Everyone told me I'd be starving hungry while breastfeeding but I'm not . . . ?

Question

In fact, quite the opposite, I seem to have a reduced appetite

Did anyone else get this?

Before anyone tells me to eat well and not skip meals, I am thanks! I just have a really reduced appetite right now.

Answer 1

when i was breastfeeding i never felt like eating.  i just ate because i knew i needed to so id stay healthy and so my lil girl would too.



but yes, i had the same problem.  

Answer 2

It will certainly take a while for your appetite to even out. When my son was first born I had to force myself to eat. Now I'm back to normal and get hungry at the usual times.

Answer 3

Some women are hungry, some aren't.

Its a myth that you need to eat more to make milk.  And if you aren't loosing weight you are getting enough calories for you and baby, assuming its a healthy diet you should be getting enough of everything else too.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.p...

He said there was a common misconception that malnutrition greatly reduced the amount of milk a mother produced when studies had shown that the amount produced depended on how often and how effective the baby sucked on the breast.

"If a mother temporarily produces less milk than the amount the infant needs, the infant will respond by sucking more vigorously, more frequently or longer at each feeding," he added.

In such situations, he urged mothers who are under-nourished to address their nutritional status rather than ignoring it.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mo...

Do breastfeeding mothers need extra calories?

In general, you should simply listen to your body and eat to appetite - this is usually all you need to do to get the calories you need. When exclusively nursing a young baby, it is very common to feel hungry much of the time... listen to your body. Mothers of older babies may feel hungrier when baby temporarily increases his or her milk intake (for example, during a growth spurt)... again, listen to your body. Counting calories is rarely necessary unless you are having problems maintaining a healthy weight.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/c...

Mom's diet? The research tells us that mom's diet does not affect the average amount of fat or calories in her milk. However, mom can change the types of fat in her milk by altering the types of fats that she eats (Lawrence 1999, p. 106-113, 300-305; Hamosh 1996, Hamosh 1991, p. 123-124). An increase of one fatty acid could generally be expected to occur concurrently with a decrease in another. For example, one study has shown that black mothers in South Africa who eat a traditional maize diet have less monunsaturated fatty acid in their milk than urban mothers who consumed more animal proteins and fats (van der Westhuyzen 1988).

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mo...

According to Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D., breastfeeding researcher and anthropologist, women throughout the world make ample amounts of quality milk while eating diets composed almost entirely of rice (or millet or sorghum) with a tiny amount of vegetables and occasional meat.

Are healthy eating habits recommended for mom? Absolutely! You will be healthier and feel better if you eat well. It is best for anyone to eat a variety of foods, in close to their naturally-occurring state, but this is not necessary for providing quality milk or for maintaining milk supply. Although it is certainly not recommended, a breastfeeding mother could live on a diet of junk food – mom would not thrive on that diet, but her milk would still meet her baby's needs.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/12more_bf...

2. A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk.

Not true! Women on even very low calorie diets usually make enough milk, at least until the mother's calorie intake becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time. Generally, the baby will get what he needs. Some women worry that if they eat poorly for a few days this also will affect their milk. There is no need for concern. Such variations will not affect milk supply or quality. It is commonly said that women need to eat 500 extra calories a day in order to breastfeed. This is not true. Some women do eat more when they breastfeed, but others do not, and some even eat less, without any harm done to the mother or baby or the milk supply. The mother should eat a balanced diet dictated by her appetite. Rules about eating just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.

Answer 4

I had exactly the same thing except for I couldnt bring myself to eat much at all - even forcing it was a mission...I just was not hungry. This will pass lovey, it did for me. I can say that for me it lasted about 3 weeks and then I was eating normally again. Drink plenty of fluids as well.  

Answer 5

Breastfeeding requires an extra 300-500 calories per day.  

If you still have some of the pregnancy weight, that's where your extra calories can come from (hence the reason why breastfeeding is a great way to loose weight, assuming you otherwise maintain a 2000 calorie diet).

Once you've lost the pregnancy weight, hunger pains may start to kick in a little bit more letting you know it's time to start eating more.

Answer 6

At first i didn't get hungry either, but now i get hungry very often! Weird..

Drink lots of water, i have noticed that when i don't drink water my supply is affected.

GOd Bless

Answer 7

i was the same after giving birth to both my daughters i just didnt seem to wanna eat much i did drink loads as i became very dry mouthed when i was feeding either of my daughters  

Answer 8

It seems the people you associate with are not particularly well informed. Make up your own mind.  

Answer 9

We're all different.  If you are fatigued or busy, you may well not be hungry.  Be sure you're eating a reasonable amount (you will make enough milk regardless ...) and dont' worry about it.

Answer 10

well i know im starving all the time, lol. but as long as the baby is gaining, all should be fine.

this is what ive found so far

Occasionally, a mother's calorie or fluid intake can affect milk production:

    * Calories: In general, you should simply listen to your body and eat to appetite - this is usually all you need to do to get the calories you need. Counting calories is rarely necessary unless you are having problems maintaining a healthy weight. Excessive dieting can reduce milk supply, but sensible dieting is generally not a problem.

    * Liquids: It is not necessary to force fluids; drinking to satisfy thirst is sufficient for most mothers. Unless you are severely dehydrated, drinking extra fluids is not beneficial, may cause discomfort, and does not increase milk supply. It is not necessary to drink only water - our bodies can utilize the water from any fluid.

    * The main message on calories and fluids -- Eat when hungry & drink when thirsty.

Answer 11

really?? that's different i was absolutely STARVING whilst nursing!!!!!!!! i had my baby near xmas and i could eat 6 mince pies in one go lol

well done for feeding and don't worry if you was hungry you would eat!

Answer 12

Initially I wasn't that hungry either.  Around 4 weeks or so the hunger kicked in :-)

Answer 13

yea..i have the same issue...i have a reduced appetite..i think its because Im so busy and have to go hours and hours without a bite to eat so my body has adjusted to it and now i have a reduced appetite.  I weigh less than i did before i got pregnant and im not happy about it as i am already rail thin and look sickly because of it:(

Answer 14

I am not hungry at all either... But I have noticed that by not eating at least 2 meals a day my milk supply is very low...