BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: momtoelise on January 11, 2006, 20:25:46 pm
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Is this normal? I've been bf for almost 8 months now & I feel like I keep getting hungrier & hungrier everyday. I'm eating lots & not exercising (except moving around with the baby), & I am still losing weight! I'm a little over 10 lbs less than my pre-pg weight the last time I checked. Now, I realize this is probably a good problem to have - just thought I should make sure it's normal & there's not something wrong... :)
Anyone else have this experience??
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I was right there with you! (Sshh! Don't say it too loud! Someone might have to shoot us!). I lost weight at a very reasonable speed for the first 3 months or so, with a very minimal cut in calories (after the first 6 weeks) and lots of good-quality food. Then I got down to a little above my pre-preg weight (which was low for me to begin with) and starting eating, and eating, and eating. I ate everything I wanted and didn't exercise more than my usual walks to and from the store. The weight loss accelerated! I ended up getting down to 12 lbs. lower than my pre-preg weight at about 6 months post partum! I finally plateaued there.
After dd turned one and weaned to 2 feeds a day, I gained a few pounds back (about 5-7) for a much more reasonable weight for my frame. But I also maintained that weight no problem while eating my way through everything! I'm actually starting this new pregnancy at a weight lower than my pre-preg weight with dd.
And I'm perfectly healthy. I suspect you are too. There's nothing wrong, so count yourself lucky!
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I had the same problem when Anna was about 9 or 10 months old. I kept losing weight and the only thing that I could think of was nursing. I actually lost my pregnancy weight when Anna was born :oops:, I walked out of the hospital in my prepregnancy clothes. Later, when I was losing weight, I found out that I was also stressed as my dh was getting ready to leave for a long contract and when I am nervous I don't eat well.
All in total, nursing can take some of your callories, especially if you are generally slim and active. But, please, check that everything is OK with your health, go and run some tests if you are concerned. I asked LLL about it and they say that any significant weight loss shouldn't be attributed solely to nursing, there may be some other issues with your health, lifestyle that are worth checking.
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I am in the same situation and it is actually being recommended to me to wean. I am about 20 lbs under my pre-preg weight. Docs think it is a bit too much, and nursing is THE ONLY thing that has really changed in my life. It was a reasonable rate of loss until 6 months but then the lbs started just falling really fast after that. I read though that nursing is one of the few things that burns the fat in the hard to burn places, like buttocks, thighs, etc, and those are definintely smaller. :wink:
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Hmmm, maybe I ought to try relactation?? :lol:
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just one thought is that it might be worth checking your thyroid levels because that is what regulates your metabolism and although nursing burns a lot of calories you migt want to make sure that is the cause and not your thyroid. HTH
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Thanks everyone for the responses!! It's good to know I'm not the only one! And, if it's really burning the fat off in the places 'branwen' mentioned, I hope it keeps working! :D :D :D
'Lilah's Mommy' - I've heard other people mention gaining weight when weaning too. Do you (or anyone else) know how common that is? I wonder if that's likely to happen with me since I've been losing so far?
'Debinoz' - I'll have to look into that more. Do you know of any other symptoms that typically indicate a problem with that?
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When you wean, your body will be using a lot less calories, so if you keep eating the same, then, yes, you will probably gain some weight. I gained 5 pounds before I realized what was happening (which for me wasn't good becasue I still had 5 to go to get to pre-preg weight--I wasn't one who had the pounds just falling off--I wish! :D ). So if you are worried about getting too thin, then just don't change your diet right away and start to cut back the food when you get back up to a normal weight.
~Kim
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Heather here is basic info from the thyrpid australia site
"Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) affects approximately 2% of women and 0.2% of men. The signs and symptoms of an overactive thyroid are:
irritability
rapid heart rate
weight loss
sleeplessness
heat intolerance
diarrhoea
Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed through a simple blood test. There are three main treatments for overactive thyroid - anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine therapy and surgery. All are effective, though no treatment ever results in a complete cure."
if you have any of the other symptoms (possibly for a while) it is possible to have post-natal thyroiditis which is triggered by the birth of a child and can be temporary.
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If you have high thyroid levels you might not feel hungry, you may be losing weight, feel agitated and be hyperactive, restless.
With a low thyroid, which I happen to have, it is opposite, you are more prone to eat and eat, you have difficulty to be active, it feels difficult to take an action as you naturally gravitate towards doing nothing. Until my thyroid disease was diagnosed, I thought I was just a lazy person, I had to mentally remind myself that I HAD to get out of my bed, do whatever needed to be done but I felt like staying in bed all day.
Hope it is not thyroid, I have to take my medication for life, just need to check if I need a higher dose once in a while.
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Thanks - I'll have to watch what I eat after weaning, just in case!!
Debinoz - thanks for the additional info! I haven't noticed the other symptoms (except maybe some irritability, but I don't think that's related :lol: ). It must just be all the calories from bf'ing.
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Monika,
I think we were posting at about the same time! I definitely don't think it's a thyroid issue if you're not hungry with hyperthyroidism - I'm hungry all the time!!! I can't believe how much I seem to eat! :shock:
Thanks for the info!