I understand. You want to get back to your pre-pregnancy body as soon as baby gets out! I’ve heard from several mothers (myself included) how they couldn’t wait to give birth so they could focus on their bodies. Now, there’s nothing wrong with caring for your body. However, some mothers are so focused on losing the pregnancy weight that they don’t realize how that’s impacting their milk supply! In this article, we are going to discuss why eating enough should be your goal and not losing weight. I’m super excited to share this with you, so keep reading!
The American Culture And Mothers
Why are women so consumed with their bodies? Partly it is because we are women and we care about how we look. Additionally, one main reason why women are always striving for the perfect body image is because the American culture has idolized the tall, slim womanly figures. Those with no stretch marks, perfect abs, and a tone core.
American mothers don’t fit into the American culture. We so desperately want that perfect body, though! We strive for it sometimes at the cost of our breastmilk. I’ll get to that in a minute.
The Idolized Body Image
The Reality
When a woman becomes pregnant, her body starts to change. Now her body is not just hers, but it’s creating another human being whom she shares her body with. During pregnancy, a woman can gain up to 40 pounds or more! That’s a lot of weight, but it’s all needed to help grow a healthy baby.
Something to note about this extra weight is that a lot of it is water mass. After the baby is born, Mom’s body starts to lose this weight. Just by giving birth, her body lost anywhere from 5-10 pounds. During the following weeks and months, her body will continue to shed the unneeded water weight.
A lot of women think, “I can’t wait to give birth so I can get my body back!” Now there’s nothing wrong with that mindset in and of itself, however, let’s look at how some women go about attaining that idealized body image.
Cutting Down Calorie Intake
What is a calorie? Simply put, it’s a measurement of energy. Our bodies need a certain amount of energy consumed in the form of food each day in order to function. When our bodies do not use all of the energy we consume, the body stores it as fat. Fat is not bad, either! Our bodies need fat to function. An excess of fat is what starts to give us problems.
What several mothers (breastfeeding or not breastfeeding) do is they think, “I need to lose weight, so I’m going to cut down my calorie intake.” These women may not eat as much during meals and may limit what they snack on.
Meanwhile, they are experiencing a decrease in milk supply and they have no idea why! They start asking on social media for help. They may get answers like “you need to pump more to increase the demand on your body” or “I got a ton of milk using my Haakaa pump! You should try one.”
These tactics do work. However, they only work if your body is consuming enough calories! Now we are going to answer the question why eating enough should be your goal and not losing weight.
Calories And Milk Supply
Calories and milk production go hand-in-hand. Remember, calories are units of energy. Our bodies need 2,000 calories per day to function. Notably, that’s for the average person. A breastfeeding mother is not average! She is feeding another human being with her body!
How do you think her body makes that milk for her baby? You got it, by using the mother’s energy! Her body is burning extra calories trying to make breast milk for her baby.
Now if a mother is limiting how much she eats, she may not be getting the recommended 2,000 calories per day! How many calories should a breastfeeding mother consume each day? The answer: 2,400 calories!
A breastfeeding mother needs to eat an extra 400 calories each day in order to make enough breastmilk for her baby.
How many calories should a breastfeeding mother consume each day? The answer: 2,400 calories!
A breastfeeding mother needs to eat an extra 400 calories each day in order to make enough breastmilk for her baby.
Take The Free Class!
I’m sure you’re itching to know more about caring for your body well so it can produce (and boost) more breastmilk!
That is why I have created for you this simple, free class where you will learn tips and tricks on how to naturally boost your milk supply by caring for yourself.
Fill out the form below and I can’t wait see you inside!
Eat More For Your Baby!
You need to be intentional to get in 2,400 calories per day!
Don’t be stressed about losing pregnancy weight right now. If you just gave birth, your body will thin out naturally in time. If you are breastfeeding, you may want to consider weighting to get into a serious fitness routine until after you wean your baby. This is to ensure your breastmilk supply stays up so baby can get what they need from you!
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Simple Diet Changes For A Healthier You While Breastfeeding
If you’re breastfeeding but can’t really wait until after you wean your baby to start slimming down some, then try these tips.
- Eat less sugar
- Eat healthy fats (mono-saturated fats instead of poly-saturated fats, and fats from nuts and meats instead of from something greasy like french fries or a burger)
- Cut down on highly processed foods
- Find healthy desserts like fruit and whipped cream instead of ice cream and brownies.
Mentality Change
What we are passionate about is what we will spend a lot of our time and energy on. As mothers, we should be passionate about the health and wellbeing of our children, right?
So let’s stop listening to the American culture saying that it is of the utmost importance for women to be thin. Now, don’t get me wrong, we want to be healthy, for sure! But we should not be chasing “being thin” if it is going to cost us the health of our babies by the way it impacts our milk supply.
Instead, let’s change our mentality of what’s important. Is being as perfectly fit and thin like a model what we should be chasing? Or is looking out for the health and wellbeing of our children what’s the utmost importance?
Summary
Are you among the breastfeeding Mamas who truly desire to be thin? I mean, who isn’t right? Are you cutting down on your calorie intake in order to achieve that thinness? Is your milk supply decreasing? Remember that a breastfeeding mother needs to consume an extra 400 calories per day while breastfeeding. That’s a total of 2,400 calories she needs to consume each day. This is so that her body can make enough breastmilk for her growing baby!
This week, take note of what you are eating and how much. Also take note of your milk supply. If your milk production is a little low, try eating more throughout your day and see how that impacts your milk production throughout the week! Then, tell us your results in the comments below!
Leave A Comment Below!
What did you think of this article “Why Eating Enough Should Be Your Goal And Not Losing Weight”? Did you agree or disagree with the thoughts presented? Share you thoughts in the comments below!
Also, if you are a mother who was able to boost your milk supply simply by eating more calories throughout your day, tell us your story! You could be an encouragement to someone!
Want To Know More?
If you enjoyed this article, check out these other articles related to nutrition and breastfeeding!
Does What I Eat Affect My Breastmilk?
Foods And Drinks To Be Careful Of While Breastfeeding
Healthy Calories And Breastmilk – Does What You Eat Impact Your Milk?
How Much Water Should A Breastfeeding Mother Drink?
Medications That May Decrease Milk Supply