Last Updated on September 19, 2023 by Jada Glover
Now that you’re breastfeeding your newborn and anxiously wanting to get back into pre-pregnancy shape, you may have many questions, such as, “Why does breastfeeding make you constantly hungry?”
If you feel hungry all the time lately, you’re not alone. Many women describe a feeling of intense hunger during their early nursing days as breastfeeding moms.
The answer to why you feel so hungry lately, as a breastfeeding mom, is that many changes happen in your body postpartum, such as:
- You’re burning more calories to make enough milk
- Your body starts adjusting to hormone levels
- Your body needs healthy nutrients
- You could be dehydrated
- Your exercise regimen
The Science Behind Breastfeeding Hunger
During pregnancy, your body began storing nutrients and fats to prepare for breastfeeding.
After the baby’s birth, your body started producing breast milk.
Once you start feeding your new baby, your body expresses significant energy to keep the milk production pumping. All of this increased energy levels demand leaves a new mama feeling hungry or thirsty seemingly all the time.
Don’t worry! This hunger is not all in your head. You are not imagining that constant feeling of hunger, even if it’s making you feel like you’re losing your mind with cravings.
Scientific studies show that producing breast milk requires 25% of the new mother’s energy.
If you feel like you’re training for a marathon, you’re on the right track.
On average, a breastfeeding mother burns about 400 to 500 extra calories each day to make milk.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists many studies that show the benefits of breastfeeding. These same studies that show how much energy breastfeeding requires also indicate a 15 to 25% increase in energy expenditure for milk production.
These extra calories add up to a nursing mother needing approximately 2,000 to 2,800 calories per day compared to non-lactating women, who need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories.
Your body adjusts to this by changing your metabolism.
According to studies, producing milk for your new baby compares to working out with high-level cardio for an hour or running more than 5 miles.
Hormones Play a Role in Hunger
Your hormones have gone through drastic changes during the last several months. Your hormones are drastically altered to accommodate pregnancy, and hormones play a significant role in hunger. They are now changing to help you produce milk to feed your baby.
Hormonal changes in prolactin and oxytocin trigger a wide array of symptoms in new mamas.
Another adjustment in hormones often happens due to a lack of sleep.
Since newborns need to eat every two to four hours or up to twelve times a day, your baby wakes up during the night. When the baby wakes up, so do you. This lack of sleep causes your cortisol levels to increase.
Cortisol also lowers estrogen levels. This stress hormone, combined with lower estrogen, increases your appetite and makes you feel hungry constantly and fatigued.
The good news is that when you breastfeed, your body releases oxytocin that helps you bond with your baby and makes you feel content and more relaxed.
You Need Healthy Nutrition
You may start to feel hungry because you need more nutrients. Now that you are eating to feed two, your nutrition needs increase.
Drink Plenty of Water
As a breastfeeding mother, you must drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and sustain your milk supply. If you feel thirsty, you may be hungry. Your brain may confuse the trigger to make you feel hungry.
Also, be sure you’re adding some natural electrolytes to your water or drinking coconut water for minerals that may be depleted.
Exercise Burns Calories
If you’ve jumped back into exercise or pre-pregnancy activities, you will burn more calories and feel hungry.
Postpartum Weight Gain Fears
Many new moms fear that if they eat whenever they are hungry while breastfeeding, they will gain excess weight. Stay mindful that this is not the time to start limiting calorie intake.
However, if you gain weight, there could be some valid reasons. For starters, breastfeeding causes blood sugar to rise and dip. Many products labeled specifically for breastfeeding moms tend to come packed with sugars that make you hungrier.
The extreme fluctuation in blood sugar levels confuses your body.
If you start gaining weight while breastfeeding, first try avoiding pre-packaged foods. Also, stick to fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods containing complex carbohydrates, fiber, and iron.
Also, learn about the best diet plan for shedding postpartum weight gain.
Watch What Foods You Reach For
When those cravings hit, the most important thing to remember is to watch what food you reach for to satisfy the craving.
When you are a new mom breastfeeding in the early days, in the middle of the night, it’s tempting to reach for a cookie or potato chips to quench a craving fast. However, in the long run, you will satisfy your cravings more by grabbing a homemade lactation bar or Greek yogurt instead.
How to Curb Postpartum Cravings
While many new moms are anxious to lose their pregnancy belly and excess baby weight and get back into pre-pregnancy shape, it’s essential to do so gradually and allow time for your breast milk supply to get established.
Here are some helpful tips on how to control hunger while breastfeeding:
Eat Healthy Foods
Eat a healthy diet filled with foods that make you feel satisfied – Combine healthy fats and protein, and add a complex carbohydrate to your snacks. Try to snack on Greek yogurt, avocados, legumes, and whole-grain foods.
Set a reminder
New mothers are so busy caring for their newborns that they often lose track of time and put their needs on the back burner. Use your phone or a kitchen timer to set a reminder that it’s time to eat.
Keep Healthy Snacks Nearby
Snacking with the right foods is a fantastic way to manage hunger. Choose nutrient-dense foods to snack on, which will also stabilize your blood sugar and help you feel full between healthy meals.
Prepare Food Ahead of Time
The best way to feed your hunger is to avoid feeling taken off guard. Prepare, or ask a friend or relative to make healthy snacks and meals you can grab quickly. Prepare meals to freeze. Ensure they include nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, and whole grains.
Set your meals in the fridge to thaw in the morning, and heat them throughout the day.
Avoid Sugary and Oily Snacks
Avoid sugary snacks that spike your blood sugar and cholesterol levels and leave you feeling sluggish, tired, and hungrier. Also, stay away from snacks packed with unhealthy oils.
Choose Lactation Foods
Choose foods that encourage and sustain lactation. Eat foods like oatmeal and whole grains. Oatmeal is considered a “superfood” for breastfeeding since it helps sustain your milk supply and helps you feel full. Consider adding lactation bars to your snacks.
Keep Healthy Snacks Nearby
In between meals, keep healthy snacks close by your nursing station. Some ideas for easy snacks include:
- Trail mix
- Granola bars
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Yogurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Cheese and crackers
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Hummus
- Lactation brownies or oat bars or muffins
Give Yourself Grace
This extra tip may sound silly, unnecessary advice, but if you feel hungry, eat!
Don’t diet for weight loss while you’re establishing your milk supply. Allow time and be kind to yourself.
You spent nine months growing a baby and made it through childbirth, so allow yourself the time it needs to adjust.
Now is the time to build your milk supply, and one way to do that is to ensure your caloric intake is adequate and offers all the crucial health benefits.
Take a Cue From Your Baby
Your baby frequently eats during the early days of breastfeeding. Take a cue from your baby, and do the same.
Eat several small frequent meals throughout the day to curb those hunger cravings and to help keep your metabolism in peak performance.
What Do I Eat While Breastfeeding?
Remember, the nutrients you eat are now converting into the milk you supply your newborn. So, your proper nutrition is crucial for establishing a healthy milk supply. Eat a well-balanced diet rich in nutrient-dense foods.
Include the following in your post-partum, breastfeeding diet:
- Fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Whole grains, such as brown rice, provide essential nutrients and fiber.
- Protein from lean meats such as chicken or turkey, lentils, or beans.
- Healthy fats from avocados and other sources are a great way to get your required daily intake.
- Enough Water to stay hydrated. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. Ideally, you’ll drink when your baby drinks. If your urine is pale yellow, you are doing a good job staying hydrated.
- Probiotics and Enzymes from yogurt or kefir to aid your digestion, such as these best probiotics for breastfeeding moms.
- Minerals and vitamins, especially Vitamin E, B12, iron, magnesium, and calcium in leafy greens, seeds, or a handful of almonds or other nuts.
Choose a Healthy Breastfeeding Diet Plan
Immediately going on a crash diet following the birth of your baby is never a good idea. However, neither do you want to get so hungry that you grab the first thing within reach to eat and end up filling on junk food.
When I was recovering from childbirth and establishing my milk supply, as a new mom and certified lactation consultant counselor, I realized that other new moms find healthy postpartum nutrition information helpful.
So, I developed the Lean Mamas: Postpartum Weight Loss Program for Breastfeeding Moms as a healthy eating program.
Lean Mamas provides pregnant and postpartum moms with all the dietary information they crave.
My Lean Mamas program walks you through 30 days of mindful eating, makes meal planning easy for the entire family, shows you how to make healthier meals and snacks with kids, and provides a 21-day meal plan.
Final Thoughts
Breastfeeding and establishing a healthy milk supply takes energy and extra calories. Pay attention to your body’s hunger cues, and eat nutrient-dense, well-balanced meals. Also, remember to stay hydrated.
FAQs
Why does breastfeeding make me feel so hungry?
Breastfeeding causes new moms to feel hungry because of changing hormones and the increased energy demands of breastfeeding.
How many calories a day does breastfeeding burn?
A Breastfeeding body burns about 300 to 500 calories per day, depending on your breastfed baby’s growth, milk intake, and age.
How long will this breastfeeding-hungry feeling last?
Everyone adjusts differently, but many new moms claim the famished feeling stopped after a few months. For others, it lasts until the baby starts eating solid foods.
How can I satisfy my hunger while breastfeeding?
Instead of large meals, eat small, frequent meals and snacks that provide nutrient-rich, well-balanced foods. Include protein, fiber, and healthy fats in your diet. Plan your meals ahead of time to ensure you don’t cave and eat a lot of junk filled with empty calories. Eat at least three meals and two snacks. Some refer to this carefully thought-out meal planning that listens to your body’s hunger cues as intuitive eating.
How do I know if I’m eating enough to sustain my milk supply?
Listen to your body, and follow your hunger cues. Eat before you feel famished. If you experience headaches, irritability, nausea, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or a growling stomach, you probably waited too long to eat.
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