Breastfeeding & Weight Loss

The postpartum period can be very difficult for women because of pregnancy weight gain. Many women get very anxious to return to their pre-pregnancy weight after childbirth. People have speculated that breastfeeding has a number of benefits in store for a new mother. But, does it also help in weight loss after pregnancy? Let’s find out!

Perception

Women believe that breastfeeding will help them lose weight, so they don’t put any conscious effort into their diet and training. While there are others who diet so aggressively that they resort to an extreme hypocaloric diet or go into an exercise frenzy.

Can Breastfeeding alone help in weight loss?

According to some studies, breastfeeding can offer various benefits to mother and baby. However, when it comes to postpartum weight management, the outcome is not very significant. That means just breastfeeding will not do the job of weight loss.

Aggressive Dieting

It is to be understood that the pregnancy weight gain has happened over the period of 9 months, hence women should not look to drop weight rapidly. Ideally, a weekly weight loss of 1.2 kgs will not impact the normal lactation process.

As a key takeaway, breastfeeding and postpartum weight loss are two very important aspects for every woman and one should not resort to quick fixes.

Rather, one should follow a structured nutrition plan incorporating nutrition-dense food and also complement that with an exercise plan, in order to retain quality muscle mass.