Am I Getting Enough?

[The Bex Factor]

I'm just starting my first Whole 30. I have a 3 month old and am exclusively pumping (had many issues getting breastfeeding established). EP'ing is a lot of work so along with that, looking after my babe and all the other daily tasks, I don't have a lot of time for meal prep. I have an egg intolerance and strongly dislike avocado. I am concerned about getting enough calories and keeping my milk supply up as it's easy to lose it EPing.

This has been the last couple days:

Breakfast - ground sausage, sauteed mixed bell peppers and mushrooms

Lunch - mixed greens and spinach with chicken breast and EVOO/balsamic side of snap peas and/or sweet potato

Dinner - steak, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts

Snacks - Larabar (in the middle of the night), apple and sunflower seed butter, raisins and almonds

I am also doing Crossfit three times a week and yoga once a week. Preworkout would be a small leftover piece of chicken breast and post workout, more chicken breast and sweet potato.

I feel a little hungry by the end of the day. What should I be doing different?

[Tom Denham]

What you are eating looks good, you just need to eat more. Especially while breastfeeding, you may need to eat 4 or 5 meals per day, plus pre- and post-workout snacks. You could think of it as 3 meals for you and 1 or 2 more meals for your baby, but active people generally sometimes need more than 3 meals daily. You may also find it useful to review the meal template to make sure you are eating enough at each meal - http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf.

[The Bex Factor]

Do you have any suggestions for getting in enough fat, I feel like I'm limited because I don't eat avocado. Also suggestions for quick snacks I can grab no the go, pack in the diaper bag or have after middle of the night feelings?

I do feel like my supply has dropped a little, so I'm hoping by adding one or two more meals and figuring out how to get my fat in there I can curb the hunger and get my supply back.

[JaneA]

Do you like black olives? A can is an easy fat take-along. Or a little sunflower butter with a veggie to dip? I also pack raw veggies with homemade ranch (from homemade mayo) for dipping. A handful of nuts?

[Melissa Urban]

Love this article from KellyMom: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/

CrossFit may not be helping your pumping situation... it's pretty stressful on the body, and demands quite a caloric load, depending on the kind of activity and intensity level. You may want to tone that down a bit, if pumping is a priority.

Melissa

[CaseyD]

I'm going to echo the effect of stress on your milk production. I also exclusively pumped for my first (until postpartum depression set in and then it was too much). It is so much work to do that and take care of your baby, I know that! That alone is stress. So, it's possible that trying to breastfeed and doing Crossfit three times a week plus yoga might be too much. The most important thing I think you can do is make sure you are getting enough rest right now.

Do you cook with coconut oil? That might help you get more fat in your diet. I'd also make sure you're eating when you're hungry. Moms of new babies are notorious for not eating enough and maybe not realizing it. You may not be able to get a full meal in, so if you don't make sure you eat more later!