what do you breastfeeding mothers do for more energy?
i have a 2 1/2 year old and a 2 month old and i watch my 18month old neice mon thru friday 8 to530. i eat a very healthy diet of lots of whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies and i work out 2 hours a day. i also work from home and go into my office from about 530 to 930 a couple times a week. my 2 month old sleeps very well at night only gets up 1 to 2 times but m 2 1/2 year old just moved to a toddler bed and his whole sleep schedule is messed up. I cant get him to stay in his room and nap and its very difficult to get him to bed and some nights he will get up at 3am for no reason and be up for the day. my husband is a sheriff and works the night shift 6 days a week so i am alone with the kids at night. i normally go to the gym at from 1 to 3 when my husband gets up but i want to start going right when he gets home at 6am. i used to do this before our daughter was born and i felt better and more energetic through out the days. I now feel sluggish and have migranes everyday from lack of sleep and energy.
any suggestions or something i can take to have more energy while also being a breastfeeding mom?
isnt coffee bad while breastfeeding?
well im do not like coffee anyways i ususally drink caffeine free hot tea or green tea and i try to stay away from pop but i occasionally have it. so maybe i will try caffeinated tea
Tagged with: 3am • 6am • breastfeeding mom • coffee • couple times • fresh fruit • fruit and veggies • green tea • healthy diet • hot tea • lack of sleep • nap • neice • night shift • sleep • toddler bed • whole grains
Filed under: Eating for Energy
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I am breastfeeding my 6month old daughter and working also. They say to avoid coffee when breastfeeding because of the amount of caffeine. I eat bananas which give me more energy and relax for a while in the afternoon when not in work.
There is no magical pill or solution to deal with lack of sleep from having children. Hence, why many moms of young children – including myself – rarely work out. I would guess that your lack of energy is more to do with lack of sleep than from breastfeeding.
I was able to workout a ton after my first baby, but not so much after my second.
EDIT =- please, people. Caffeine in moderation is perfectly fine when you are breastfeeding. Why do people think that because you breastfeed you can’t do anything else? LOL. However, caffeine also can lead to feeling MORE tired once the effects of the caffeine wear off so it doesn’t really help in the long run.
EDIT AGAIN – Haruhi and Diet C are two of the most knowledgable people on this forum when it comes to breastfeeding (including K and Smurfy and Pippin).
Caffeine IS safe while breastfeeding, just as it is safe in pregnancy.
I’m not a morning person AT ALL and after my daughter was born Pepsi and coffee helped me through the day. The caffeine had no effect whatsoever on my daughter.
I drink a lot of coffee….
"isnt coffee bad while breastfeeding?"
No.
Very little of the caffeine you consume actually passes into your breast milk. It doesn’t have any effect on the majority of babies and you can drink as much as you want.
Some babies are sensitive to it (usually younger ones) and you’ll have to adjust your intake accordingly, but at worst you’ll have a cranky kid.
The idea that you have to abstain from coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate or anything else containing caffeine is absurd.
Read through Haruhi’s link, it’s useful.
Lately I have been on a mixed-beans kick. Kidney beans, chick peas, romano beans, etc. I eat about a cup of them with a dash of tobasco sauce for flavour. They have lots of nutrition and energy. Other than that I just try to get exercise where I can – I walk a lot, and I carry my very large 9 month old son in an Ergo carrier.
I have a gym in my apartment building but I never go. It’s too hectic trying to get ready to go to the gym and leaving the baby with my husband after he comes home from a long day at work because I know he just wants to relax too.
I drink a lot of coffee, make sure I fit exercise into my day, I pop about 1500mg of Vitamin C for an energy(and immune system) boost. Getting the best sleep you can, which means co-sleeping(family bed) for us.
Again, lots of coffee.
**
Coffee is fine. I myself have been a breastfeeding mom for almost 4 years and don’t know what I would do without coffee. Unless your baby shows a sign of sensitivity, you are fine to drink coffee.
"milk levels are quite low (0.06-1.5% of maternal dose) and usually peak 1 hour after ingestion."
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/caffeine.html
The only reason why you still feel sluggish is because of your lack of sleep. You are doing everything that you should be in order to have all the energy you need/want. But the one and most important thing you are lacking is rest. Instead of worrying about being able to work out earlier, focus your energy on trying to work something out with hubby so that you are able to rest more. Best of luck
EDIT>> I can’t believe that these fellow moms are suggesting lots of coffee! If you are breastfeeding, you shouldn’t be consuming a lot of caffeine as it is not healthy for your baby and will pass through breast milk.
EDIT::EDIT:::..The very first line in the link you provided is "You can drink coffee while breasfeeding in MODERATION)…when you say "I drink lots of coffee" that doesn’t give the impression that you are doing so in moderations.
@ Olivia….What you said would be "LOL" if you were actually correct. I never once said that you CANT drink coffee..if you read carefully you will notice that i said "its not ok to drink LOTS of coffee" as many women suggested. LOL
Annie, yes, coffee and other foods that contain caffeine are ok in moderation. I wouldn’t drink lots of it though. I personally wouldn’t do more than a cup of coffee a day. But that’s just me personally.