5 2 and breastfeeding

hi all i am coming to the end of my pregnancy. last year i successfully lost 4 stone, and have put around 2 1/2 back on so far (obviously will lose a bit post birth). i had just started 5:2 combined with healthy eating/calorie counting when i found out i was expecting. am now looking into simple easy to maintain plans for when baby arrives so that i can enjoy baby, eat well, sleep (lol) and continue my weight loss journey. i would love to do 5:2 (maybe not straight away and perhaps not so drastic to start with) but am planning on breastfeeding. does anyone know anything about breastfeeding and fasting? ive read around the internet that people do it without having any impact on supply, whereas other sites people have said its a big no-no. any advice much appreicated

i know its a fab plan and one i know i would have success with, and am keen to start but not if theres a chance it could affect milk for baby thanks in advance x

nevermind then lol

Hi Lucy,

Great to have you here and congrats on all your weight loss so far! My short answer is, I have no idea! As this is pretty important, I would def ask your GP or midwife to get an expert opinion.

xx

Thanks caz for replying. Suppose its something only a professional can answer lol- hoping I can do it as I know it will work. If not its something I can come back to later. Anyway thanks for replying I've really enjoyed reading through your diary your doing so well xxx

Hiya, it would be great if you could join us now, but if not, it won't be long till you can

Thanks for the compliments. It's sloooowly coming off x

It's not a good idea to fast & breastfeed or to calorie restrict to any great extent.

Breast feeding and fasting prob not a great idea.. To start with I'd just try eating healthy ., meats, veg low GI carbs. Like sweet potatoes, yams etc nuts (not peanuts) Almonds are good for milk production, seeds. Keep your portions small and often .. Always have a glass of Water/ banana milk smoothie near by when feeding - as you loose loads of fluid (milk) that needs replacing as your baby feeds..

cabbage and garlic although smelly can help too - this is from experience - I breast feed both my sons till 14mths of age..

Dark chocolate / hot cocoa can help with cravings for chocolate - technically you eat less as its so nice and rich tasting.,

My mistake was eating too many cakes, biscuits, sweet sugary items ., so the weight I was loosing started going back up also kicked off my cravings for more sweet stuff ., vicious cycle!

Prob once you start introducing solids at around 5/6 months you could start fasting again .. The baby would start dropping his demands for milk as baby starts eating more solids .,

In the morning Baby feeds, had some solid foods, maybe feeds again. Repeat for lunch and dinner .. Then as they eat more feed milk 1st then solid foods .. No feed after. Repeat until in a few months they just have a feed before breakfast, after lunch, after dinner ., midnight etc

My sons were both Milky "vampires" feed all the time .. And once they were 1 year moved onto cows milk just feed Breast milk morning and evening and middle of night ..

Any questions - I have loads of answers lol

ive just stopped breastfeeding as my milk dried up my lil boy is 3months and i know im a lil / lot late but your not meant to diet at all really when breastfeeding and after breastfeeding myself i bow down to anyone who has managed it! breastfeeding made me so tried / hungry and thirsty! it would be so difficult to diet and do that at the same time!

Smirky said:

ive just stopped breastfeeding as my milk dried up my lil boy is 3months and i know im a lil / lot late but your not meant to diet at all really when breastfeeding and after breastfeeding myself i bow down to anyone who has managed it! breastfeeding made me so tried / hungry and thirsty! it would be so difficult to diet and do that at the same time!

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I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you. Well done for getting through 3 mths. Yes restricting kcals when breast feeding can cause problems with milk supply. When breast feeding you need to drink water every time you feed your baby. You need to replace the fluid he is pulling out of you. A good 300-500ml glass of water as not only is baby pulling the fluid out, you also sweat and your body is working hard to produce milk.

Food wise; avoid baked goods, sweets etc and eat nutrient dense foods, plenty veg, salad stuff, meat, fish, poutry, plenty of good quality carbs.. Not a diet, just eat enough that your not feeling hungry. I know that can be hard to do. Breast feeding does help with reducing your pregnancy weight. Most of the time you will end up where you were before you got pregnant.. This was the case with me.. I was over weight when I got pregnant and both times I was back to what I was within 10 mth to a year. After weaning I would start dieting again. Weaning was at 14mths - I did start heavier exercising at about 6mths, but also doing lots of walking from about 6 weeks helps. But you would still need to eat enough good nutrient dense foods to keep your milk supply going.