by Dawn Eastman

Regardless of what you have heard, or what you have been told regarding breastfeeding being a factor in enhanced weight loss; the latest research is in, and the results are divided right down the middle. Those mothers that are breastfeeding and those that are on the other side of the fence and are not; both are having the same experience with weight loss or lack of it. The breastfeeding does not make a difference at all in any of the studies.

During the course of a normal pregnancy, a woman will gain approximately 25-35lbs, (some more because of medical conditions); and then nearly 14lbs of that weight gain will be lost entirely during the act of childbirth. Approximately 20lbs will be left for the postpartum mother to lose and this is where the opinions are divided. A lot of mothers say it is the act of breastfeeding that helps them lose the weight, and almost exactly as many on the other side of the fence say that they are losing just as much just as fast without breastfeeding at all—-or the breastfeeding weight loss only occurs after they stop breastfeeding.

Much research has been done on the subject, and there have been numerous studies that followed the subject mothers, both breastfeeding and not; to see how the weight loss compared between the two groups over a long period of time. Not surprisingly, the results of the research was evenly divided down the middle; just as many in the breastfeeding group had a weight loss that compared evenly with the weight loss in the non breastfeeding group, and conversely; just as many in each group, gained weight, or (as in the breastfeeding group) no weight was lost until after breastfeeding stopped.

One of the biggest questions for new mothers who were worried about breastfeeding and weight loss was how long would it take before they were back to the figure they had before they were pregnant, and would they be able to count on weighing as much as they did before. The researchers gave the usually expected answers that if the women followed a good exercise regimen and watched what they ate, then they could see results in about 8-12mos after giving birth. Some would take a little longer, and some would come in right around the 8mo time frame.

There is a timeline that must be observed whenever dealing with the female body and childbirth, because Mother Nature has designed the body to perform in a certain way during pregnancy, and then that design continues during the birthing process and then to the weight loss afterwards. The body has withstood the trauma of hormonal surges, weight gain, physical stresses, and the stress of childbirth; and it is just as well designed to get rid of that weight in its own good time. Frustrated postpartum mothers think that breastfeeding will speed up the weight loss and try to push the timeline, but that is not a good idea—-the body will do what is needed to get rid of the weight in due time.

To think that breastfeeding is going to accelerate weight loss after having a baby is not based on facts from many studies that have been done on the subject, and yet a lot of women still insist that is was breastfeeding that did it for them. The research comes in almost dead even in the fact that only 50% of mothers in the studies found that they lost weight quickly while breastfeeding , and just as many mothers who were not breastfeeding lost just as much weight just as quickly. So don’t believe everything you read or hear without questioning it yourself.

So, the word is, take all you hear and read about breastfeeding enhancing weight loss with a grain of salt because only half of it is true. The results of multiple studies on the subject come up with absolutely nothing conclusive except that the facts are split right down the middle. There is nothing to back up the commonly held theory that breastfeeding works in the opinion of the woman on the street and for some, yes it does; and for just as many others, no it doesn’t. You decide what is best for you.

About the Author:
Dawn Eastman puts forth information and articles on the subject of Weight Gain During Pregnancy. For more information on Weight Loss After Baby visit our site.

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