It is a fact that breast feeding can burn up about 600 calories a day, without the mother following any exercise regimen or special diet. Read on to know more about the relationship between breast feeding and weight loss.
Weight Loss after Childbirth
Most women gain about 35 pounds during their pregnancy. After childbirth, they lose about 12-14 pounds. Many women wish to shed the extra 20 pounds as soon as possible. But, in this quest they start adopting unhealthy diet plans or start doing vigorous exercises, which could cause complications. One factor that contributes towards losing weight is breast feeding.
Breastfeeding After Pregnancy
Breast feeding is a natural way to lose weight after pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman gains extra fat, which supports breast feeding after childbirth. The extra weight is also because of placenta, which is blood that nourishes the baby. This can also be lost by breast feeding. Nursing requires about 500 calories per day. Breast feeding mothers are able to reduce their hip areas substantially.
Diet is Important
To reiterate, a mother burns a lot of calories by producing milk and nursing the baby. The lactating mother’s diet affects the quality of breast milk. So, she needs to eat healthy foods, and include about 1800 calories in her daily diet. An ideal diet consists of three balanced meals, plus one or two snacks, with plenty of fluids. Important foods are fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, low fat dairy items and cereals. The mother should also consult a doctor to take iron, folic acid and other such health supplements.
Breastfeeding and Weight Loss: Exercising
The mother should go for gentle walks in the initial weeks after childbirth. After six weeks, she should get a checkup done, to see if her body is ready for more vigorous exercises. So, she should consult a gym instructor or gynecologist to ensure exercising wouldn’t cause complications such as postpartum bleeding or other problems. To sum up, breast feeding and gentle exercising are the mantras for a mother to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.
