Tips On How To Lose That Baby Weight & Maintain Supply from the “Lose Baby Weight’ Crew

Many mums who are breastfeeding and wanting to lose baby weight are concerned about if following a weight loss plan will affect their milk supply. And rightly so. Many diets advocate restricted calorie intake, cutting out certain food groups and many supplements or products contain artificial ingredients, weight loss accelerants and caffeine in them – as well as being very high in sugar – so are not only not a good option for people in general but are to be avoided completely if you are breastfeeding.

Ones to be aware of are phentermine, aloe vera, caffeine, kelp, high doses of chromium and phenylpropanolamine (an ingredient in dexatrim and acutrim). Also, many weight loss supplements also contain ephedrine which is a substance that increases metabolic rate and has been associated with severe increase in blood pressure, palpitations, heart arrhythmias, and seizures – so steer clear of these when breastfeeding. The Healthy Mummy smoothie mix on the Lose Baby Weight plan do not contain any of these products and has been created in conjunction with leading specialists to ensure it is safe in breastfeeding.

However, if you follow a specific weight loss plan that is safe in breastfeeding then weight loss is possible and sustainable. The Australian Breastfeeding Association recommends a loss of approximately 500 grams – 1kg per week and providing you follow a healthy diet – which includes all the food groups and some light exercise then weight loss is possible.

Is my baby getting enough milk?

Many mums worry about if their baby is getting enough milk and how much they are drinking. The experts say as long as the baby is wetting enough nappies then mums don’t need to worry – but that is often easier said than done!

The Lose Baby Weights and Healthy Mummy Plans have been created to be safe for breastfeeding mums. When creating the weight loss plans featured on the Lose Baby Weight Plans it was imperative to ensure that all the products were safe when breastfeeding and that enough nutrition was being supplied to the mum to make sure their milk wasn’t adversely affected and that the plans were breastfeeding safe.

And as well as our Healthy Mummy Smoothies (which have no dairy, no gluten, no caffeine, no artificial sweeteners and is high in protein, fibre and nutrients – plus has flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and fenugreek) we have also launched the 28 Day Breastfeeding Friendly Diet & Exercise Plan which is packed full of recipes and foods to help your milk supply.

What else can I do to help milk supply?

Although opinion is divided on if foods can really help your milk supply, there is increasingly more and more evidence which is showing that women with a healthy diet report a better supply. Plus the key nutrients that a lot of women are deficient in are iodine, iron and calcium, because the amounts recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are hard to obtain from a normal Australian diet. Below are a list of foods which have been suggested to boost milk supply and these are;

* Salmon – which is packed full of Omega 3, iodine, vitamin D, protein and B12

* Chickpeas – Lean protein with iron and fibre

* Berries – full of vitamin C, folate and fibre (so make sure you have lots of berries in your Lose BW smoothies!)

* Yoghurt – high in calcium and full of good bacteria.

* Water – drink at least 1.5 – 2 litres of water per day as your body needs it to make the milk so make sure you keep hydrated as you can use up to 1 litre a day just for feeding.

* Spinach – full of anti oxidants, vitamins and minerals and is great for yours and your baby’s immune system

* Eggs – they are the highest quality protein in our food supply and are packed with vitamins and minerals

* Avocado – High in folate, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium

So if you are trying to lose weight make sure you are drinking enough water in between your meals as well as eating healthy snacks to boost your nutrition during the day and having a vegetable packed and lean protein dinner.

About the author
This article was written by the Lose Baby Weight & Healthy Mummy writer for the Lose Baby Weight website and The Healthy Mummy site. You can get daily health & weight loss tips at the Lose Baby Weight Facebook page, with over 36,000 other mums.

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