Does Breastfeeding Help You Lose Weight?

It is widely accepted that breastfeeding helps you lose weight. This may be one of the reasons why many women choose to breastfeed their children. Breastfeeding does not only help you lose weight; it also has many other health benefits. Breastfeeding babies are less susceptible to illness and they have a better chance of reaching their full growth stage. Some mothers even report that breastfeeding their baby helped them reach their pre-school age.

However, research studies have shown that breastfeeding does not actually help you lose weight. In fact, many researchers believe that breastfeeding might even make you fatter. How does breastfeeding help you lose weight? There are a few things that you need to know about breastfeeding to answer this question.

First, breastfeeding allows you to receive nutrition that your baby needs. This nutrition helps your body work properly. During pregnancy, some women experience major weight gain because they do not receive enough nutrients in their diet. But after birth, these women usually find that they can now eat a balanced meal because their body is used to having four times the calories. Your body is now capable of processing four meals of foods versus two! This means that breastfeeding allows your body to adapt to your new diet, giving you a better chance of losing weight than if you continued to eat your usual diet.

Second, breastfeeding helps your body to produce hormones that are beneficial to weight loss. This is because breastfeeding helps develop the mother's breasts. These hormones help with milk production as well as development of the infant's digestive system. Your baby will be less likely to gain weight after breastfeeding compared to if you fed your baby milk from an outside source.

Third, breastfeeding provides a natural relief for babies who are born prematurely or are underweight. These premature babies usually do not get enough nutrients during their first few months of life. Breastfeeding provides them with the nutrients that they need to be healthy. These babies may even have lower risks for developing health conditions later on in life. Research has shown that babies who were breastfed had a lower risk for obesity as well as being less likely to develop diseases like allergies and asthma.

Fourth, breastfeeding helps prepare your body for motherhood. It helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. You will notice that you not only look and feel more attractive as a result of breastfeeding; your metabolism has also begun to increase. You will notice that you can eat more, feel better, and walk a little longer.

Fifth, breastfeeding also helps support and create a nurturing environment for your baby at birth. The milk that you provide will nourish your baby naturally. You can see that your baby will become dependent on you to nurse when you start expressing milk. Babies are very sensitive to stimulation and cannot handle sudden stops when you are expressing milk.

Finally, breastfeeding can help you lose weight. The weight loss benefits will only be maximized when you combine it with other proven weight loss techniques. Combine it with eating right, regular exercise, and you should be able to see a significant weight loss within about six months to a year. As always, consult your physician before trying any new dietary approach. He or she can help you find the best combination of foods, vitamins, and lifestyle changes that will work for you.

One of the most important questions you might ask yourself is "does breastfeeding help you lose weight?" Your answer will likely depend in part on the type of weight you need to lose. If you are struggling with a lot of extra body fat, then breastfeeding may not be the best solution for you. However, if you just need to shed a few pounds, and breastfeeding is already helping you achieve your goal, then the two are clearly compatible. Even if you have tried other strategies to help you lose weight, such as dieting, exercising, or even hypnosis, all methods are best used together with breastfeeding.

For most women, breastfeeding is a blissful event that occurs without thought. For many nursing mothers, the mere experience of nursing is enough to provide the necessary nutrients and calories to maintain their body's basic functions. When a mother withdraws from that kind of nurture and goes into her pre-pregnancy with an overnighter, she puts herself at a disadvantage when trying to get back to a normal body weight. All the extra calories from the extra food and drinks she consumed during the time of her pregnancy can translate into extra pounds as she ages. By breastfeeding her baby, she is ensuring her body receives the nutritional support it needs to grow and remain healthy.

If you are thinking about breastfeeding your baby, chances are you already understand how important it is to nourish your child at every feeding. However, if you think losing weight is something you will have to accomplish on your own, you should definitely consider trying it alongside breastfeeding. Not only will you both enjoy the benefits of each method of delivery, but your unique bodies will be able to benefit from each other's dedication to her baby's health.