Breastfeeding During Fasting: Is It a Good Strategy to Lose Weight? Is It Safe for Your Baby?

Turning to weight loss approaches after giving birth is not unheard of. However, understanding how to lose weight in a way that doesn’t affect your baby’s health (and yours) is paramount for a healthy and safe weight loss experience. Intermittent fasting requires changing your eating schedule, fasting for long periods, and sometimes even changing your diet. Can these changes affect your breast milk? 

Here we will learn the relationship between intermittent fasting and breastfeeding. How can intermittent fasting impact milk production? Is breastfeeding during fasting safe for your baby?

Breastfeeding During Fasting: Is It a Good Strategy to Lose Weight?

Yes, you can do intermittent fasting while breastfeeding, but it must be done smartly so you don’t impact your baby’s health. Most women lose half their baby weight by 6 weeks postpartum and it might take about 6 to 12 months to reach pre-pregnancy weight. Following a healthy diet and complementing it with physical activity is a safe and natural way to achieve weight loss without resorting to any specific weight loss programs. Nonetheless, if you are eager to get back to your pre-pregnancy body, then intermittent fasting can be a good option for you. 

Discover how Fastic can be your right hand as you fast while breastfeeding. Get health tips, on-time reminders to eat and maintain hydration, and expert answers to your nutrition questions using Fastic’s AI NutriChatBot. 

Nutritional Needs During Breastfeeding

To understand the potential effects of fasting on a woman’s breastfeeding journey, it’s essential first to grasp a woman’s nutritional requirements during lactation.

Increased caloric intake

Breastfeeding mothers require more calories to meet their nutritional needs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that to maintain adequate nourishment, breastfeeding mothers need 340 to 400 more kcal per day than usual consumption. This number can vary depending on age, body mass index, activity level, and whether they are only breastfeeding or complementing their feeding with formula. 

Key nutrients required for lactation

During lactation, a woman’s body uses up glucose, glycogen, and other nutrients at a faster pace to produce milk. Therefore, increasing nutrient intake during lactation is crucial, particularly iodine and choline. Iodine can be found in dairy products, eggs, and seafood, and choline can also be found in dairy products, as well as meats, beans, peas, and lentils. 

Importance of hydration for optimal milk production

The amount of liquids you consume impacts how much milk you produce. Your body is working harder, requiring more fluids than usual. A study on the effects of water abstention on milk synthesis in lactating women showed that fasting changed milk osmolality, lactose, and sodium and potassium levels. Drinking more liquids than usual during breastfeeding is crucial to maintain adequate milk production and quality. 

Is It Safe to Intermittent Fast While Breastfeeding? Does Intermittent Fasting Affect Breastfeeding?

Intermittent fasting can offer multiple benefits to your postpartum body, not only by helping you lose weight and improve your physical health but also by enhancing your mental clarity, energy levels, and overall nutrition. Having said this, is intermittent fasting still safe during breastfeeding? 

Few studies have been conducted on intermittent fasting while breastfeeding, making it difficult to determine whether it is beneficial or harmful for lactating women. Regardless, what is a fact is that during breastfeeding, women need to prioritize appropriate nutrition and hydration to support milk production. 

How Does Intermittent Fasting Impact Female Hormones and Milk Supply?

In addition to nutrient deficiencies and dehydration, the third most noticeable way intermittent fasting may impact your milk supply is due to stress. After birth, lack of sleep and maternal distress put the body under stress leading to the production of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. 

Adding fasting to the equation may elevate the already high cortisol levels. If you notice your milk production is being affected, shorten your fasting periods or halt fasting altogether.

Factors to Consider for Safe Fasting While Breastfeeding

It is crucial to be mindful of several key aspects during fasting, which becomes even more critical during lactation. Here are the essential factors to ensure a safe fasting experience while lactating.

Individual metabolic rates and energy requirements

Metabolic and energy needs are unique to you, hence, your calorie intake will require personalization. Start with the recommended calorie intake during pregnancy or follow your doctor’s indications, then adjust it based on how your body reacts. Maintain accurate calorie intake records with Fastic for optimal tracking. Fastic’s smart calorie tracker lets you know when you have reached your daily limit and even provides various meal options that adapt to your desired diet.

Monitoring milk supply and baby’s growth

Just like you have to monitor your body’s reaction to intermittent fasting, you must also monitor your baby’s weight gain and diaper output to determine if fasting is affecting them too. Any changes might indicate problems with the milk supply.

Signs to watch for that may indicate inadequate nutrition

Be on the lookout for signs that your body is stressed or overwhelmed, including fatigue, decreased milk production, and low weight gain in the baby. Ensure bountiful nutrient intake during eating windows and don’t be afraid to enjoy nutrient-rich snacks between meals.

Intermittent Fasting Timetable for Breastfeeding Mothers: How to Fast While Breastfeeding?

The ideal intermittent fasting timetable for breastfeeding mothers will differ from woman to woman. Adjust your eating windows to your usual daily routine and most importantly your baby’s hunger cues. There are various fasting approaches such as alternate-day fasting, the 5:2 method, and the OMAD diet (one meal a day), to name a few. However, these methods are considered too intense to undergo during lactation due to their extreme methodology and extended fasting periods. The good news is other breastfeeding-friendly fasting methods are available. 

16:8 Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding

Out of all the available approaches, 16:8 intermittent fasting is the most commonly practiced method while breastfeeding. Most mothers opt for scheduling the eating window from late morning to early evening hours and the fasting period overnight. The 16-hour fasting window aligns perfectly with sleeping hours. This schedule maintains a stable and constant milk supply. For instance, initiate the eating window at 10 AM and finish it at 6 PM. If the 8-hour fasting window is too long, you can always go for fasts with longer eating windows, such as the 14:10 or the 12:12.

Tips for Combining Intermittent Fasting and Breastfeeding

You can never be too safe when it comes to your baby’s health and nutrition. Guarantee adequate milk production and a successful fast by following these tips:

1. Consult your healthcare provider for a more personalized fasting approach according to your health background and baby’s nutritional needs.

2. Gradually introduce your intermittent fasting routine. Start with a short fasting window and adapt it to your baby’s schedule over time.

3. Focus on nutrient-dense meals and snacks during eating windows. Remember, a quality diet means quality milk.

4. Aim for sufficient and good quality sleep. Stress greatly impacts the quantity and quality of breast milk. 

5. Follow an adequate calorie intake by ensuring you consume enough calories to suffice your energy needs.

6. Stay hydrated and maintain electrolyte balance during fasting. Besides drinking plenty of water during the day, a rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water every time you breastfeed, this ensures you are drinking sufficient water throughout the day.

7. Monitor your milk supply and quality. Observe the effects of fasting on your milk production through your baby’s diaper output and your milk yield.

8. Listen to your body and make adjustments if necessary. Stop fasting entirely if your baby’s health is being affected. Your safety and your baby’s are always a priority. 

All in all, intermittent fasting during breastfeeding is safe as long as it is closely monitored. How your body reacts and your baby responds to it depends on how you go about it, the diet chosen, your body’s stress response, and more. Discover how to safely do intermittent fasting while breastfeeding by downloading the Fastic app. 

Disclaimer: It is advised to speak with a health professional before beginning intermittent fasting or a diet program. There may be side effects for people with certain medical conditions.