Breastfeeding does in fact burn a surprising amount of calories, however, this isn’t the breastfeeding itself that burns the calories; it’s all done during the making of the milk. Around 200-500 calories can be burned per day while breastfeeding, depending on how many times you breastfeed.
Read this article to find out more about how milk production and what other factors can increase or decrease how many calories are burned while breastfeeding.
Calories burned breastfeeding Calculator
How Many Calories Do You Burn While Breastfeeding a Newborn?
For obvious reasons, newborns tend to need and want much more milk than older babies. Therefore, there is a correlation between the age of your baby and how many calories you can burn while breastfeeding them.
On average, if you have a newborn you can expect to burn around 500 calories per day. If you choose to continue to breastfeed your child into a toddler age then expect to burn fewer calories.
By then your child will have acquired the skills needed for breastfeeding and this puts less strain on your milk glands, equaling to fewer calories being burned. Understandably this can differ as some babies want more or less milk than others, but burning this many calories while simply feeding your baby is pretty impressive!
How Many Calories Are Burned While Breastfeeding For 30 Minutes?
According to research, around 70 calories are burned per 30 minutes of breastfeeding. So, if we were to say that you breastfeed your baby every 3 hours and averagely each session takes around 30 minutes for a newborn, you could total 240 minutes of breastfeeding per 24hour period.
This equals in an astonishing 560 calories burned! Toddlers that are older and therefore more skilled at breastfeeding tend to breastfeed faster with less pressure on their mother’s breasts. Of course, this can differ as your baby gets older as they train themselves to breastfeed faster and therefore reduce the number of calories that get burned.
Does Pumping Burn As Many Calories As Breastfeeding?
In general, pumping milk and directly breastfeeding makes no difference at all to the number of calories that get burned. While pumping, the milk gets released from the gland in the exact same way as it would if you were breastfeeding your baby.
The milk glands then create the milk in the same way as breastfeeding and therefore it really doesn’t matter whether you pump or breastfeed. Some women choose to pump due to busy schedules and the simplicity of it rather than being constantly attached to their baby, and some women prefer the natural feel of breastfeeding.
Can I Lose Weight By Breastfeeding Every Day?
It is stated worldwide that in fact, breastfeeding does help women lose those cheeky pounds after giving birth. Surprisingly, if you were to breastfeed a newborn and burn an average of 500 calories a day, this is equivalent to cutting out a small and mildly healthy meal or even doing medium severity exercise for 40-60 minutes.
This is good to note as many women struggle to find the time to exercise after giving birth and/or are not allowed due to complicated births or C sections. Breastfeeding or pumping is a recommended strategy proposed by doctors in order to help kickstart weight loss in the average postpartum woman.
How Can Breastfeeding Help Me Lose Weight?
It’s widely known that you can lose weight while breastfeeding, but how? Well, when you breastfeed, your body releases fat that was previously stored during pregnancy, as well as additional calories from your diet. This is to help feed your baby and fuel the production of more milk.
You may be told to eat additional calories while breastfeeding to ensure that your baby is getting enough food, and even if you do this, weight loss can still be quite extreme while breastfeeding. It’s also important to note that weight loss while breastfeeding happens slowly and therefore don’t be disappointed if you don’t notice immediate results.
Should I Do Other Exercise To Help Me Lose Weight After Birth?
Although you can lose weight while breastfeeding, it’s not a recommended way to ensure you lose those pesky pounds after you’ve given birth. It can certainly kick start and assist your weight loss, but finding a healthy diet alongside a well-planned exercise routine is the best choice.
On the other hand, you need to be particularly careful when it comes to exercising after birth. If you have had a natural and uncomplicated birth, doctors recommend that you get out and start walking as little as a few days after. This should be a gentle workout and you should slowly increase the distance, speed and time of your workouts over a period of months. However, if you’ve had a C section, it’s best to speak to your doctor before participating in any exercise at all.
