Breastfeeding Sucks by Joanne Kimes

Author:Joanne Kimes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Baby Fat

There are several myths in life. There’s the one that says you can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex. There’s the one that says you won’t get a hangover if you drink only vodka. And the one that says if you breastfeed, you’ll be back to your prepregnancy weight faster than you can say, “La Leche League.” Well, I’m sorry to inform you that, just like the first two, this last myth is as fake as Pamela Anderson’s chest.

Sure, there are some women whose bodies snap back after delivery. They credit this miracle to the fact that they exclusively breastfed their babies. But who’s to say that their bodies wouldn’t have snapped back if they didn’t? Some women are born with incredible genes, which explains why they look so incredible in their jeans not long after giving birth.

True, there is some logic behind their reasoning. For one thing, it is proven that breastfeeding helps one certain part of your body return back to its normal: your uterus. When your baby sucks at your breast, your body releases the hormone oxytocin, which in turn makes your uterus cramp up and shrink down. So yes, if you want your uterus to be so tight you can bounce a quarter off of it, then by all means, nurse away.

In addition, if you breastfeed, you’re body burns an additional 500 to 750 calories per day. In theory, that sounds like a weight watcher’s dream. But the flaw behind this theory is that when your body burns more calories, your body screams for it to be fed. And we all know how persuasive our bodies can be when it comes to getting their way. Just see who wins out when it’s just you and an open bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.

When it comes right down to it, your body’s main goal is to keep itself alive, and over millions of years of evolution, it’s become an expert at this task. It’s learned to run from harm, get a fever when it’s sick to battle infection, and not argue back when some whack job steals its parking spot. So it’s no mystery why our bodies want to hold onto fat when we nurse. It knows that we need more calories in order to produce milk, so it clings to fat like a desperate woman clings to a bad boy.

I know that you’re getting frustrated carrying around some of the extra weight you gained during your pregnancy. I know how it feels when strangers continue to ask when your baby is due. And I know how frustrating it is to have to buy yet another wardrobe of transitional clothing when you haven’t even finished paying off your maternity wear.

But fret not. I can assure you that if you’re one of the many women who is having trouble losing your “baby fat” while you nurse, there is still plenty of hope. For it may not be until you stop nursing that the weight will begin to fall off.

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