Weight Gain after being pregnant! Help

Hi all, I have only posted a couple times onthis board.. I tend to lurk mainly.  I do need some help though.  I had a baby a month ago..Baby Myles born weighing 5 lbs 7 oz.  All seems well. 

I gained 20 lbs being pregnant, and lost 9 lbs prior due to early labour and being very ill.  I lost another few pounds after leaving the hospital and had stalled.  I am breastfeeding so I thought the weight would start to fall off...but now I have started to gain! 5 lbs in the last 1.5 weeks.  Its coming on fast and furious!!! WTF!  What is happening?  I'm very concerned.  I find that I am not eating a ton but  I am allowing myself a sandwich...and regular juice...so it must be that.  But I was told to eat more due to breastfeeding and needing the extra calories.  I had trouble getting the milk in but it seems to be flowing now.  I just don't want to lose it if I cut back on food intake.  But I really don't think I am eating all that much!

Have any of you experienced this?  Can you help with some advice? 

Thanks!

Hi there,
I too just had a baby, 6 weeks ago. I had lost all but 3 lbs of my pregnancy weight, and I have gained about 7 back. I don't know what to tell you because I don't know what to tell myself. This is still a major transition period, and at times I think maybe i'm being too hard on myself. I have promised myself, that at 8 weeks post partum, I will rigorously count my calories and make sure i'm taking in the appropriate amounts of protein, fats, carbs, and total calories. I looked it up in my handouts from when I had surgery and these are the guidelines they say to follow, just in case you need a starting point.
Total calories: 1000-1200
Protein: 70-80 grams
Carbs: 100 grams per day (mainly from fruits and veggies)
Fats: limit to 30 grams per day (mono and polyunsaturated are the best for you)
And of course, at least 64 ounces of fluid per day.
Good luck to you! Don't be too hard on yourself, you just had a baby!!! :-)

Thanks for your response.  And Congrats on your baby!  It's so frustrating to think that breastfeeding won't be a nice quick fix to losing weight.  I guess I am going to have to get off my ass and start exercising and going back to basics.  Its so hard though when I've allowed myself more food.  Uggh.  Oh well.

Oh, and CONGRATS on the baby!!!! :-)

You are not alone. I too gain while nursing. One pound a month for each of my children. When Riley turned 13 months old I decided to diet and if I lost my milk so be it. He is now 17 months old and I have not lost my milk despite losing 43 pounds.

The first year of nursing I am always starving. I wish I had some advice to give you but I don't. I could not do it the first year. However, exercise is really helping me to lose so maybe that will be an option for you.

Good luck. I hate when people post they lose tons of weight nursing. It always makes me feel bad. I think you are the first that gained like me.

Thanks for the info...although I don't like the answer!!I really wanted to lose some extra weight.  I plan to start exercising....whenever I can get on a schedule. I hope this week.

great job losing 43 lbs...how far out of surgery were you when you lost that? Very impressive.

I am almost 6 years out from surgery, micropouch RNY. I lost about 175, had 2 post op pregnancies and gained back about 55 pounds. I started counting calories and exercising on February 9th at 240. Current weight is 197. I think my goal weight is about 130 but will have to see where I am happy.