Nursing and Primal? page

[Mama_Jane]

Hello all-
I'm very new to this and trying get my body back after baby #4, nursing a three month old on demand, have about 40 -50 lbs to spare, my body tends to hang onto fat while nursing...

Any suggestions? Any advice from paleo/primal nursing mamas?

[zoebird]

It's the same advice for any nursing mother -- consume what you need, and don't worry so much about it.

I nursed my DS for 3 yrs. It wasn't until he as 14 months old -- and mostly using food for nutrition, not breast milk -- that the fat came off. I mostly carried it in my upper back, arms, shoulders and chest. It was very funny looking IMO.

[Athanasey]

I started primal when my baby was 10 months. She was still demand feeding a lot then. I've never worried about counting calories. I just eat primally and the weight it coming off. I probably consume the same amount of calories but the type differs a lot. The only time my supply was affected was when my calories dropped too low. She is 15 months now and still nurses a decent amount, she also follows a primal diet.

My advice is just eat primal foods when you're hungry and don't expect too much while feeding. Your body will naturally want to hang on to a bit more.

[Shijin13]

I'm still nursing a 22 mth old. I went primal when he was 6mths. I saw an increase in supply! Primal and nursing go hand in hand. The baby weigh will come off with good eating, and moderate exercise like walking w/baby in a carrier, squats w/baby in carrier. Push ups, and pull ups!

[sapphire_chan]

It's the same advice for any nursing mother -- consume what you need, and don't worry so much about it.

I nursed my DS for 3 yrs. It wasn't until he as 14 months old -- and mostly using food for nutrition, not breast milk -- that the fat came off. I mostly carried it in my upper back, arms, shoulders and chest. It was very funny looking IMO.

I had exactly the opposite experience. Up until a year old, I could eat anything (pre-primal) and the weight fell off me. Then she hit her first birthday and some things didn't change: how much or when she nursed, how much other food she ate, how much she slept, how hungry I was. All that changed is that I gained weight.

I lost the baby weight in a month. It all came back between her first and second birthdays.

[Linny]

You'll want to make sure you keep your calories up. I've read other places that the body uses an extra 700 calories a day to make milk. I know when I've tried to lose weight in the past while nursing if I didn't keep my calories up my weight loss would stall. IMO you will want your weight to come off slowly. All the toxins that are in your fat will be released and some of them will end up in your breastmilk. I'm nursing my 3 year old right now and I'm only able to lose about .5 lbs a week no matter what I try.

[banananutmuffin]

I nursed both my kids, and both were different experiences.

With the elder, it was a struggle to get off every pound - both while I was nursing and after.

With the younger (still nursing her), the weight fell off. When it stalled is when I went primal.

I tend to snack more than I think I probably need to, but it hasn't hurt my progress yet.

[mamagault]

Nursed 5 babies - the first 4 to 16-18 months, and the littlest one (P) is 4.5 months and still going strong. P is also the first one to have been nursed primally. I started primal about a month before he was born. In the last 2 children, I have had trouble losing the baby weight. I am currently at 138-139, which is about 10 pounds down from my pre-pregnancy this time around. I really can't tell you my macronutrient percentages, as I eat to hunger and try to be balanced - usually bacon and eggs or sausage and eggs for breakfast, the BAS for lunch, then a nice fatty meaty dish with at least 2 veggie sides for supper. Snacks tend to be a handful of almonds here and there or sometimes a piece of fruit. I also cut most dairy except a few Tablespoons of cream a day with my tea or coffee, and the odd piece of cheese.

I think you really have to just listen to your body and play around with things. I started doing Pilates a few days a week recently, and my hunger increased a lot. I try to make up for that with a goat whey protein mix and some coconut oil or butter blended in for added fat.

[Mama_Jane]

So, everyone's experience is different. I get that - I've been dabbling for a few weeks (no grains or legumes but still indulging in the dark chocolate) and now for the past week straight I've been "primal" no cheats- no difference in milk supply. My baby hasn't noticed.

I drink coffee every morning with half/ half, eat avocados, eggs, butter, meats, veggies, nuts, coconut milk and some fruit (maybe I should cut out the nuts and fruit?). I was just hoping to give the post-partum baby weight a kick in the pants. My body fights me for fat when I'm nursing, in my past experience. The only thing I've noticed is better digestion and I don't feel as puffy, but I still weigh the same.

I'm not melting like I was hoping I would. I got pregnant before I lost all the baby weight from my last child. I followed the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet and gained a hearty 40 pounds (all natural birth and V-BA2C thank you very much!). I've only lost about 15 pounds since I had the baby. That leaves between 40-50 pounds that I would like to lose...

I also walk 3 times week, do sprints once a week, lift once a week and run maybe 1-2 times a week. I'm not tired or sore. Just trying to break free of the "gym" obligation and do what I can when I can...

Thank you for your replies and suggestions...

[zoebird]

I had exactly the opposite experience. Up until a year old, I could eat anything (pre-primal) and the weight fell off me. Then she hit her first birthday and some things didn't change: how much or when she nursed, how much other food she ate, how much she slept, how hungry I was. All that changed is that I gained weight.

I lost the baby weight in a month. It all came back between her first and second birthdays.

Goes to show how we are all different, right?

I wish we really understood this before hand. I was frustrated as all hell that i looked so terrible for so long. i lost the weight per se, but my body composition was totally weird and . . . i just looked terrible. For my tastes anyway.