Weight gain during lactation

[Nicole]

Hi
Firstly - thanks for a great resource. I enjoy searching for and finding answers to my questions as I watch my 8 month old son grow.
I was hoping you could help me out - I haven't eaten meat, diary or eggs for 2 years now and have never had a problem with my weight/diet. However, I am still breastfeeding my son, eating constantly but losing weight. Do you have any suggestions for putting on some weight? I feel as if my son is sucking all the nutrients from me and I am about 7kgs lighter than before I fell pregnant.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Cheers
Nicole

[Erin Pavlina]

Well weight gain for me has never been a problem, mostly because I indulge in a lot of vegan junkfood. So I'm not sure I'm the one to give advice here, but make sure you're getting some fat in your diet. Have a soy milkshake if you have to.

What sorts of things are you eating? Give us an idea of what you might eat in a typical day.

[Nicole]

Hi Erin,
Today I have eaten:
Breakfast - oatmeal with honey, coconut & dried figs
1 teaspoon bee pollen
Snack - apple
Snack - 4 pieces spelt bread with peanut butter & vegemite
Lunch - steamed cabbage, spinach & zucchini, nut roast, baked potatoes & pumpkin
Snack - carob whirls
Snack - mixed seeds, nuts & sultanas
Dinner - brown rice, lentil bolognese, garlic bread

[Teejay]

Nicole -- hi!

I know that during pregnancy we have to have minimum 60g protein a day. I am now nursing and have been assuming that to still be the case (you need I think about 300 more calories per day than before -- and if your baby is a big feeder, maybe you need even more).

Have you ever eaten seitan? That's pretty solid protein and very palatable. (But I am wondering from your list whether you are avoiding gluten since there are oats and spelt there rather than wheat.)

I lost weight terribly while breastfeeding my first child twelve years ago, I mean really drastically, the way you are describing. I now realise (I was veggie then but not vegan) that I didn't fully take on board how much protein you need while nursing; in fact how many calories altogether.

You would be getting some protein from the lentils, grains etc, but these are quite low-calorie proteins. I can't eat tofu because my baby has an intolerance to it through the breastmilk, but some solid sources of higher-calorie protein would be tofu and tempeh. If you don't like tofu, I'd suggest whizzing in the blender with fruit and your favorite non-dairy "milk". "Milk"-shakes like that are one very good way to keep weight on or gain it.

I personally don't eat honey because of bee-suffering, but there are good sweeteners that are part complex carb and therefore reasonably nutritious (rice syrup, barley malt) and these could be added to the "milk"-shake to make it higher-calorie.

One last thing that adds protein and B-vitamins at the same time: nutritional yeast. If you don't like the taste, it can be disguised by putting it in the shake too.

PS Where are you located? I am wondering how you get Vegemite -- are you in Aust or NZ? I am from Australia originally.

PPS The other thing is that, apart from the nut element, your list looks quite low-fat to me. That is usually a good thing, but a nursing mother needs more. I am using organic canola oil a lot in my cooking (more than I would if not nursing) because you have to get Omega-3s for the baby's brain development. Of course it adds calories too.

[Teejay]

I was about to come back and add avocado too -- good stuff!

Tahini -- another great topping, sauce ingredient, whatever -- full of calcium and should help with calories.

(You probably already know it.)

[Nicole]

Hi Renee & Teejay
Thanks for your suggestions. I have been adding nutritional yeast to one of my meals a day as well as Jaedyn's (my son) as I was concerned about B12 intake. This is another reason why I have started with the bee pollen. I avoided honey for the past year but after reading about the chemical analysis of bee pollen, it seemed to good to avoid.
Avocado! So obvious yet something that I have not been consuming much of lately. Today I'll be munching on some avocado on toast with some home grown tomatoes and some cracked pepper.
Next time I'm at the health food store I'll look out for some more high protein food stuffs and seitan. I tend to make most things from scratch and avoid any processed, packaged or tinned foods. This makes counting the calories more difficult but I am going to make a more conserted effort - starting with a wall chart highlighting the high fat/protein foods.
With regards to tofu, I haven't had soy products for a while lately after reading some bad press on www.mercola.com.
Another factor that could be affecting my weight gain which I forgot to mention (and after a discussion with my naturopath yesterday could be a factor) is the lack of sleep I am getting. My little man is teething and having a hard time of it. I've been up every 1.5-2 hours during the night for the last couple of weeks with an upset child and therefore am not getting much of that much needed 'deep sleep' (the joys of parenthood).
Thanks again for your replies, it is great to hear from like minded individuals (I am very much raising a vegan child in a non vegan society).
Have a great day,
Cheers
Nicole

P.S. I am from down under. After spending 2 years in the UK we are now enjoying the North Queensland climate (hence the vegemite).

P.P.S I drizzle hemp seed oil on salads for extra omega-3's and use cold pressed olive oil

[renee]

hi nicole. there is a cookbook called vegan vittles by joanne stepaniak. in it there is a recipe for making seitan that is the simplest i have ever seen. we make it often. the book is also filled with lots of other great recipes including one for incredible almond creme cheeze which is incredibly delicious. we also prepare most of our foods from scratch and have been vegan for ten years so let me know if you would like any recipe ideas. i just posted a cake and muffin recipe in the recipe section you might like to check out. good luck and congratulations on raising a vegan child.

[Erin Pavlina]

Renee, does the cream cheeze from Vegan Vittles taste like regular cream cheese? I haven't tried it yet and am wondering.

[renee]

erin, i probably haven't had real cream cheese in about 15 years so i am not really sure how the taste would compare. we've never had tofutti cream cheese either. but i would say the recipe from vegan vittles is definitely worth trying. i always thought it seemed kind of complicated so it took me a couple of years to get around to trying it but now i make it all the time. i usually make the variation with herbs and it is very good. i have also made the frosting version with maple syrup for cakes. and i always use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch (because i'm afraid of genetically engineered corn). also i usually make a double batch cause it goes pretty quickly in my family.

[lauren'smom]

Hi-

I just wanted to say that this happened to me. I actually lost weight after the birth of my daughter, only to gain it all back, plus much more (even though I follow a good diet/exercise program). It's a long story, but I eventually went to the doctor and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which is very common post partum. The treatment is a pill which is completely safe for breastfeeding. It's a simple blood test to find out and I highly recommend it if nothing else works for you.

[HoneyNBen]

Remember that when you are nursing you are still, in a way, pregnant. You are providing this child with all if not most of its nutrition. For mama's who are exclusivly nursing or are nursing an older child...eat some healthy fats. Avacodos are yummy and delicious and they can be whirled into a shake along with more 'breakfasty' foods in the morning. Also, cooking with olive oil and other healthy oils are the way to go. Add it anywhere you can.

One question...you're losing weight, but are you gaining muscle mass? If you are noticing more muscle tone I wouldn't worry. Your body may be finding it's new ideal weight. Carrying 20lbs around with you all day is really a lot of exercise. Add nursing on to that and woah! you've got your own Jane Fonda workout tape going on! Just pay attention to your body. As long as you're building muscle tone, baby's healthy and happy, and you're healthy...keep on trucking! On a personal note...I wish I had your problem! A good friend of mine has the same problem. Vegan, nursing a 23m. old, and losing weight...she's got a 6 pack! Little Snot! I love her to death though! But she's in really great shape and really looks very healthy. Oh and eat whenever you're hungry.

As to the sleep...join the club! Try some chamomile tea for you and a bit of chamomilla for the baby. I always used it on the kids when they were teething and it helped them right away. You should be able to get it at your local health food store. If not... http://www.abchomeopathy.com You can order through ABC...I love their site. If I'm not sure about something I always check them out.

Hope this helps!