For many new mothers, losing the pregnancy weight is a top priority. Both breastfeeding and pumping breast milk have been shown to help with postpartum weight loss, but is one more effective than the other?
How Breastfeeding Promotes Weight Loss
Breastfeeding requires an average of 500 extra calories per day to produce milk. This means that breastfeeding mothers need to eat more calories, but the act of producing breast milk still creates a caloric deficit that encourages weight loss. Here’s how it works:
- The hormone prolactin is released during nursing, which helps new moms produce breast milk. Prolactin also suppresses estrogen, which is responsible for storing fat in preparation for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Breastfeeding stimulates the release of oxytocin, which causes uterine contractions to shrink the uterus back to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly.
- The process of producing breast milk burns substantial calories, estimated at 700 calories per day.
Together, these hormonal changes and extra calorie burn make breastfeeding an effective tool for shedding extra pounds after birth. Most experts recommend a gradual weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week, which breastfeeding can provide without extra effort.
How Pumping May Compare
Many mothers opt to pump their breast milk and bottle feed it to their babies. This allows for more flexibility with sharing feeding duties and getting away for periods of time to run errands, go back to work, etc. But does pumping provide the same weight loss benefits as directly breastfeeding your baby?
Let’s look at how pumping breast milk compares:
- Pumping requires similar calorie consumption as breastfeeding – about 500 extra calories per day.
- It provides a good caloric deficit for weight loss, like breastfeeding.
- Pumping triggers the release of prolactin to produce milk, which suppresses estrogen.
- However, pumping does not lead to as much oxytocin release or stimulate uterine contractions as strongly.
- The calories burned from pumping alone are minimal. The main calorie burn comes from milk production between pumping sessions.
While pumping has many of the same hormonal benefits as direct breastfeeding, the calorie burn is lower since you aren’t feeding your baby directly. Less oxytocin is released, resulting in slower uterine shrinking. Let’s analyze the numbers…
Calorie Burn: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping
Several studies have tried to quantify the difference in calories burned between breastfeeding and exclusively pumping milk. Here is a summary of the research findings:
| Study | Breastfeeding Calories Burned | Pumping Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|
| Lovelady et al., 2000 | 530 cal/day (weeks 1-8) 670 cal/day (weeks 9-52) |
120 cal/day (weeks 1-8) 260 cal/day (weeks 9-52) |
| Torronen et al., 1987 | 720 cal/day (weeks 1-24) | 430 cal/day (weeks 1-24) |
| Goldberg et al., 1991 | 700 cal/day | 500 cal/day |
Based on these studies, breastfeeding burns an extra 50-200 calories per day compared to exclusively pumping breast milk. Over the course of a month, that equates to an extra 1,500 – 6,000 calories burned for breastfeeding moms.
Breastfeeding May Promote Faster Weight Loss
While pumping has weight loss benefits, breastfeeding offers modestly greater calorie expenditure. The extra calorie burn can lead to slightly faster postpartum weight loss for exclusively breastfeeding mothers. However, other factors play a role too:
- Maternal diet – Nutritious food choices support weight loss for both breastfeeding and pumping moms.
- Exercise – Moderate exercise helps shed pounds, regardless of feeding method.
- Sleep – Getting enough high-quality rest makes weight management easier.
- Genetics – Your body type and tendency to store fat influences weight loss capability.
Breastfeeding moms need to ensure they maintain a modest calorie deficit by eating healthy and staying active. Simply breastfeeding without adjusting diet and exercise may not lead to desired weight loss.
Strategies to Promote Weight Loss While Pumping
If your goal is to lose pregnancy weight, don’t shy away from pumping. You can take extra steps to promote fat burning while pumping breast milk:
- Consume the recommended extra 500 calories per day – no more.
- Choose nutritious foods high in protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water instead of calorie-rich beverages.
- Keep a consistent pumping schedule to maintain milk production.
- Increase daily physical activity with walks, yoga, household chores, etc.
- Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night to control appetite hormones.
- Watch portion sizes at meals and avoid constant snacking.
Making smart dietary choices and fitting in exercise will help pumping moms achieve a moderate calorie deficit. This promotes steady weight loss without compromising milk supply.
The Impact of Milk Production on Weight Loss
The more breast milk you produce, the more calories you burn. So maintaining an adequate milk supply is important for weight management. But how much should you pump each day to encourage fat loss?
According to breastfeeding experts like La Leche League, the average breastfeeding baby consumes 25-35 ounces per day between one month and six months old. To keep up with demand, pumping moms should aim for:
- 750-1,050 ml per day (25-35 oz).
- 8-12 pumping sessions per day.
- 10 minutes per pumping session.
This stimulation mimics a baby’s natural feeding behavior and allows your body to burn calories making milk. If your supply drops significantly, your calorie burn will decrease as well.
Combine Pumping and Nursing for Maximum Benefit
Exclusively pumping round-the-clock can be exhausting. The best approach may be combining direct breastfeeding and pumped milk. Ways to incorporate both include:
- Nurse at night and pump during the day.
- Nurse in the morning and before bed. Pump the rest of the feedings.
- Nurse when together. Pump when apart.
This gives you flexibility for leaving home while providing increased calorie burn from nursing sessions. It helps balance weight loss with realistic maintenance of milk production.
How Long Do Breastfeeding Weight Loss Benefits Last?
Human bodies are designed to use extra fat stores to nourish babies through breastfeeding. These fat stores accumulate during pregnancy and provide an additional energy reserve. The question is – how long do the benefits last?
For most women, the most dramatic weight loss occurs in the first 3-6 months postpartum. As you transition from pregnancy to nursing, your body mobilizes fat to support breast milk production. By month 6, milk supply is well-established and your body finds equilibrium.
Ongoing weight loss tends to happen more gradually after the 6 month mark. To promote fat loss during prolonged breastfeeding:
- Maintain your calorie deficit through diet.
- Continue getting regular exercise.
- Make sure you still need the extra 500 calories for milk supply.
Setting realistic expectations helps motivate you postpartum. After the initial 6 months, aim for a 1/2 to 1 pound weight loss per week with consistent diet and exercise.
Special Considerations for Weight Loss While Breastfeeding
It’s important to be realistic when trying to balance weight loss and breastfeeding. Dropping weight too quickly through extreme dieting can negatively impact milk production. Here are some tips for safe, gradual weight loss:
- Don’t cut calories by more than 500 per day.
- Limit rate of loss to 1-2 pounds per week.
- Drink extra fluids to stay hydrated.
- Take a daily prenatal vitamin with extra folic acid.
- Ensure adequate protein intake (75g/day) for satiety.
Rapid weight loss can release toxins stored in fat, which pass into breast milk. Gradual loss allows toxins to clear naturally. If you want to accelerate fat burning, wait until after 6 months when milk supply is well-established.
Safe vs. Unsafe Weight Loss Tips While Breastfeeding
Safe tips:
- Eat filling, low-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
- Drink water before meals.
- Exercise regularly like brisk walking, yoga or swimming.
Unsafe tips:
- Strict low-carb, high-protein or liquid-only diets.
- Appetite suppressants or diet pills.
- Very low calorie diets under 1500 calories per day.
Losing weight slowly and making healthy diet changes will help you safely drop pounds without affecting breast milk quality or supply.
Breastfeeding and Postpartum Weight Loss Takeaways
Here are the key points to remember about breastfeeding, pumping, and postpartum weight loss:
- Breastfeeding burns more calories than pumping, leading to faster weight loss.
- Pumping still provides calorie deficit but weight loss may be more gradual.
- Combine nursing and pumping for best results.
- Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week after the initial 3-6 month period.
- Make sure your calorie deficit doesn’t compromise milk supply.
- Focus on lifestyle factors like diet, exercise and sleep for long-term success.
Be patient with your body. With smart lifestyle choices and adequate breast milk removal, you can safely return to your pre-baby weight whether pumping, breastfeeding or combining both!