Does Breastfeeding Help You Lose Weight?

Immediately after giving birth, the body is ready for motherhood and the first golden rule of breastfeeding is that the sooner you breastfeed, the more milk you will have.

The body produces as much breast milk as the baby needs. The most difficult golden rule is to manage stress in breast feeding period. There are many sources of stress around new mothers. People who say ‘you don’t have enough milk ‘ and ‘this baby is hungry, let’s give him/her food’ should not be listened to. Mothers should remember that stress is a factor that negatively affects breast milk production and quality.

Mothers Lose Weight as They Breastfeed

High quality nutrition of the mother during breastfeeding is the most important issue. The belief that sweets and milk puddings in societies creates a lot of breast milk is a completely false belief. The mother needs to act with her dietitian for her diet. See our article on this topic.

Many people around the mothers who have just given birth argue that the mother should eat double for baby, and that weight gain is the mother’s natural right at this time. However, this is a false belief that can cause more harm than benefit for mother and baby. Breastfeeding is a period in which the mother can produce quality milk for her baby by feeding a healthy and balanced diet and can get rid of birth weight. Mothers lose weight as they breastfeed, provided they eat healthy. Scientific research shows that mothers who give their baby about 6-7 cups of milk a day burn about 600-700 calories.

What Breastfeeding Mothers Should Do

Breakfast should definitely not be skipped. Eggs, which are the best source of protein after breastmilk, should be present at breakfast table. Approximately 3 liters of water should be consumed daily to increase breast milk. Almond and fennel tea should be preferred instead of milk dessert with plenty of sugar.