Breakfast:
1 medium banana
1/8 cup raisins
1/2 cup cooked steel cut oats
1 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 c fat-free milk
Lunch
2/3 c bowtie pasta with tomatoes, garlic & basil
1/4 c hummus
1 c carrots
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
Dinner
Grilled chicken
2 cups iceberg lettuce
2 ounces cheese
1/2 c croutons
2 T lite ranch
a few bites of Andrew's cheeseburger
Snacks
Fruit leather
String cheese
samples at Costco
1 c whole grain chips
1/2 c hummus
1 c skim milk
So that is Saturday and I wasn't hungry and in my mind I ate plenty of food. I also drank at least 64 ounces of water. And while my milk was having a hard time in the evenings I just don't think it is from my diet/water intake. I heard that it can also be linked to sleep which if that's true my sleep was terrible this last week. I went to bed late and when I did fall asleep I was plagued by stressful dreams. So, I got myself some mother's milk tea and I'm drinking even more water and making sure I'm getting rest and we'll see if that helps. But really people, do you really think that this isn't enough food?
9 comments:
I wrote on your facebook about some mothers needing 4000 calories to maintain supply. I have absolutely no reference for that though. It's something I came across several years ago and haven't ever been able to find since. I could have even imagined it!
More current stuff I have read says you need about 1800-2500 calories per day while breastfeeding. It looks to me like your daily intake that day was about 1500 or so. Is that about right?
I found this quote from La Leche League's Breastfeeding Answer Book:
"Although the Subcommittee on Nutrition during Lactation (1991) recommends that a breastfeeding mother consume about 2700 calories per day (about 500 calories a day more than a non-pregnant, non-nursing woman), studies have found that nursing mothers actually consume between 2200 (Butte 1984) and 2460 (English and Hitchcock 1968) calories per day and experience a safe, gradual weight loss at this level (Butte 1984). The minimum safe intake for an average-sized breastfeeding mother is considered to be 1800 calories per day, and it is recommended that mothers who restrict their diet eat foods high in nutritional value and consider a vitamin and mineral supplement...
Many women are not in the habit of counting calories, so suggest the nursing mother "eat to hunger." Most mothers tend to feel hungrier when they are breastfeeding, so encourage a mother to trust her appetite and choose nutritious foods that will help her feel energetic."
I have no idea it's the calories or not. There are so many things that can affect supply. But if you're only getting 1500 calories per day, I would assume that is the culprit.
OK, I added it up more accurately, and it came out to about 2200 calories that day. That is within the recommended range.
But again, of course I have no idea what the difficulty is, I'm just throwing out ideas. It could be anything.
All I know is I started working out and not really cutting calories but working out really hard about 4 months after I had Cooper and my milk totally just stopped. I mean after 4 months of established nursing I just stopped producing milk. So I ended up weaning Cooper way sooner than I wanted to. My Doctor said extreme physical activity can totally end your milk production. I am an example of that. Just be careful.
sounds like plenty of food, but maybe not enough fat? i know that solved my problems in the past, but everyone is different. maybe just drink a milk other than skim. that is where i am adding most of my fat this time around. that & cheese. i know that makes me sound like a fatty, but i am losing weight still. mainly watching my carbs & sugars like from my diabetics diet. good luck! curious about the tea...
Everybody is different I guess. I nursed my daughter until she was 15 months and ran a marathon when she was 9 months and nursing. Towards the end of my training I was running 18-20 miles on Saturdays and exercised 6 days a week which included biking, swimming, and running. It was a very intense workout regiment. I did experience a few times where my milk supply would drop, but it usually corresponded with a growth spurt of the baby, and she was suddenly wanting more milk during the day. It took my body a day or two to increase the milk supply. I would increase my fluid intake during the day and I drank mothers milk tea and my body adjusted to the need for more milk.
My friend Amber trained and competed in a triathlon with me last year while nursing her daughter.
It appears that you are eating very well balanced healthy foods, I don't think it has anything to do with the amount of calories you are consuming or the nutritional value.
Megh - I am going to add 2% milk - good idea!
Marisa - good to know! Inspiring!
Megan, I just found this blog and I think it's the coolest thing ever. Thanks for doing this, hopefully I can use some of this inspiration to get the baby weight off in a few months :). Hi from my mom as well!
that's annoying that people think they need to comment on your food intake and caution you around exercise and food. i think you are perfectly able to see what works for you- and really- it's ok if you decide not to breastfeed right now with everything you've got going on! i know breastfeeding is ideal, but babies are actually just fine if they drink formula- some moms need to make that decision if their mental, emotional and/or physical well being is at stake.
i think you're amazing!
i think you are eating plenty - but i know when i was more sleep deprived than "normal" (whatever that can be with kids. . . ), my milk supply wasn't as strong.
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