Breastfeeding Weight Loss
If you are a brand new mother with a newborn clamoring to be nursed, you know what a relief it can be to take the time out of your day to sit down quietly, most likely in a rocking chair, and breast feed the baby. Hopefully the house is quiet, and you and the baby settle into a comfortable position so the baby can nurse and you can unwind a little and let the ticking moments of the clock as well as the motion of the rocker, lull you into a peaceful bonding state.
But are you aware that something else is going on here besides the mother-child bonding taking place? An added bonus to the calm, the unwinding of mind and body, and the child being fed is a phenomenon described as breastfeeding weight loss. It's a proven fact.
Studies have shown that as a new mother breastfeeds her baby, the mother experiences a gradual drop in her own body weight over the period of time that the breastfeeding is taking place. It's Mother Nature at work again, and this time she has provided a mechanism to allow for the loss of the weight that you, the new mother, has put on during the pregnancy. The reason for the gradual weight gain while pregnant was to condition the mother to be able to nurse the baby when the baby is born, and then lose that weight gradually as the baby nurses. This way, you have plenty of reserve fuel during the period just after birth when the child needs to get his nutrition solely from you.
What a neat perk to have thrown in the mix with all the other wonderful things that go along with having a brand new baby and being a mother. But don't fall into the trap of thinking that the breastfeeding weight loss is going to be pounds upon pounds in a short period of time. It took you 9 months plus to get that weight packed on your frame, and according to Mother Nature's scale and timetable for weight loss, it should take you about the same time...maybe a little more...to get it off.
And be sure to use a little common sense here too. Just because you now know that there most likely be a weight loss in your future because you are breastfeeding, does not give you license to go out and have a party eating whatever you feel like. Nothing cancels out a potential weight loss like an overload of incoming calories and why jeopardize a good thing. Make sure you continue to eat sensibly, just like you did when you were pregnant, and keep away from those deadly carb. laden snacks. That way you will ensure that you stay on the straight and narrow.
There is nothing worse than to have watched your dietary eating habits closely and maintained a good balance of foods and exercise so you were at your best when the baby was born, only to blow it all by letting down your guard and going on an eating binge that nullifies all your hard work in the past.
The breastfeeding weight loss link is an interesting one, and one that is becoming more and more well known with new mothers these days. The studies have shown that a breastfeeding mother will have the capability of using up 700 calories a day while they are breastfeeding, and that alone will lead to a gradual weight loss as long as other metabolism factors remain the same.
So, with that in mind; keep a close check on your daily diet and try to stay on the same eating plan as you had when you were pregnant. That way you are not depriving yourself of nutrients by cutting down on foods trying to lose weight, and conversely, you are not gaining any more weight by going overboard and eating lots of foods that are not good for you. Just the simple fact that nature has provided a slow but sure way of getting rid of the excess pounds you put on during pregnancy should be a comforting thought every time you nurse your baby. Breastfeeding weight loss is just one more perk in an already crowded group of wonderful things happening in your new world surrounding your newborn and you.