Thread: Breastfeeding and Atkins Safe?

Hi! (WARNING: NEWBIE) My name is Teia. I've been struggling with my weight for the better part of my 30 year existence, and after the birth of my third child resulting in nerve damage and having limited mobility while waiting to heal, I have found it more difficult than ever to lose weight and actually piled more on. A friend of mine started Atkins in April(03) due to her own health issues and has given rave reviews. She feels fantastic and has lost 70lbs! Of course I yearn to follow suit and I have read everything I could find on the low carb way of life, but there is one question left unanswered that is holding me up. Is is safe to to start living the low carb lifestyle while still breastfeeding? Logic to me would dictate that so long as I take prenatel vitamins and drink lots of water that the milk factory will stay in business, but I have heard and read that the high protein levels will dehydrate me to a certain extent, preventing me from producing what my little princess needs. I have gotten conflicting advice from physicians as well. So the questions is, does anyone know the answer to this from first hand experience? Thanks in advance!

Namaste!

http://atkins.com/helpatkins/faqs/faqhealth/index.html

The above link is from www.atkinscenter.com and was found using a keyword search.

Scroll down to almost the bottom of the page, and you'll find a little bit of information. It's recommended that while pregnant or breastfeeding, that you follow the lifetime maintenance portion of the program, rather than induction, or ongoing weight loss.

However, there is another member here that is pregnant while LC'ing. Maybe she'll chime in and give you more information.

(296/226.5/135) 04/01/03
The Downward Spiral Begins

Thanks for the quick reply! I didn't even think to look under health and medical issues since I don't think of breastfeeding as either. DOH!

Namaste!

I was wondering the same thing, as I too nurse my new little princess. She by the way is my third baby, first girl. I saw in the Atkins book that nursing moms shouldn't do induction. I was in the middle of induction, I got really nervous, talked with my hubby about it, thought long and hard about it. And I realized that I was eating BETTER on Atkins than I was not on Atkins. Before atkins, my normal breakfast was coffee, with creamer, sugar. Lunch was the same as breakfast. Dinner...was usually a ton of pasta a little bit of meat. I mean what was the dr. going to say to me...you can't do this way of eating since it isn't healthy???? Please. My nutrition intake is MUCH better even on induction than before. AND if you think about it, you ARE getting carbs. You get them in your veggies. If you plan your meals very well, you can have A LOT of veggies with ALOT of protein!!! You aren't getting all the sugar, caffine or other junk. Just lots of good whole foods.
My princess is doing well, gaining weight, and the milk factory is not suffereing in the least! LOL
Good luck!!

Nat
Dreams are wishes your heart makes when your fast alseep....

Thanks for your input Nat! I think I will go for it. I'm sure I will know if production slows, and I will just take it one day at a time. Baby comes first though! And you're right... the low carb plan is probably alot healthier than my current eating habits too!
Teia

Namaste!

I am pregnant with my third child and have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding LC and pregnancy/breastfeeding.

I completely agree that we are *eating healthier* now than before LC.
My only concern would be the effects of ketones on a newborn. Do the ketones pass the milk barrier? We really don't know; could be perfectly harmless and logic tells me that there have probably been MANY times in history that women were unknowingly eating a ketogenic diet and it didn't harm their infants one bit.
But am I willing to take this gamble on MY child? NO.

Therefore, I am now (and will continue while breastfeeding) eating a *lower* carb diet (non-ketogenic) with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and some whole grains (like whole oats). I am using the glycemic index to monitor which foods are least likely to raise my blood glucose and thereby cause me to gain weight.
It must be working; I am starting the second trimester and have not gained one pound, but I have been eating VERY well. This is quite an accomplishment for me as with my previous two pregnancies I gained a good deal during the first trimester.
Anyway, that's my take on it.

Summer


www.herstorygirl.com

the reason atkins, and any other weight loss program for that matter, suggests that you not lose weight is because generally losing weight isnt advised during pregnancy. most weight loss occurs by restricting calories, which can be dangerous during pregnancy because you physically need more to support the baby and placenta. no one wants to suggest you restrict calories because of the possible detriment to your own or baby's body because of it.

for myself, i dont restrict calories at all on atkins, but i didnt want to put extra stress on my system to build a placenta and baby, prepare for breastfeeding, AND lose weight all at the same time. not to mention all the hormonal changes that occur both during pregnancy and when you lose weight. so i increased my overall food/carbs to take me out of OWL and into a maintainance style phase. i added more fruit and vegies as well as whole grain bread (a 12g carb per big slice variety that i found) and milk back into my diet.

i decided long ago not to worry about the ketones issue for my own situation. some days i pass ketones, some days i dont, i just dont bother to monitor it or worry about it. i simply believe its a natural state of the body to be in, whether its caused by eating or exercise. its one of those issues you really have to look into and consider for yourself, then make your own determination.

like summer, i gained a lot of weight in the first trimester of my previous pregnancy. a lot of that was due to my high carb diet and eating all the time to prevent morning sickness and indigestion. on lc tho, i dont have morning sickness or indigestion, and my weight gain has been great. im at 5 1/2 months and have gained 8 lbs, all of which i know is healthy baby/mommy stuff this time rather than just more padding =)

my own plan after baby is born is to return to OWL while nursing. as long as my nutrition is good and i drink plenty of liquids, i have no concerns that it will put too much stress on my body.

for more support, there is a yahoo groups you can look into as well, with many women who are doing atkins or other LC plans while preg, nursing, or TCC. i dont frequent it often myself as i avoid most mainstream boards, but you can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PregnantAtkids/

Erin
atkins since 12/2/02
preggo and lcing!