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Breastfeeding 2 years post op



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I am out of control. 2 years post op. My baby is 8 months old and I breastfeed on demand. I am always hungry I never felt hungry after the sleeve and before his birth.. and now all the time I can't go 2 hours without eating. And I feel like it's getting worse. Is this in my head? Has anyone else gone through this?

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When my babies were being breastfed, I did notice that my appetite remained at pregnancy levels. (This was many years ago and long before my VSG. ) I think you do need a few extra calories while lactating. Do you have a lactation consultant or nurse at your ob/gyn's office? If so, ask her/him. They may not be familiar with our post op diets, but they can tell how many extra calories lactation takes.

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I completely understand. I was always hungry! Always! I got the sleeve when I was still breastfeeding. I was still hungry even right after the surgery. It is just something you have to endure. I knew breast feeding was the best I could give my baby, so I refuse to stop until he stopped on his own.

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Breastfeeding hunger is no joke. The key is small portions, Protein. A breastfeeding mother needs about 500 more calories a day. That is a lot for us with small tummies. Try foods that are a bit higher in good fats, like avocado, coconut oil, and nuts.

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I'm nursing my 13 week old baby and I also get extremely hungry at times. I just try to focus on healthy Snacks. I eat half an avocado daily, cashews, coconut oil, etc. I also make sure to hit my Protein goals. As long as your choices are healthy, I don't think you will gain by eating more.

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I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant and I would say my appetite is nearly pre-op capacity. :( It's frustrating, but I know I can focus on losing when I have the baby. Now isn't the time to restrict myself, my baby needs to grow.

My NUT and I are still in touch and she said that I should just increase to an extra shake and add in healthy fats like avocado and nuts while I'm breastfeeding. Of course, I have no idea if that will be enough at this point!

Another reason women are so hungry when breastfeeding is because we are dehydrated. Drink more water! It will help your milk supply as well.

Congrats on your babies, ladies!

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I found about a month after delivery my sleeve was tightening again. The same pregnancy hormones responsible for your digestive tract slowing down (hence the complaint of Constipation and hemmeroids) also seems the loosen the capacity of the sleeve. Once my baby started to wean I got more restriction back. She will be 2 on Monday and my capacity is just about 3-4 oz again.

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I too am experiencing no restriction while breastfeeding! Pre-pregnancy I weighed 178 and at delivery 200. Within one week or so post partum I weighed 181 and felt so excited that I might actually weigh less than before...weight was dropping fast and I was eating right. However, when my milk came in, I was drawn to carbs and started eating constantly. My baby is 3months now and breastfeeding well; however, I am now 198 and I feel every bit of it.

Super stressed about the weight gain, but know nursing is best for baby. Keep thinking about weaning, but I'd feel like a failure. If I see 200 again, I might flip! Clothes don't fit and I feel like a pudge!

Afraid if I limit calories my milk will diminish. I never anticipated the hunger while breastfeeding and this is baby #2.

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