Intro, and rapid weight loss while breastfeeding

[Tickador]

Hello everyone! I am finishing day 3 of my first Whole30. I am an almost-38-year-old mother of three. My baby is 3.5 months old. My first two babies (now 8 and 3.5 years) were very premature (born at 31 and 34 weeks, lots of NICU time), and this baby tried so hard to come at 28 weeks that I was hospitalized for a week. I was sent home on strict bedrest, with both the doctors and myself expecting him to come any day. I ate and ate and waited and waited and turned into a BLOB, and against all odds he came at just one day short of 38 weeks! It was practically unbelievable, and so joyful, to have a healthy "take home" baby.

 

The down side is that I ate way too much and made very bad choices, and reactivated my IBS, allergies, etc. after a gloriously healthy year following the Primal Blueprint before becoming pregnant again. I rationalized eating so much crap because I was trying to grow a bigger preemie. Oops.

 

So I finally decided to take the plunge and commit to the Whole30 to get my health and energy back. After 3 days, it's been surprisingly delicious, with only mild cravings and not needing much in the way of snacks. I have, however, made one modification to the plan–I'm weighing myself every couple of days. I'm worried about losing weight too quickly with a 3.5-month-old. As of today, day 3, I have lost 5 lbs. WHAT? Though I'd be delighted to suddenly shed all that excess baby weight, I truly am much more concerned with IBS and allergies and energy levels than my weight. If I'm eating loads of healthy, whole foods, could the rapid weight loss still put my baby at risk?

 

Thanks mamas!

[amberino21]

I think it depends what you were eating before starting - it is quite easy to lose water weight/bloating quickly that you may have been holding on to due to how you were eating before.

At the same time, you need to make sure you're eating enough to nourish you while you're breast feeding. I think BF mothers are advised to have extra meals to make sure they're getting plenty of nutrients to support themselves and their bubs.

[Ravin]

Especially since you're sitting on extra weight, I wouldn't worry about losing it. You are concerned about the baby--so watch the baby. As long as you are EBF'ing on demand and little one remains well hydrated(based on diaper output) and you are eating all the calories and nutrients you need, including plenty of protein and fats, your body will draw on your stores to make milk for the baby.

You're also at a common growth spurt age for the baby, so don't panic if you see a change in feeding patterns.

at the LLL meetings, they always said you need about 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding. That's not a whole lot. Have a mini meal in addition to your three (one including fat, protein, and starchy veggies) should more than cover it.

[Vian]

Most of the weight lost in the first week of a whole30 is water weight. Carbs make you retain water, as does salt - processed foods are loaded with salt. By cutting back on carbs and eliminating processed foods, you lose a lot of water weight in the first week or so. I lost 6 pounds my first week of Paleo, but after that it leveled out.

[Physibeth]

You have gotten a lot of great advice! I would add to this to ditch the scale for the remainder of your Whole30 and focus on how both you and baby feel and are doing. Eat when you are hungry, a template meal, to satisfaction. Trust your body and your baby to give you the cues you need.

[Tickador]

Thanks all for the great advice! Baby boy is definitely happy so far, so I'll use him, rather than the scale, as a measure. I also need to start pumping next week to get ready for my return to work in mid-August, so that will help me quickly notice any real supply dips (and yes, I'm an experienced pumper from my last two–I know to compare pumping sessions but not assume I'm pumping as much as baby is getting).

[Elizabeth!]

I am a 38 year old breast feeding mom too.  I am on day 22.  My weight the first week dropped a lot too and my supply went down on day 3, but it came back up around day 7.  I would not worry about the weight, mostly water I am sure.  Just keep your water intake up and you should be fine.