breastfeeding, hunger, and 3 yrs post-op

Hi All, I have a question for the diet/nutrition leaders. I am 3years post- gastric bypass surgery. I had a baby last June, and have been breast feeding since. I actually gained weight breastfeeding, and I think it is because I feel hungery all the time. From what I hear this is normal, and breastfeeding does not always help you lose weight especially if you eat more (duh). My question is : how many calories should i really be eating, for myself, and for my baby to remain healthy. By dieting will it effect the quality of my milk? I am 5' 3.5" and currently weight 206 lbs. I am 10 lbs from my prebaby weight, and I can't get the weight off, but I am afriad of restricting my calories too much, since I don't want it to effect me breast milk quality. Any advice would be great. Thanks Rebekah

It's hard to evaluate your diet adequacy - that is a bit more intensive that this board.  I would say that breastfeeding DOES make you thirsty - but your calorie needs don't increase that much.  If you have gained weight, then your calories have exceeded your needs. Most people post-baby take about 12-18 months to start to feel "normal" again and really get back on track on weight loss and exercise.  You are at 8 months out, right?  So I think you will see that over the next few months, you will be able to move toward your goals easier. It's hard to comment on breast milk quality, especially after WLS.  I assume you are taking all of your supplements religiously and getting adequate fluids.  With that, you are probably fine.

Just to chime in a bit, You burn an extra 500 calories-ish by breastfeeding. It is normal to feel hungry & thirsty, your body is trying to keep up for 2. Although, I found it impossible to restrict my food intake when I was breastfeeding (I did 10 months of BF), you won't affect your quality of milk if you do. Your body is engineered to give nutrition to the baby first. So, if you reduce your calories too much, your body will suffer, but your milk will remain high quality. Good luck!