Breastfeeding has countless benefits for the child and the mother as well. It protects your baby from getting sick and helps you lose the weight that you gained during the pregnancy. Every mother after birth starts to search for how she can return to her body shape before pregnancy. So, In this blog, you will know How to lose weight while breastfeeding and some tips will be given to help you lose your postpartum weight safely.

How to lose weight while breastfeeding

  Your gained weight is a normal result of pregnancy. Much of the gained weight is due to the placenta(1.5 pounds), fetus (7.5 pounds), amniotic fluid (2 pounds), blood (4 pounds), and energy reserves accumulated in anticipation of breastfeeding (2 pounds), and Uterus( 2 pounds). So you have to be sure that the weight you gain during pregnancy is related to all the physical changes that to accommodate a healthy child.

   Breastfeeding regulates the mother's body hormones after birth. As well, studies have shown that mothers who breastfeed lose weight faster than those who don’t. Breastfeeding can burn up to 300 calories a day. Also, In case you breastfeed for more than six months, you can burn up to 400 calories in a day from the fat cells stored during pregnancy and the calories the mother gets from food. If you follow a diet, you will definitely lose the gained weight, but it is preferable to wait until your baby reaches two months, to ensure that nothing affects you and your baby. However, after an immediate postpartum a mother will lose about 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). And during the first six months, your weight loss tend to happen gradually, about 1 to 2 pounds (0.45 to 0.9 kilogram), and after these months losing your weight will tend to be slow. In usual cases, to lose weight that you gained during pregnancy would take six to nine months.

8 Tips that help you lose postpartum weight safely

1- Keep your goals realistic because your  weight wasn’t gained overnight and it won’t disappear quickly, it takes time

2- Breastfeed if you can

3- You should choose low-calorie foods with high nutritional value like vegetables, fruits, fish, etc.

4- Get enough calcium as studies have shown that calcium is associated with weight loss.

5- Eat healthy proteins like eggs as it increases the fullness of hormones.

6- Eat Filling foods that are high in protein, fiber, volume, and low in energy density such as eating a salad before a meal.

7- Avoid added sugar and refined carbs like cakes, white flour, and fruit juice as they have high calories and low in nutrients.

8- Drink enough water. Drinking water may increase your sense of fullness leading to lose weight.

9- Get enough sleep because the lack of sleep is associated with retaining more weight after pregnancy.

Finally, You are not alone in wondering how to lose weight. Many moms are anxious to return to their pre-pregnancy weight after childbirth. And always try to remember that your pregnancy weight wasn’t gained overnight so that it will not disappear quickly.