Comments on: The Breastfeeding Myth http://bodyafterbump.com/the-breastfeeding-myth/ When You're Serious About Kissing That Baby Body Good-Bye Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:25:45 -0700 hourly 1 By: Kat http://bodyafterbump.com/the-breastfeeding-myth/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Kat Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:56:31 +0000 http://bodyafterbump.com/?p=163#comment-81 That's very interesting - I guess everyone's experience is different. I'm still breastfeeding and definitely can't say that starting to wean has made a difference. I guess I'll know more when I fully stop! I'm going to check out those studies now; thanks for the link! That’s very interesting – I guess everyone’s experience is different. I’m still breastfeeding and definitely can’t say that starting to wean has made a difference. I guess I’ll know more when I fully stop! I’m going to check out those studies now; thanks for the link!

]]> By: Prof. Kitty http://bodyafterbump.com/the-breastfeeding-myth/comment-page-1/#comment-80 Prof. Kitty Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:48:50 +0000 http://bodyafterbump.com/?p=163#comment-80 Interesting! It's true that what I know about breastfeeding and weight loss (and that the former helps with the latter) is highly anecdotal. But by "anecdotal" I mean that I've seen it work in people I know--and it worked for me too. I got to be my lowest weight in years while I was exclusively breastfeeding. I can think of at least 3 other people who have told me something similar. HOWEVER, for me, as soon as my baby started eating food, my weight went up again. (I gave weight loss another shot 2 years later with diet & exercise, and that worked too--and for longer.) The catch is that you can't breastfeed forever, and you can't breastfeed exclusively much past 6 months. Here are a couple articles about BF's effect on post-partum weight loss. Note that they seem to talk about "degree" of breastfeeding--if it's exclusive you lose more, but again, how long does that last? Danish study: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/6/1543 More on same: http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/25/2/242 NC WIC study: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=7788470 Anyway I think you're right--breastfeeding is not magic. For some it might be a little head start toward feeling slimmer again. But soon enough that kid will be weaned or weaning, and mom will need to go back to her "regular" weight maintenance/loss routines. (I'm one of those who thinks "weaning" starts as soon as you introduce anything that isn't breast milk. In our case that process took over a year, and felt just right.) Thanks for your thoughts & blog & invitation to comment! Interesting! It’s true that what I know about breastfeeding and weight loss (and that the former helps with the latter) is highly anecdotal. But by “anecdotal” I mean that I’ve seen it work in people I know–and it worked for me too. I got to be my lowest weight in years while I was exclusively breastfeeding. I can think of at least 3 other people who have told me something similar. HOWEVER, for me, as soon as my baby started eating food, my weight went up again. (I gave weight loss another shot 2 years later with diet & exercise, and that worked too–and for longer.) The catch is that you can’t breastfeed forever, and you can’t breastfeed exclusively much past 6 months.

Here are a couple articles about BF’s effect on post-partum weight loss. Note that they seem to talk about “degree” of breastfeeding–if it’s exclusive you lose more, but again, how long does that last?

Danish study: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/6/1543
More on same: http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/25/2/242
NC WIC study: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=7788470

Anyway I think you’re right–breastfeeding is not magic. For some it might be a little head start toward feeling slimmer again. But soon enough that kid will be weaned or weaning, and mom will need to go back to her “regular” weight maintenance/loss routines. (I’m one of those who thinks “weaning” starts as soon as you introduce anything that isn’t breast milk. In our case that process took over a year, and felt just right.)

Thanks for your thoughts & blog & invitation to comment!

]]> By: Selenium and Post-partum Weight Loss | Body After Bump http://bodyafterbump.com/the-breastfeeding-myth/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Selenium and Post-partum Weight Loss | Body After Bump Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:08:38 +0000 http://bodyafterbump.com/?p=163#comment-51 [...] you do? You’ve probably already realised that the whole breastfeeding weight-loss thing was kind of a crock (at least for the first few months) and that eating ‘healthy’, maybe even eating paleo [...] [...] you do? You’ve probably already realised that the whole breastfeeding weight-loss thing was kind of a crock (at least for the first few months) and that eating ‘healthy’, maybe even eating paleo [...]

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