Research-backed
If you are a new mother, you must have probably heard the phrase ‘breastfeed to lose weight.’ The belief that the only or most effective way to lose postpartum weight is through breastfeeding has been indoctrinated into our minds for a long time. But it’s high time that we realize that this is just another way to manipulate women emotionally and physically when they are at the most vulnerable phases of their lives. It’s possible for us to lose sight of how this message can be destructive to new mothers in many ways. Breast milk is one of the best things you could give your baby; there’s no doubt about that. But by promoting the idea that breastfeeding will indeed help in weight loss, we are preying on their vulnerabilities by giving them false promises.
There are several stories of how women had felt disappointed with their bodies when, despite breastfeeding, they weren’t able to shed those extra kilos. They felt like maybe they didn’t do it right or there was something wrong with their bodies. There are also stories of mothers who forced themselves to breastfeed and dealt with all the pain and discomfort because they weren’t confident that they would be able to lose weight any other way.
At a time when women need to focus on postpartum healing, newborn care, and taking care of their emotional well-being, women are put under excess stress on losing the postpartum weight by breastfeeding. At a time when women are already insecure about their stretch marks, loose skin, and postpartum paunch, do we really need to tell them the extra weight needs to be gone?
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When we tell a new mum that she can lose weight by breastfeeding, we create an unrealistic standard on postpartum bodies based on a false illusion. It also conveys the message that her body is not good as it is, and she “needs” to lose the baby weight.
And now the biggest question arises: Does Breastfeeding Really Help In Losing Postpartum Weight?
For a long time, nursing has been touted as an effective means of weight loss, but is it that simple to lose weight? Studies that show the link between breastfeeding and postpartum weight loss shows that the results are neither significant nor constant. There is also no evidence that this weight loss remains constant long-term. In short, there are no reliable statistics that prove that breastfeeding facilitates postpartum weight loss (1).
For women to lose weight effectively, breastfeeding alone will not promote weight loss. According to a study, a combination of a healthy diet with a calorie restriction of 2,000 per day, breastfeeding, and doing 45 minutes of aerobic exercises four times a week helped women lose half a kilogram a week without it affecting their breast milk supply (2).
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To lose or not to lose weight is a personal choice. While some women like to lose weight as soon as delivery, we must stop perpetuating the wrong information regarding breastfeeding and weight loss. Your diet and workout routine may affect your milk supply, so if you’re breastfeeding, it’s essential to seek the advice of a healthcare professional and nutritionist to make sure you’re not compromising on your health and body in any way.
The diet culture in our society forces women to lose a significant amount of weight over a short period of time. Thus many women end up setting an arbitrary timeline in their mind about when they will be able to reach their pre-pregnancy body goals. A woman gains several pounds during her pregnancy over the course of several months. Though one does not need to eat for two, the pregnancy cravings, mood swings, and other unpleasant symptoms may sometimes cause women to gain more weight than what was expected. So to expect to shed all those pounds in a quarter of that time is, by all means, is an unhealthy approach, especially at a time when you need to give your body enough rest and nutrition to recover from the pregnancy and childbirth experience.
The postpartum period is filled with exhaustion, baby blues, mood swings, body insecurity, and sleep-deprivation. The last thing a new mother needs is to pressurize herself to conform to a certain body size when she should be focusing on taking prenatal vitamins, drinking enough water, getting some fresh air and sunshine, and getting enough sleep. The choice of what to feed your baby is a highly personalized decision based on a range of factors, and women shouldn’t be manipulated into doing it with false incentivization.
