How Many Calories Does Breastfeeding Burn?

Knowing how many calories burn during breastfeeding helps nursing moms balance their meals and workouts to meet daily energy requirements. Breastfeeding benefits both baby and mother by creating the mother-child bond to reduce the risk of developing illnesses such as type-2 diabetes (1). This also aids in losing extra pounds gained in pregnancy and uterus involution. You may seek a dietitian’s help to plan a balanced diet based on your feeding sessions to promote postpartum weight loss.

Read on to know more about how many calories burn during breastfeeding and how it helps postpartum weight loss.

Does Breastfeeding Help Lose Postpartum Weight?

Breastfeeding may help you lose excess postpartum weight (2). Research indicates that women who exclusively breastfeed for the first six months are more likely to lose weight from breastfeeding (3). Women who continue to breastfeed beyond six months may continue to lose weight.

Weight loss from breastfeeding could be influenced by other factors, such as total calorie intake, physical activity level, and overall health of the lactating woman. You may have to manage other factors to attain optimal weight loss from breastfeeding while also keeping the baby nourished. If you plan for weight loss, it is advisable to observe a healthy diet and a daily exercise routine along with breastfeeding. You may consult a certified nutritionist to plan a well-balanced diet and exercise plan to go along with lactation.

How Does Breastfeeding Burn Calories?

The production of breast milk involves the use of extra calories. The body may tap into the fat reserves from pregnancy to fulfill the demand for extra energy. Exclusive breastfeeding for the six months and continuance of breastfeeding after six months, along with adequate exercise and appropriate diet, could cause sustained use of extra calories and may help in long-term weight loss through lactation.

How Many Calories Can You Burn While Breastfeeding?

A healthy breastfeeding mother burns around 300 to 500 kilocalories (Kcal) per day by producing milk (4). This calorie expenditure could contribute to postpartum weight loss but may also be influenced by other factors, such as postpartum weight, physical activity levels, and diet of a woman.

How Many Calories Should Breastfeeding Moms Consume?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends healthy lactating women to consume an additional 450 to 500Kcal per day beyond the calorie recommendation for non-pregnant women (5).

For instance, a moderately active, lactating woman should consume about 2500Kcal each day when compared to the 2000Kcal for a non-lactating woman (6). However, calorie intake for a breastfeeding mother could significantly depend on several factors, including the frequency of feeding, postpartum weight, and whether she is breastfeeding twins. You may consult a lactation consultant or certified nutritionist to know your personalized calorie intake.

Can Extra Calories Cause Weight Gain?

If your doctor considers your postpartum weight to be within the normal range, consuming extra calories during lactation usually does not cause weight gain. Experts recommend an extra 450 to 500Kcal per day to support breast milk production in women with postpartum weight within normal weight range (7).

If your postpartum weight is in the higher range, you may discuss your calorie intake with your doctor or a certified nutritionist for optimal weight loss. Do note consuming high-fat, high-sugar, and processed foods could cause weight gain even if your postpartum weight is within the normal range. Therefore, it’s important to eat healthy wholesome foods. This way, even if you add additional calories, it would be in a form of healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Once your baby starts solids, you can re-plan your calorie intake. Nursing mothers usually need extra calories during exclusive breastfeeding. The calorie demand could change as the baby shifts to solids and breastfeeding becomes less frequent.

Healthy Breastfeeding Diet For Postpartum Weight Loss

The CDC recommends lactating women aim at gradual and consistent weight loss (8). Losing weight too fast may affect breast milk supply. Here are some diet tips to help achieve a healthy weight loss while breastfeeding (9).

1. Do not skip meals. Instead, plan five to six small meals across the day.

2. Eat whole grains and cereals, such as whole-wheat bread, multigrain pasta, and oatmeal, in your daily diet. You can also try adding millets, such as foxtail millet, and buckwheat to your diet.

3. Include two servings of seasonal fruits and three servings of various vegetables in your daily diet.

4. Add two servings of high-quality, protein-rich foods, such as low-mercury seafood, eggs, lean meat, dairy, beans, pulses, seeds, and nuts.

5. Choose healthy snacking options rich in fiber and protein that could keep you full for longer and control hunger pangs. Air-popped popcorn, mixed fruit salad, and vegetable sticks with hummus are some options to try.

6. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Lactation experts recommend drinking to thirst and a little extra as plain water, fresh homemade lemonade, coconut water, and lemon water.

7. Limit caffeine intake to no more than 200mg, that is, two to three cups of coffee a day. Drinking too much caffeine could dehydrate you and may affect breast milk production (10).

8. Avoid alcohol intake as much as possible.

9. Limit intake of high-sugar drinks, such as soda and fruit juices, as they may contribute to weight gain. Instead, eat whole fruits.

10. Avoid high-fat, high-calorie processed foods, such as fast food, since it may cause excess weight gain.

Infographic: Breastfeeding Twins/Triplets

Breastfeeding twins or triplets may require additional calories to produce milk. This means you may also find it challenging to meet your nutritional requirements. Take a look at this infographic below, as it suggests you a few tips to address these concerns.

References

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Rebecca KoyfIBCLC, CLC

 

Rebecca Koyf is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Registered Lactation Consultant (RLC),Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and a LaLeche League volunteer. She has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and worked as an Auditor for the NYC Comptroller’s Office for 8 years.

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