Strollerderby

I'm afraid I have to admit that I'm one of those women who told friends that breastfeeding would make the baby weight "drop right off". Ooops. Every woman has a different body and not all women lose weight breastfeeding. I feel terrible now thinking I mislead my girl friends into believing breastfeeding was the answer to post-baby weight loss! A hundred thosuand apologies, friends!

Jen's my favorite celebrity mom. Well, I admit to being biassed because I'm an Alias fan.  But I love that she's so down to earth.  

I swear, this myth is in all the pregnancy and parenting books. I think the truth is that nursing can help you lose a little more weight immediately postpartum, but most women's bodies hold on to some cushioning as long as they're breastfeeding. I know for me, as soon as I weaned each of my daughters at 12 months, I finally dropped the last five pounds with zero effort.

I love Jen Garner--elsewhere I've read her talking about how hard it was to lose the baby weight (as opposed to all the celebs who make it sound like it happened effortlessly). Here's a quote from People:

"Losing the baby weight: It took me a long, long time. I just wasn't that motivated. I wanted to play with her. Then I got on the treadmill, stopped stuffing my face and lost the weight. I cut out croissants, bagels and muffins – all the good stuff. And went back to having a salad once a day and protein."

I read in countless sources how those pounds would dropp off magically through the magic of breastfeeding.  They didn't.  In fact, it seemed like I held onto extra as a result of the brestfeeding, or at least until solids began to make up the majority of their calories.

One more myth exposed.

She really does seem totally normal and down-to-earth. Good for her for being honest.

Yep, I'm currently partially weaning my son (who turns 1 in a few weeks) and the weight is finally starting to drop off, albeit slowly.

The "magic" weight loss never happened for me--my appetite was so huge when I was nursing full-time. And I would get light-headed when I didn't eat enough.

Next time, I'll know!

I think it really depends how much you eat while b/fing. I found it difficult to eat enough, and also walked for hours each day to nap my son, so I lost a LOT of weight by the first summer. I felt kind of drained and horrible, better to keep one's energy up and lose it after you wean, I think.

I think there was a quote in US Weekly or something from Thandie Newton who said she had to STOP breastfeeding because she was getting too thin.  "A ha!" I thought!

I was also hoping for the miracle breastfeeding weight loss plan, but like an above commenter, I found that I HAD TO EAT or I simply would not make it through the day.  

I gained 43 pounds while I was pregnant and I have lost 38 of them, so maybe now that I'm done with the nursing and can lower my calorie intake, the weight will start to go away.

I was told by my ob that breastfeeding can burn up to 1200 calories a day.  What a deal, but you are supposed to eat extra in order to be able to maintain your milk.  

I tried but was unsuccessful at breastfeeding all three.  

I also remember hearing that breastfeeding causes your body to "hold on" to the fat in your hips.  Don't quote me on that, but jeez, if it is true, that really sucks.

I am ALWAYS hungry and my metabolism seems to be nothing like it used to be.  I laughed at the character in Jane Green's Babyville who gained weight while breastfeeding, now look at me...Oh well, she'll be weened soon enough, maybe then...Neither my hubby nor my baby seem to mind the extra fluff around the middle...

I knew that my sister-in-law got super skinny nursing her second child, and I hoped that would happen to me but I was prepared that it wouldn't.  For me, the pregnancy pounds just fell off and I lost an additional 20 pounds.  But I only gained 15 pounds during my pregnancy.  My daughter is almost 18 months old and I'm still nursing... and afraid to stop!  I am thinner than I have been in over 13 years, but I'm not skinny or anything.

The 1200 calories a day that Sheri's OB told her is wrong- the number is actually 500 calories.  You ARE supposed to eat extra but most of us eat too much any way so if you eat the way you normally do, you should be fine. (Our portions are way too big.) I never had to TRY to eat more, I have just had a more voracious appetite, but it ebbs and flows.  When my daughter is teething or going through a growth spurt, she nurses a lot and I get hungrier.

I am active in La Leche League so I know quite a few women who have dropped the weight like me, but quite a few whose bodies have not been as kind.  

I nursed my daughter for 14 months, and had lost all my weight by the time she was 4 months old.  Then, when she turned 6 months, I had my first period and mysteriously lost another 7.  I have never gained back to where I was pre-pregnancy. I know several people told me they had trouble losing weight until they stopped nursing, but I just didn't have that problem.  Maybe there's something wrong with me.

Caryn, my experience was exactly like yours, to the dates.

I struggled to keep up to my pre-pregnancy weight after four months of nursing--ate two breakfasts each day, lots of snacks, etc. But my appetite gradually went back to normal as she started solids and slowly dropped nursings, weaning at 2.5 years. Now it's all the running after my little hurricane girl that keeps it off. :)

Seems Jen Garner was asking too much, thinking that six months was some kind of eternity to wait for the pregnancy weight to come off. That's not long...at all.

It's like pregnancy: We're all going to bulk up, carry the "padding," and lose it differently. But if you listen to your body and eat to match your appetite, it should all balance out in the end.

Hopefully.

- L

Getting sick of seeing pictures of celebrities who are already slim one month after giving birth? So