Right on Kittenann!
I am feeling so good from doing Atkins, I SOOOOO wish I had started this sooner. I could've had more energy for my son but am glad that I've finally found a way to feel better! Also, I haven't noticed any negative side effects in my milk since starting. If anything my son has been nursing a bit more because I'm more relaxed and have been drinking twice as much water. He's lovin' it! Plus mommy being happier always makes things better too! As I read on one site (probably this one, I'm sure lots of us ladies know this) but, at countless points in history BF mothers HAD no choice but to burn only fat to survive---so why should that at all affect the quality of our milk?? If anything that's exactly what our bodies know how to do! Right?!
Also, and with this I will stop rambling, but why the heck don't more doctors (esp OB's) inform patients about the effectiveness of Atkins?? When I went in for a checkup a few months ago, my OB suggested ONLY WW as a way to diet effectively while nursing. I had previously and lost nothing--I was always hungry and snacking! There was no mention of low carb dieting. I think more women, esp nursing moms, should know that LC is a great way to lose weight, eat well, feel better, have more energy, and still maintain a healthy nursing relationship with their babies and toddlers. Just my two cents


Best of luck everyone!~
mknov

I am glad you are doing ok on Atkins .. I have been reading about dieting and breastfeeding , so I have decided to do a my own low-carb version .I already drink lots of water so that is no problem and I already started some exercise activities hope it works ..

Please , nursing mommies keep posting here to keep track of our plans and also for support !!

have a great weekend

I'm still nursing (baby nearly 7 months) but have started to introduce solids so I'm expecting to cut back on the nursing around now. Not sure what will happen with regards my weight. I've dropped over 3 stone (about 40lbs I think) but that is also via LCing AND a great deal of exercise. I would not have dropped that much through nursing alone. I just eat tonnes of fruit and drink water all day because I cut my portion sizes right down but I don't want my baby to suffer because I'm eating less calories. He seems totally well though so I'm not worried. I'm really hoping actually that when he stops nursing the weight will fall off even more! I think I seem to be one of those types that holds onto fat whilst nursing as discussed earlier in this thread! I never even realised that happened to other mums I assumed it was just me being weird! but nice to know actually that I'm not the only one this happens to (this has happened with my other two babies as well) I'm normal after all

Hi mamas!
I am nursing an 8 mo old. I do paleo-ish/traditional foods (for me that means-meat, fat, broth, liver, produce, nuts, honey cod liver oil and butter) I eat moderately low-carb (probably 80-90 a day?) because since I have been nursing I feel depressed if I go really low. Since I am a PPD/PPP survivor I am not going to mess with my mental wellness for a few pounds.

I have weighed the same since she was 9 weeks old. I lost almost all the weight fast (I ate about the same during pregnancy too and gained about 35-40 pounds). These last few pounds are sticking, but I have just started seriously working out doing crossfit and HIIT so we will see what happens. I will at least gain muscle and fitness!

My goal is to nurse for at least a year. I wanted to BF 2 years but it is really wearing me out...or maybe it is that she is still nursing 4x + a night!

I'd say it's the night nursing. Once those reduce, you'll find you feel much better, and can cope with extended breastfeeding if you want. My own personal feeling was that the longer I did it, the easier it got, so I ended up doing it for years.

Hi, I'm new to the LC thing. I am working on doing Atkins but I'm afraid of my milk supply dropping too much. I have a 7 month old daughter and I am also working on pumping in my spare time to donate my milk to a little girl who can't tolerate formula. I too tried WW but I was ALWAYS hungry. Go ahead and try to tell a nursing mom to cut back her portions! I had never known hunger before nursing, that's for sure! Now that DD is nursing less and eating more solids I am feeling more comfortable with the idea of losing weight. I am relieved to see that so many of you are able to do Atkins and maintain milk supply levels. I lost some weight already but then my daughter was in the hospital for a couple days (she has a heart problem) changing her medication so I was at the mercy of hospital food. So today I am back on the wagon. The hardest thing for me to give up though is my cereal addiction! Anyone else find that habit hard to break? If so, what did you replace it with?

Go for something really high fat, bacon or cream cheese. That tastes good and fills that hungry feeling. Totally remember that "If you don't feed me, I will kill and eat you," feeling. I used to be vegetarian until I started breastfeeding, and suddenly my vegetarian husband had to cope with me wanting meat four times a day.

I do think it is the night wakings that are wearing me out. She seems to be settling a little more lately and I feel like I can keep going. She is 9 mos today!

About being really hungry--Make sure your are getting enough fluids--broths, mothers tea, water ect. That helps me plus staying hydrated is important for milk supply from what I understand.

I am breastfeeding a 15 month toddler and doing induction (extended). We don't have problems, although she gets most of her nutrients from food and nurses mostly for comfort. Low carb and breastfeeding work for me! Keep up the Good Work!

Water drinking is not a problem for me. I have a 32 ounce water bottle and I drink at least 3 of those a day. I have always been a big water drinker and from the time I got pregnant I can't get enough. It's a good thing but kind of annoying because I am miserable if I go somewhere and forget my bottle!! Thanks for the advice. Next time the cereal craving hits I'll be sure to try some cream cheese. I love cream cheese... especially on bagels. Sigh.

I am going to be starting low carb soon. My daughter is 3 weeks old now and after her 1 month check up if all goes well I hope to start a not so strict but definitely low carb diet. I am glad that there are a lot of mom's here that are in the same situation. I have about 30 pounds of prego weight to lose and do not want to waste any time going about it.

Good Luck and hope you find a good balance for you and baby. And make sure you're kind to yourself too, you're still recovering from birth, let hubby pick up the slack a little bit and get plenty of rest if you're gonna start dieting. I know that for me personally at three weeks I was battling PPAD and low milk supply and severe lack of sleep so my weight took a definite back seat to all the other issues. If you'd like some unsolicited advice I would be careful and watch and make sure your diet doesn't compromise the amount of milk baby is getting, esp if you're exclusively BF, other BF goals you may have. Make sure you get plenty of calories and drink LOTS of water too as I'm sure you know Best of luck to you, happy LCing!

mknov

I'm mainly pumping and hardly getting anything now. I started doing this because he usually screams at the boob now. I hope what I do have left that my lowcarbing won't affect . Mothersmilk and fenugreek aren't helping much!

Your best bet is to nurse him directly. No pump is going to work as well as a hungry baby, and pumping rather than nursing is a good way to reduce your supply. If he fusses a lot at the breast, try taking him into bed with you, and just let him nurse as and when he wants. Make sure there are no distractions and he'll get on with it eventually.

I was never able to pump more than an ounce or two, but I was able to feed a newborn and a toddler at the same time, and the toddler assured me there was "lots and lots of milk,"

My daughter went through a phase for about 2 weeks where she refused to nurse and I got a contact nipple shield and used that and she thought it was like a bottle and she took it just fine. You might try one. They're like $6 at Target.