Low Carb Diets and Breastfeeding

Atkins, South Beach, Sugar Busters, Protein Power--we all know someone who has lost weight on one of these low-carb diets.  In your quest to lose the post-pregnancy pounds, you may be wondering if a low-carb approach will help you lose weight without compromising your milk supply.  Here are the Pros & Cons of using this diet approach while breastfeeding:

1. If you have gone on a low carb diet in the past, you already know how to do it and it may not require much thought on your part. This is important since your mind will be pre-occupied with your baby, your family, keeping up with the house, etc.

2. There is a lot of information available on this diet from books, magazines, television, and the internet. There are also a lot of “low carb” packaged food options available.

3. If you choose healthy alternatives to high carbohydrate foods, your diet may actually be better when following this plan than it was before.

4. Taking good care of yourself will help you feel better, which in turn will make it easier for you to take good care of your baby.

5. Losing the weight will help you feel more like yourself and get you back into your pre-pregnancy clothes.

Cons

1. The so called “induction phase” or “phase I” of some of these diets are entirely too restrictive for a breastfeeding mom.

2. Going too low in carbs can cause a decrease in memory and cognitive processing.

4. Cutting out carbs by eating unhealthy, high fat junk foods like hot dogs, cheese (in large quantities), pork rinds, etc will not result in lasting weight loss and will not make your body feel good.

5. Eating high fat foods in place of high carb foods usually results in eating the bad kinds of fat (saturated and trans fats). These go directly into your milk and are the building blocks of your baby’s brain and nervous system.

Good fats, such as those from olive oil and fish, are better for your baby’s growing brain and nervous system. The fats from fish have actually been shown to improve eye function and brain development in infants-this is crucial in the first two years of life when the brain grows more than any other time in your baby’s life.

A Healthier Diet Will Help You Feel Great & Lose Weight

An over-all healthier diet will help you feel better and achieve your weight loss goals. If choosing lower-carb options will help you on that journey, than it is worth doing.  If you feel confident that a low-carb approach will help you meet your goals, following are some basic guidelines to help you get the most out of your diet plan.

Basic low-carb guidelines:

1. Sugar, sweets (cakes & candies), sweetened beverages (sweet tea, soda, kool-aid), white bread, regular pastas, white flour, and white rice are all high in carbohydrates (carbs). It won’t hurt you to eliminate these foods provided you have added in healthier alternatives (unsweetened drinks, whole grain breads & pastas, brown rice, etc).

2. Carbs from whole fruits (not juice), vegetables, and whole grains are “good “ carbs. The fiber content of these foods “cancel out” part of the actual carb count of these foods. The other benefit is these are very healthy foods and will make your body feel good.

3. Healthy meats or protein substitutes such as chicken, fish, and beans are far better choices and are more likely to result in weight loss than processed, high fat meats such as sausage, hot dogs, and fatty cuts of red meat .

4. Sugar substitutes, such as those in diet sodas, are usually just fine for breastfeeding moms, however, some moms have found their babies to be irritable when they consume these foods. Be aware of how your baby behaves after you have consumed a sugar substitute. Enlisting the help of a Registered Dietitian could help you reduce carbs and lose weight while maintaining your milk supply.

Pay close attention to how you feel, and remember-don’t do anything too drastic. Your baby will only be breastfeeding for a very short time in the span of your life.