Should you try intermittent fasting while breastfeeding?

Exclusively breastfeeding your newborn baby is said to help shed the weight gained during your pregnancy. While many moms say that the weight falls off with breastfeeding, this is not true for everyone. Not all women lose weight when they breastfeed. According to healthline.com, some moms retain weight until they start weaning their baby. This can be really frustrating if you’re eager to fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans. But, before you try intermittent fasting to help your weight loss along, here’s some advice from registered dietitian Monique Piderit.  

All about intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is when you only eat during a specific window of time. Some people do the bulk of their fasting at night and then still eat during the day. For example, you might eat between 12 pm and 8 pm and then fast for 16 hours. Others approach fasting by eating a regular diet some days of the week and fast, or only eat a certain number of calories on other days. The idea behind intermittent fasting for weight loss is that when you don’t eat, your body dips into fat stores for energy. Fasting for certain periods of time, therefore, means you’re eating fewer calories, which leads to weight loss. Top Tip: It’s best to discuss any diet or weight loss plan with a registered dietitian, lactation consultant, or doctor while you’re still breastfeeding to make sure that your milk production won’t be influenced.

Is intermittent fasting safe while breastfeeding?

“Fasting during breastfeeding is certainly not recommended. Any breastfeeding mama knows how hungry you get when breastfeeding. Your energy needs when breastfeeding are even higher than in the last trimester of pregnancy, which many mamas don’t know,” says Monique.

According to the pro-breastfeeding group La Leche League, breastfeeding moms burn between 500 and 700 calories a day, but this doesn’t always lead to weight loss. There are so many things that play a role here – your pre-pregnancy weight, your diet, whether or not you’re exercising – all of these will impact weight loss after you’ve given birth. They also recommend that breastfeeding moms consume at least 1800 calories per day. Monique explains that these high energy needs have to be met with a healthy, varied, and balanced diet and best for nutrient-rich breast milk.

“Breastfeeding moms need good portions at main meals and snacks between meals. You also need to take in lots of fluid to ensure your body produces enough breast milk,” says Monique. “Research shows 25% of mothers report not having enough milk as the most common reason for stopping breastfeeding. Along with regular feeding/ feeding on demand, the best way to increase your milk supply is to eat more energy from good quality, whole foods. So again, fasting would go against this completely and thus not be recommended.” 

What should I eat when breastfeeding?

A diet that is healthy, varied, and balanced is best for nutrient-rich breast milk. Eat a diet with a wide variety of colourful fruit and vegetables: the more colourful your diet, the greater the intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients for optimal breastfeeding health.