I've been browsing the site and I've read some posts stating that ketones will not effect my breastmilk. Is this true?? (I just need to make sure ) Is it safe to be in ketosis and still breastfeed?? I really really hope so!! My baby is 7 months and although we've cut down nursing since she's been eating solids, I am not ready to completely stop nursing. I was on atkins prior to my pregnancy, I completely gave it up and ended up gaining 66 lbs! (and I thought the 50 that I gained with my 1st 2 pregnancies was bad *lol*) Anyway, I've lost about 46 of those pounds and I am so ready to lose the rest! I miss the way I felt while on atkins but I didn't think I could do it since I was breastfeeding and I had read somewhere that its not known whether being in ketosis is harmful. I never got far enough into the plan to find out what my CCLL is so I do need to start from scratch. Not to mention I'm completely addicted to carbs! Anyway, does anyone have any articles I can read or some really helpful info? Thanks!

Yep, really true. When I was breastfeeding and low carbing, I used to test my milk regularly, with no signs of ketones. I've also asked some of the most qualified breastfeeding experts in the country, and they all assured me that ketones can't pass into breastmilk.

When you think about it, it doesn't make sense that people who follow a naturally low carb diet couldn't breastfeed without causing harm to their babies. Nature is extremely protective of babies and breastmilk and has designed the breasts to act as a filter for anything harmful.

Also, bear in mind that breast milk is a high fat food (54% of cals from fat) and that exclusively breastfed babies are in ketosis until solids are introduced. Considering that breastfed babies have higher average IQs than bottle fed ones, it obviously isn't doing them any harm.

The one study that seemed to indicate that babies didn't like the taste of breastmilk after vigorous exercise, and which has been extrapolated to include ketosis, was a very badly conducted one. They took a group of exclusively breastfed babies, had their mothers do exercise, and then express milk into a bottle so they could see how much the babies drank. Naturally half of them turned up their noses, they knew the good stuff didn't come in a bottle.

In practise, no amount of vigorous exercise or sweat seems to put off a hungry baby.

According to my nursing toddlers, my breastmilk, even when I'm in ketosis, tastes like "warm icecream".

You're welcome to pm or e-mail me at any time. If I can help, I will.

Excert from interview on Larry King Live...

"KING: Are some under risk switching to low carb?

ATKINS: Very few people. I would say it shouldn't happen to a pregnant woman or a woman who is feeding her infants. It shouldn't happen to a person who already has kidney disease. But a few statements like that which we make, but basically other than that, very, very few people get in trouble from carbohydrate restriction. "

"KING: OK. Aurora, Illinois, hello. CALLER: Hello. Hi.

I have just had a baby two and a half months ago and wondered why it wasn't safe for me to do the Atkins diet.

ATKINS: Well, it is safe for you to do the maintenance level of the diet. But you don't want to give the keytones to an infant if you're feeding them breast milk.

KING: And she would be getting the keytones from what?

ATKINS: From being on a strict version of the diet. But you wouldn't be getting them if you're just on a low carbohydrate maintenance level. "

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI.../25/lkl.00.html

LaTisha, I never tried to do Induction level carbs on breastfeeding. I kept at a maintenance level until dd started solids then I cut back to OWL levels. I didn't do Induction until we weaned at 14 months and even then the weight seemed stuck! I finally switched to South Beach and my wieght loss started again. You may want to try and see if it helps.

Hey Helen, do you have any links to support the above statement? Breastmilk does have 54% cals from fat, but also 40% cals from carbs, so I'm wondering how this statement can be true. I'm currently nursing a newborn, and am lowcarbing, though avoiding ketosis. Just curious for more info. Thanks in advance!