Breastfeeding: Myths & Facts - Health Channel

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Breastfeeding: Myths & Facts, Health Channel

When women are breastfeeding, their body burns about an extra 300 to 500 calories producing milk. If they eat well-balanced diet during their postpartum period, it can lead to a calorie deficit and this produces weight loss, explains Cecilia Betancourt, NICU Lactation Nurse, with Center for Women & Infants South Miami Hospital.
She doesn’t advise dieting excessively or doing anything too extreme, such as quick diets, within the first three months of having delivered. They are not healthy for moms.

The expert recommends having three well balanced meals throughout the day and three snacks. It’s important to stay very well hydrated, because women’s bodies require an extra fluid.

Transcript

Breastfeeding: Myths & Facts, Health Channel

Is it a myth or a fact that breastfeeding can also help you burn off some of that baby weight we constantly use from moms saying I just I want to breastfeed because I want to lose weight quickly this is true so it is true to an extent what happens is that your body burns about an extra 300 to 500 calories producing milk so if you’re eating a well-balanced diet during your postpartum period it can lead to a calorie deficit how come it’s not recommended to diet excessively or to do anything too extreme within the first three months of having delivered so this really helps you in that period where you’re not going to head to those very quick diets which aren’t healthy for you anyway or not and not only that mothers who are breastfeeding should be in taking an extra 500 calories I believe a day they should so they are gonna be a little more hungry you’re gonna feel some cravings my recommendation is always to have three well balanced meals throughout the day and then three snacks it’s also important to stay very well hydrated because your body needs that you tend to get thirsty when you’re nursing or pumping and it’s because your body is requiring the extra fluid so drink to thirst if you’re not someone who typically drinks a lot of water like I was my recommendation is to have those little water bottles and just use them every time you nourish your baby have a water bottle so it really keeps you hydrated you.

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