Last Updated on August 8, 2023 by Jada Glover
If you’re stressed that you’re not losing weight while breastfeeding, you’re not alone. Many women, during their breastfeeding journey, have discovered that after a few weeks postpartum, the weight isn’t coming off as quickly as they thought it would.
While it might be tempting to concentrate on weight loss goals or ways to obtain rapid weight loss, it’s important to understand that the extra baby weight will fall off, but not always in super fast ways.
The extra weight gained during pregnancy will take many months after the new baby is born to vacate your body – and only if you’re trying to lose it in the best way possible for your body and mind.
Is It Harder to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding?
Yes, for some moms, it may be harder to lose weight while breastfeeding. Many things influence our ability to lose weight while breastfeeding such as sleep, hormones, and eating too much (or not enough), among other factors.
The average woman drops about 10-15 pounds after her baby is born. The rest of the pregnancy weight gradually comes off while breastfeeding- about 1-2 pounds per month.
It can take 6-9 months to lose the rest of the weight you gained during pregnancy. Your body relies on maternal fat stores to make milk (in addition to the extra calories you’re eating) which is what can lead to postpartum weight loss.
Keep in mind, it took 9+ months to put it on, so it can take that long or more to take it off.
In my experience with breastfeeding and losing the baby weight, I lost the initial bit immediately, and then it was a very gradual process. After about 9-10 months of breastfeeding each of my children, I was down about 50 pounds from my highest pregnancy weight. This post includes many of the tips and tricks I used to see these results, so keep reading!
Ten Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight While Breastfeeding
The safest way to lose weight is to focus on gradual weight loss and be sure that you’re also obtaining all your nutritional needs for your and your baby’s benefit.
But what happens if the postpartum weight loss has stalled or just isn’t happening at all?
At that point, it’s time to take a look at your lifestyle and try and narrow down while you’re no longer shedding the weight because, more than likely, there are a few reasons that it is happening (and those few reasons are correctable!).
Let’s take a look at the top reasons why you’re not losing weight while breastfeeding.
1. Stress Levels
Having a vaginal delivery, or a c-section, is stressful on a person’s body! Not only are you doing what you can to help your body heal after birth, but you also have to balance the stress hormones that are raging through your body after spending the last 9 months pregnant.
Your body is actually still going through a lot of hormonal changes while breastfeeding, so there’s a very high probability that you’re body and your hormones are still out of whack. This can affect your mental health and also have you feeling as though extra hunger hormones are kicking in.
A lot of women during the postpartum period will not realize that they have a hormone imbalance which can cause them to put on extra pounds by eating junk food or increasing their calorie intake because of stress.
Give yourself some grace in this department, and make amends that your body is still going through changes due to the change and increase in hormone levels. Just knowing this can help you be mindful of the food that you’re eating and make you more aware of how your body is changing.
2. Eating Too Many Calories or Not Eating Healthy Foods
To be totally fair, breastfeeding is hard work, and that hard work will actually make you quite hungry. But this is where a lot of women falter. Instead of filling their bodies with healthy snacks and nutrient-dense foods, they’re eating foods that will actually make them store extra fat and potentially gain weight.
These processed foods often lead to eating too many calories as well. While breastfeeding does require calories to make milk, you have to be mindful of how many you are eating and the types of foods you are getting those calories from.
Take a few days to track everything you’re eating and drinking. This can be eye-opening. Then, evaluate what you need to do to make a few small changes to get you seeing the results you want.
Food Choices Matter
Eating a balanced diet is key to setting healthy habits, and at the end of the day, your body and mind will thank you for it.
Fill the fridge full of plenty of fruits and vegetables, high protein foods, whole grains (in moderation), and healthy fats. Junk food is actually full of empty calories and will have you feeling as though you’re starved in a short amount of time, causing you to eat more without even realizing the pattern.
Processed foods also lead to unwanted cravings- sugar or salty foods. So, while a treat is totally doable every now and then, try to eat fruit in place of sugary snacks, and beef jerky or cheese in place of fried potato chips.
3. Not Eating Frequently Enough
If you are counting the number of calories that you’re eating during the day, try and spread out your food intake by incorporating small meals into the day. This will help you stay the course with healthy choices and is a great way to continue to make and produce a healthy milk supply for your baby as well.
Large meals can have you overeating or undereating by skipping meals later in the day, which can throw your body into a tailspin of confusion, excess calorie intake, and a weight loss/weight gain roller coaster.
With that said, some moms prefer an intermittent fasting approach due to their schedule or health benefits. You can learn more about breastfeeding and intermittent fasting by reading my post here- Your Ultimate Guide To Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding.
4. Not Drinking Enough Water
In addition to eating a healthy diet, it’s important to make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Not only do you need the water for milk production, but it’s also a great way to stay hydrated and curb that feeling of wanting to snack. Drinking enough water is key to helping reach weight loss goals. Pair that with healthy meals, and you’re going to reach your goal in a safe way.
Water and Hydration
Staying hydrated while breastfeeding is super important. If you become dehydrated, your body is going to lack the ability to make milk. Drinking and staying hydrated is key to keeping up the with demanding milk supply of a newborn.
Make sure that you do what you can to drink water! New moms often don’t realize that feeding their babies can really dehydrate them fast. If you’re having a hard time getting the right amount of water daily, there are a few things that can happen.
First, get a water bottle that helps to track the amount of water that you’re drinking. There are a lot of different options on the market that show you how much water you’ve drank during the day and how much more you need to drink.
Also, don’t forget that there are natural water flavorings that can make water taste super delicious as well. If you’re not a fan of water or are having a hard time drinking water because of the lack of flavor, add some water flavoring to help reach your hydration goals.
5. Not Drinking Minerals (Electrolytes)
The other way that you can make sure that you’re staying hydrated is to incorporate drinks that include electrolytes. This addition can be a quick fix to boosting your electrolytes which will help your body function and not become depleted of needed energy.
Try drinking coconut water or adding a natural electrolyte mix to your water. Avoid sugary sports drinks as the added sugar can lead to unwanted weight gain.
6. You’re Lacking in Regular Physical Activity
Part of shedding weight and living a healthy lifestyle after giving birth is making sure that you’re moving your body in a healthy way. There are a number of postpartum exercise options that you can do, but be sure to check with your doctor to get the “all clear” before diving in and starting.
Any activity level is going to help shed pounds, and regular exercise can be a great way to obtain weight loss goals.
7. Sleep Deprivation
If your energy level is down due to lack of sleep, you’re body isn’t going to lose much weight at all. This is because when you don’t get enough sleep, your body will have you doing a vicious cycle of lack of energy and eating anything in sight to postpone that tired feeling as long as possible.
This can cause you to consume a lot of calories in a short amount of time and not even realize that you’re doing so. Getting enough sleep with a newborn is a good idea, and sometimes it can be a difficult one to do as well.
Be sure to rest when you need to and sleep when you can. This is imperative for new mothers who are trying to reduce cortisol levels, promote proper adrenal function, and get back to a healthy weight.
8. You’re Trying Fad Diets
A crash diet is only going to work for so long. Eating healthy and doing what you can to shed excess weight is the overall key to shaping your postpartum body in a way that you love and be happy with.
Make sure that you’re eating lean proteins like chicken and eggs and balancing that out with healthy fats like avocado and coconut. Eating all the food groups is the best thing that you can do to reduce fat stores while also not harming your breast milk supply.
Eat More Fruits and Veggies Instead
You need to be sure that you’re fueling your body with healthy foods during this time. Adding fruits and veggies is the perfect way to fill your belly and body with foods that are full of amazing health benefits.
Adding certain superfoods like avocados and coconut is a great way to actually help increase the amount of breast milk that your body can make. If you’re feeling snacky, leave the sugar snacks on the counter and reach for natural fruits and veggies instead.
9. You’re Not Eating Enough Calories
If you’re starving your body to try and lose weight, it’s not going to work out well. While you may end up losing weight, you’ll also end up harming the production of your milk as well in the process. Your body will think it needs to conserve energy, and that means potentially not making milk.
You want your body to think it’s in a state of plenty.
You actually have to eat calories to lose calories in a safe and healthy way. Breastfeeding requires about 300-500 calories to produce milk for your baby.
10. You’re Not Planning Ahead
A little bit of planning can go a long way when you’re trying to shed weight. Instead of being reactive to the day, figuring out how to meal plan for the week can actually help you consume fewer calories and take away a lot of the stress and worry.
The first step is to take a deep breath, and know that the planning doesn’t have to be super detailed or hard. It’s more about laying out a guideline to help you stay focused and on track with your goals.
For an easy way to plan healthy meals for yourself and your family, check out our Meal Plan Creator so you can create a Breastfeeding Meal Plan that is right for you and your baby!
As you can see, there are many different reasons why you may have stopped losing weight while breastfeeding. All of these options are a great place to start and see if these could be affecting your body in a negative way.
Don’t forget that you should also speak to a lactation consultant, registered dietitian, and/or healthcare provider before making any major changes to how you’re planning on losing weight. You want to be sure that you’re not going to do anything that is going to take away from your baby’s needs at this time while also setting solid building blocks for success in the future.
Other posts you might be interested in related to breastfeeding and diet:
5 Benefits of a Baltic Amber Teething Anklet for Babies