looking for advice or encouragement that I’m doing the right thing and my breastfeeding journey is still okay/good. I’ve been EBF for 1 month as a FTM. It’s okay to hate me for this, but I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight like maybe two weeks PP. I feel like I’m drinking enough water and everything and baby is gaining weight and transferring well as far as I’m concerned, however, everyone talks about how ravenous they are with hunger and how they’re starving all the time, but this isn’t”