Managing your baby weight while breastfeeding

There is a lot of pressure on new mothers to bounce back after childbirth. While many mothers find that breastfeeding burns a lot of energy and can help them to quickly get back into shape, other breastfeeding mums find it hard to maintain their milk supply unless they eat a lot of kilojoules, which in turn can make it hard to lose the baby weight. 

Here are some tips to help you lose baby weight safely, while maintaining a high milk supply:

1. Eat a balanced diet 

Producing milk requires a lot of different nutrients, and the Australian Breastfeeding Association has a great article on their site to let you know exactly what you should be eating from each group. It's important to have high quality nutritious snacks close by when breastfeeding, including fruit and vegetables, as well as nuts and beans, so that you don't reach for the less healthy options like biscuits and sweets.  

2. Drink a lot of water and other low energy fluids

Often, the feeling of hunger can be mistaken for a thirst. Breastfeeding consumes a lot of fluids, so it is important for nursing mothers to maintain a high fluid intake.

It can be a good idea to keep a water bottle by the side of the bed, so that you can easily access water when nursing and make sure that you are constantly keeping on top of your water needs. You can also try and make the water more interesting by adding fruit or vegetable infusions, to keep it interesting and tasty. 

3. See a dietitian

As you move from pregnancy to nursing, both the energy needs and the overall macro-nutrient needs of your diet can change. It can often be very valuable to meet with a dietitian, such as the team at Hardy Nutrition, to discuss both your lifestyle and weight loss goals. They can help you to come up with a meal plan that suits your energy needs and is styled in a way that suits a nursing mother, including small easy-to-prepare meals and tasty snacks that you can eat on the go. 

If you are worried about losing your baby weight, make an appointment to see Hardy Nutrition today 9494 3790.