For all the slamming I've done regarding breastfeeding, I have to admit it does have its benefits. Sure... there's the "healthy for the baby" stuff you have all heard about... but I'm talking about benefits to me. After all... even after two children... it is... All. About. Me.
Anyway, breastfeeding helps your uterus return to it's teeny tiny size by releasing one of those hormones... um... well, look... if you want a medical blog, go elsewhere. I can't be bothered with looking that up. It also helps you return to your prepregnancy weight... or in my case... less than your prepregnancy weight. Yes, folks. I may be one of the only people you know who loses weight when she has babies.
After Athena was born, the pounds just dropped off. I was told to eat more than normal as breastfeeding burns an extra 500 calories a day. However, Athena was an eater, so I think she was taking in even more than that.
Unfortunately, when you stop breastfeeding, you stop burning those calories. And therein lies the rub, my friends. I can easily eat twice what I normally eat at meals right now. I am hungry all the time. It's worse than when I was pregnant. I literally could eat all day long. So when Athena weaned herself (it happened quite naturally and a bit unexpectedly for me), my stomach thought it had been in training for the Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest. So it may have been easy to wean the little girl, but giving up the supersized meals was another story.
This time, I vowed to keep it under control. I vowed that I would maintain a healthy lifestyle and not eat like a pig. Survey says... I'm a loser.
I just had lunch. I ate four times as much as either Chris or Athena. FOUR TIMES! And then I had chocolate. (Curse Hershey's for coming out with dark chocolate miniatures... I'll never be the same.) And I'm still a little hungry. *sigh*
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3 comments:
The breastfeeding definitely helped me shrink my uterus quicker but I'm still waiting for the weight loss benefits. My Dylan is a little hog and I try to eat sensibly, but my body is holding onto those fat cells, you know, just in case we get stranded in the woods or something I guess.
I need to up the exercise factor and start slimming down, pronto.
Though, I did get to below pre-pregnancy weight within five weeks of delivery, but 10 days of hospital food and the stress of a sick baby will really jumpstart your diet!
Congrats on the new job! (It's been a while since I had time to check your blog.)
I'm already fretting about getting into my old clothes. I hope breastfeeding helps me!
It's been 8 weeks for me and I still can't fit into my old clothes. I'm getting desperate!!!
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