What are my daily calorie requirements during lactation?
Asked by anonymous on Jul 09, 2008
in Family & Pregnancy
I want to slowly get back to my old weight while eating carefully for my energy level and to nourish my baby. I am a new mom, age 40, 5’7”, with a pre-pregnancy weight of 135 lb and a current weight of 159 lb. My baby is 4 months old. I do cardio and weights three times a week and I walk. How many calories do I need to ingest?
Answer
Slow weight loss is the goal when breastfeeding. You should maintain your milk production and lose about 1/2 lb per week on 2000 calories a day. But if the baby has less than 6-8 wet diapers a day and fails to gain weight, or if you lose more than 1 pound a week, you need to eat more. Continue to take your prenatal vitamins and drink a quart of milk everyday day to meet your requirements for calcium, protein and vitamins D and A. Breastfeeding women need 500 calories a day above their pre-pregnancy requirements, but the exact recommendation is influenced by variations in metabolic rate and activity level.
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