Hello,
Just wondering if any one out there has any info or experience with lc and breastfeeding?
My baby is 8 mo and is nsg 50% and eating food 50%.
Just concerned about the ketosis stage changing the tast of my milk. I have been on atkins prior to this last pregnancy and had lost 20lbs over a year span of time and had great results, felt better etc. I do not want to end or alter my nsg relation ship with my daugter ( I breastfed 2 others for 16mo and 10mo and they stopped on thier own).
I would like to start today help!!

Hi Kristy!

Dr. Atkins does not recommend following low carb at weight loss levels while you're breast feeding. He does say that you can follow it at maintainance levels until you're through breastfeeding, then go to induction levels when you're ready. I don't think it's because ketosis is harmful to your baby or will change the taste of the milk (although many foods can do that, not just low carb ones), but because caloric needs are increased for you when you breast feed and it wouldn't be healthy for you to put more demands on your body at this time than it already has.

Thanks Lisa
Darn... just wanting to get into those "skinny"cloths too soon! I guess I have to get rid of my all or nothing attitude of LC-ing. I dont remember how many carbs I was taking in when I was in the induction stage, having trouble remembering what I did yesterday! Any suggestions?

Kristy,

You only need to post a message once in a single forum. We try to keep all replies to the same question in a single thread for ease of finding answers later.

I have removed your other posts.

Thanks
Janet

Kristy...

Maintainance levels differ from person to person, but you could start at between 50 and 60 grams of carb coming from veggies, low glycemic fruits (berries, melons, peaches aren't even too bad), and maybe some small servings of whole grains or brown rice along with adequate amounts of proteins and fats and see how it goes. Since you're breastfeeding, I'd recommend trying to keep your calorie intake at 1,800 or even a bit higher. If I remember correctly (it's been a few years since I had a nursing child), your calorie requirements while breastfeeding are about 500 more than normal.
I know how it is to want to shed that pregnancy weight as quickly as you can (goodness, mine are 7 and 8 and I'm only now getting down to where I was before I got pregnant with my last one!), but honestly the demands of being a new mom should be your first priority right now. Eat healthy for what your body needs now and worry about shedding those twenty pounds when you stop breastfeeding.

Hi Kristy!

I just found this forum and was wondering the same thing. I'd like to hear the experiences of other nursing moms. My baby is 8 mos. old too and not eating very many solids.

I did Induction the first 2 weeks of August and was in some serious ketosis. I wasn't aware of my milk supply dropping drastically, but it may have dwindled some. I wasn't as strict as Atkins says to be: I didn't count cheese or eggs or anything like that. I just kept to the 2-3 cups of veggies rule. I think I lost about 5 lbs. then, but I don't have a scale anymore.

I'm now down to my pre-pregnancy weight which is near miraculous for me. With 6 babies, I never managed to lose the last 10 lbs. gained during each pregnancy. So I finally have hope that I'll lose all my weight, but I just can't wait until this baby is weaned since I plan to nurse for at least 2 years and I'm tired of being "a big woman!"

I have plenty of energy while low-carbing and I switched to Atkins from Somersizing because I wasn't losing anything. Personally, I think it is okay to lose weight while breastfeeding because being fat is stressful for your body too. The important thing is to eat real food, take your vitamins, and not lose too quickly. Just keep an eye on your milk supply!

Thanks
I will do the 50-60 gm of carbs and see what happens. Got to go to the store get some vegies!
Congratulations Sara on your pre prego weight! Cant believe you have 6 Kids!!! 3 is my limit and i question my sanity most of the time.
I am going to the Mainland (colorado) at the end of Oct and all of my winter cloths are way toooo small and I dont have the $ or the need (live in HI) to buy new ones. Good insentive to shed a few, I havent even tried up until this point.

take care

Hi guys,

Intesting stuff in here.

My son is also 9 months and fedd on solids 2 times a day, fruits once a day and formula the rest of the dayand i only breast feed at night ( 3-5 feeds throughout the night) I plan to breast feed till he stops on his own.

I've been on induction for the past 6 days (with a few major cheats here and there and after day 4 i noticed that he was fussy and there was a change in his stool- do you think this could be because of the low carb diet?

I thought so and also took the advice of Suze- one of the nice ladies on the forum - she told me to ignore induction and jump over to maintenance so as not to deny my baby - so that's what i'm trying right now- hope it works cos I really want to whed the pounds but don't want to stress out my fantaststic fun loving boy.


talk to yo guys soon

Hey Shaquest and everyone else,

I, too, am breastfeeding and wanting to eat low-carb. My nursling is only 4 months and only nursing, so I'm nervous about milk supply and losing too fast, etc. I've been trying to stick within the maintenance levels, but I feel frustrated to not have started with the all or nothing Induction levels. I haven't stopped the cravings for sweets and seen the rapid results that come with Induction. I guess I'd just like to hear that I CAN lose weight starting at Maintenance levels without being in ketosis.

Also, with the 50-60 grams of carbs allowed in ketosis, should those only come from fats and proteins or are whole grains, starchy veggies, etc. okay? I'm trying to avoid all refined sugars and white flours. It's harder than the straightforward Induction diet for a newbie, I think!

Thanks for input.

Jami

Hi Ben&Oli and everyone else. Yes, that is what I was afraid of. I too have been toying with the idea of going low carb. My son is eight months old and still primarily nursing. I read on the boards that it was safe to start with Maintainance levels of carbs, but figured it would be really hard to do without going into ketosis and not having cravings. So, now I just feel stuck. I really want to lose this weight. I'm still about 15 lbs. over my prepregnancy weight and want to lose even more. I've been trying to just cut out breads and potatoes and sugars, but am really struggling. So, my question is, what would happen if I did just go on Induction and still nurse? Would there be any harmful effects to either me or my baby. I plan to take vitamins, etc. Any info. out there?? Thanks, Jenny

hello all,

Hey Jenny!

You are struggling with the exact same things that I am! My nursling is only 4 months though and I have a bit more to lose than you. I've been trying to avoid sugars and starches, etc., but am struggling with cravings and can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better to do the all or nothing way of Induction. But I worry too much for my milk supply and ketones passed through the body. I asked about carb cravings and ketosis starting with Maintenance elsewhere and someone said that they will go away by eating 50-60 g of carbs, it will just take longer for your body to switch over to burning fat. I'm thinking I may just go with Induction and drink lots and lots of water to make sure any toxins are washed out or very diluted if they enter the milk, I take a prenatal vitamin and B Complex vitamin already. And then watch my milk and my babes reaction VERY closely. I have been having trouble keeping to my low carbs when I haven't seen the great initial results of Induction (quick first few pounds lost, more energy, cravings gone). I'd love to hear if you know anything else. My sister once did Induction with a nursling and didn't have problems with supply and her baby didn't seem to think the milk was different. You'd really have to watch your calories too though, it's easy to eat less total this way because you feel more full on proteins and fats. What do you think? Should we give it a go?

Jami (ben&oli)

hello all,
Oops, pressed the wrong button and sent reply with no message in it!
Well, it has been 10 days and I have attempted the 50-60 carb reccomendation and it has been sooo hard. I have gone from really good days to forget it, and give me those girdelli choc. brownies!
I just finished weighing my self and was surprised to see that I have lost 4 lbs. I have not noticed any changes with nursing, my 8m/o Sophia is still nsg at least 5-6x/ day and eating ground up table food about 4-5x/a day.
I find it more difficlult starting on the maint. diet as you need more restraint in choosing your carbs and I have some big time sugar cravings.

The good news is that I really havent been that "good" on the maint. diet and have lost lbs. This is working and it is incouraging enough that I dont want to risk decreasing nutrients to my baby and myself by starting the induction.

Hi guys!

I wouldn't do a strict induction with a baby who is getting breastmilk for his primary nourishment. I did it for 2 weeks with my 6 month old and she was perfectly miserable. She didn't seem to dislike the taste of the "ketomilk" but she was so unhappy and hungry that I feel really bad for what I did. I was enjoying induction; it was the best I had ever done on a diet and my cravings were gone and I was energetic, and I was blind to what it was doing to my baby. Once I started adding carbs again after the two weeks she was so much happier! And I couldn't stop adding carbs because I was soooo bored at the end of the two weeks! I didn't add them back slowly!

After two months of trying to be really strict I only lost about 5 lbs. It just wasn't worth it. It was not a balanced diet and I wasn't losing enough. Now I've got The Schwarzbein Principle II and I've decided to switch over to her plan again. It makes the most sense to me and my baby loves it. I'm trying to resign myself to the fact that it will take a while to get back to my old thin self!

But hearing that you're losing on 50-60 g, Kristy is encouraging. Duh! I was thinking that I might try that, but my carbs on Schwarzbein add up to the same thing! 15g per meal (45) plus 2 7.5 g snacks is 60 g. Well that gives me more hope!

Sometimes I wish I had a scale again, but it's better this way in the long run!

Thanks Sara for sharing your experience with Induction and nursing. I think I'll keep on the Maintenance levels after all. It is frustrating to not get the quick results at first, but I don't want to hurt my baby or make her think mom's milk tastes yucky! I'll just wait a while and keep counting carbs.

Thank you too Kristy! I'm so glad to hear that this WOL produces results, even when they're initially slower.

Jami