Can exercise affect my ability to breast-feed?
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Many new mothers may be wondering whether exercise affects the supply of breast milk. Jenny Dugard of Body Beyond Baby investigates.
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- Can exercise affect my ability to breast-feed?
The effects of exercise on a postnatal woman (and everyone else for that matter) are more positive than negative: strength and stamina are increased along with the ability to carry out everyday activities whilst avoiding injury - including when carrying growing babies. Chances of age-and weight-related diseases are reduced and mental health benefits are fantastic with the release of endorphins during exercise.
While breast-feeding should not be an excuse not to exercise, it is important that you are in tune with your body and that you take note of any changes that may be caused by your increase – or decrease – of daily activity. Research suggests that as long as you are consuming the correct number of calories for your needs, and are performing a moderate amount of exercise, the quality and quantity of breast milk should not be affected.
Try these tips to help you keep track of how exercise affects you physically and mentally after the birth of your baby:
- Keep a food diary – note what foods you are eating and when
- Keep an exercise diary – note the duration, type and intensity of exercise you do each day
- Keep a mood diary – write down how you are feeling today
- Keep a breast-feeding diary – do you feel like you had enough milk today or that your supply was low? Was your baby hungrier or less hungry than usual?
If you are really keen to get back into shape and stay fit and healthy, take just a little bit of extra time to record these details. It will help you to understand if there is any correlation between that high intensity spin class you did and the fact that your supply seemed low this evening. And does the fact that you feel so much better after doing some moderate exercise mean that you don’t mind consuming a few extra healthy calories to compensate?
Remember to keep hydrated and to always be conscious of what you are putting in your mouth. If you are increasing your movement you may need to increase your intake of healthy calories. Going for a run or hitting the gym isn't an excuse to indulge in chocolate cake, but you may benefit from an extra couple of hundred 'healthy' calories.
It is also important to be aware that the reason your supply may appear to have dropped could also be due to the faster feeding of your baby. As your baby is growing and your body becomes more efficient at producing the 'right' amount of milk, the huge breasts that you may have been blessed with (or not) when your child was first born may also be adjusting.
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