I'm a little embarrassed to be asking this question, as I'm feeling pretty lucky about this, but here goes. I am 5'4", was a size 8 before my first pregnancy, and never successfully lost a pound in my life before having kids. I was a steady, slow gainer (also on the pill for 10 yrs which didn't help). I breastfed my son for a year and got down to a size 4 with no dieting or exercise. My daughter was born a year ago, I am nursing again, and I am down to a size 2! I haven't been this small since high school!
Question is, should I see a doctor or be worried that something is wrong? I've been virtually sedentary (besides chasing after 2 kids), I eat everything I want, including fats, although I eat mostly healthy foods. I feel fine, although I could be in better cardio shape.
Should I consider getting my thyroid or something else checked or can this all be attributed to nursing?
Can I hope to maintain this size after I wean if I keep a healthy diet?
Note: My weight loss has been very gradual and wasn't really noticeable until at least 4-6 months post-partum. I've lost most of the weight in the second 6 months of nursing, so if you are starting out, don't despair - you'll lose the weight later if you keep nursing past 6 months.
It's normal to lose a lot while breastfeeding. As long as you are still eating you should be fine. Not sure what it is about nursing but I lost a lot also. I later gained it back but from other medical issues. You may gain some after you stop nursing maybe. I have a few friends who also nursed, lost weight, and never gained it back so you may be that lucky also.
First off I'd say yes tell your doctor and have your thyroid checked. If it it is your thyroid it could be dangerous long term even though the perks are great now. And if it comes back negative then, have a party and celebrate!
V.,
I, too, got VERY thin after having my first child and breastfeeding.....in fact, my OB told me to stop since I literally had NO fat stores left by my son's first birthday! I am normally a size 2....after breastfeeding I literally couldn't find clothing to fit me!
Once I stopped breastfeeding I got back to my normal size within a few months.....don't despair, but if you are super thin and have no fat stores you are burning muscle and that's not a good thing to do, plus you are likely completely estrogen deficient.
I would, however, check in with your OB or internist to make sure that your thyroid is functioning appropriately. It is not uncommon for women in the post partum period to become under/overactive.
Good luck!
C
You need to have your thyroid checked. That is a sign of Grave's Disease.
Hi V.,
While you are right in that you are pretty lucky and I'm sure you're enjoying fitting into smaller size clothes, I would definitley check the thyroid levels just in case. It's best to just rule it out.
After initially loosing a lot of weight when my little guy was about 3 months old, I started gaining weight rapidly and it turned out to be hypothyroid. Your situation may be the opposite but definitely do check it out.
Getting a baseline thyroid never hurts(Drs test mine to much b/c they can't believe my size with the kids) but I got smaller with each of my kids(4). I also had abundant milk and ate plenty of fat (I think it makes for better breastmilk and happier babies that sleep thru the night sooner). The fact that you are super busy, don't get to eat a whole meal to yourself etc. certianly helps too. My youngest is seven I have found that by teaching good eating habits to them I keep myself slim. I eat plenty of fat and protein with lots veggies and fruits. My motto is if you eat healthy at home you can eat whatever you want out! I mean, really who wants to pay to eat out what you have at home! And with kiddos you aren't going to eat out to much.
Good luck, your doing great!
If you are concerned see your doctor but my body does the same thing when nursing and I maintain the weight loss. I consider it one more blessing to nursing. Remember you are burning ###-###-#### calories just by nursing let alone chasing the kids.
No women should be a size two. It is not healthy to be so thin. Perhaps you should ask your doctor. I breastfed both of my babies and my weight each time went back to normal. They say a woman burns an extra 500 calories per day when nursing. Are you sue you are eating enough? AF
I too lost a lot of weight over time with my second child while nursing. I thought it was great to go from 184 to 140in 3 months. I thought it was due to nursing.Then one day after a camping trip, I just could not stop shivering. I was constantly cold! My overly worried mother thought I should get my thyroid levels checked. Just to make her happy I went to the doctor and come to find out, my levels were "off the charts". I also had lumps forming on and around my thyroid. I encourage you to get your levels checked. I hope that they are normal and you are one of those lucky ladies who got to drop the baby weight quicker than most!
I lost 40 lbs nursing my first, so I was 5'4" and under 120. It stayed that way for a while, but then I slowly started gaining back, though I started running with my son, so I kept most of it off. I say enjoy it, but without exercise, it most likely won't stay off, but on a good note, chasing after 2 small kids is a LOT of exercise!!
V.:
As I'm sure La Leche League would tell you, your baby requires a lot of fat to develop properly (mainly brain development, since it's almost completely made of fat). Therefore, the bigger your child gets, the more often they'll need to eat, or the more they'll need per feeding, so of course, the amount of fat at the end of the feeding increases as well. Don't worry about the weight loss unless you start having other signs of health issues, like malnourishment or menopausal-like symptoms. Obviously, you are burning more calories every day than you are taking in, which is okay. However, make sure YOU are restocking your supplies of good fats like omegas, etc, and probably taking a multivitamin and extra folic acid couldn't hurt. You don't want to be deficient from passing all of your nutrients along to your child. Your are doing a wonderful thing for your children, and they will be thankful later. God bless you and your family!
V.,
I have an aunt and a good friend who both have done the same thing! They ended up smaller AFTER the baby than they were before! I think it's just attributed to an abundant milk supply (you are blessed) and healthy nursing babies! I would recommend supplementing your diet since you are using everything and more of what you're taking in to make milk.
Is really normal having problems with the tiroid after the pregnancy and you should tell your Dc, you can fix it fast but with medicin, it looks that is that.
Good luck
P.
I'd have your thyroid checked just to be on the safe side. Pregnancy can really throw it out of whack and I read an interesting article last summer after I delivered about the thryroid and problems that develop in women after pregnancy. Sometimes the problems are temporary (up to a year post partum) and some inherit permanent problems after pregnancy and delivery.
Kudos are to you for losing the weight and it might just be your metabolism is revved up with the babies and breastfeeding, but you'd certainly want to know if there was an underlying health condition. There are several thyroid tests for different issues, so I'd make sure your doc runs a comprehnsive panel. You seem a little concerned, so listen to that inner voice and get your peace of mind...then you can enjoy your fabulous figure without worry!
The exact same thing happened to me. I was a size 6 sometimes 8 (depending on how the clothing was made) prior to my pregnancy. Afterward, I breastfed; and I was down to a 2. I refused to wear 2's for fear that I looked emaciated. I wore 4's; and still do to this day. It will eventually pick back up. Count it as a blessing and enjoy. I picked back up and am now a "good 4". If you are truly concerned; just try to work out a bit to tone yourself; and speak to your physician to ensure that nothing else is going on.
I'm right there with you, isn't it great?! I weighed 145 (5'1") when I got pregnant and my son is now 21 months and I weigh 106. I also think the pill had a lot to do with it, I kind of feel like pregnancy reset my matabolism and breastfeeding kicked it into high gear. I stopped nursing when he was 11 months and lost even more weight. If I had the time I would go to the gym to tone up but either way, it's nice to be my high school weight again! Hopefully if I ever need to get on the pill again it won't bring it all back.
V.,
one reason is perhaps you are eating more small meals and watching what you put in your mouth...having 2 small children will keep you running. However, you may wish to get your thyroid checked. it's a simple blood test! Best of luck and keep up the good mothering!
PLEASE don't worry!! This happened to me with each child I got smaller and smaller!!! Just make sure you are eating and drinking good foods, making high quality milk for baby and getting lots of whole foods for yourself!!!
Feel blessed!!
Hi V.,
Talk to someone in the La Leche League. There number is ###-###-#### or www.lllusa.org/VA/WebTidewaterVA
The other is talk to a nutritionist. You may not be eating enough protein. Talk to the nutritionist at your local hospital and see what your diet looks like.
Also contact your OB/GYN.
Hope this helps. Good luck. D.
It doesn't hurt to check. My mom had a hyper thyroid and lost weight slowly. She could eat 4 big macs a day and not gain a pound. She didn't have it checked until it was too late, they had to do radiation and now she is on meds for the rest of her life. Although she wasn't nursing at the time...so hopefully its the nursing but it doesn't hurt to check. And enjoy shopping for the tiny clothes!
I have the opposite problem :-( But, you should really see your health care provider to at least chat about it and get your thyroid checked. Many women have thyroid disfunction after pregnancy and don't realize it. If you are hyperthyroid it can cause more severe health problems than just weight loss. Simple blood test..no sweat.
Good luck,
S.
It sounds like you have the dream scenario. I'd google BMI and type in your age, weight and height. If your BMI is in the normal range, I would be happy about the weight loss. If it's under, talk to your doctor. It's always good to talk to your doctor about rapid changes like this, anyway.
I would recommend going to the doctor to have your thyroid gland checked out. It might be overactive. This can change functioning, especially after having children.
