# Does breastfeeding cause you to retain fluid?



## catlvr976 (Feb 16, 2003)

I was at the WIC office today and they needed my height and weight. Anyway, my weight has stayed the same and the woman working and I got into a discussion about how bf'ing is thought to make weight loss easier (I would like to lose 15 lbs or so).

I told her it's funny because I weigh what I did before I went on weight watchers a couple of years ago, but my body doesn't look like it did back then. She made a comment about the body retaining fluids and that could be the cause for the extra weight. She also mentioned the weight of the breasts as another reason, which makes perfect sense.

Does your body retain fluid while bf'ing or does having a child affect the distribution of fat on your body? It is very odd because my body just doesn't look as chubby as it did before I went on ww, but I weigh exactly the same.

Any thoughts?


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

I don't know,

but when I don't drink enough water I retain a lot of water and look bloated. (I am not nursing right now.)

Maybe some bodies hold on tight to water when they feel their water supply is threatened...just like we hold onto fat if we eat too few calories. A survival thing, maybe.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Are you also working out? Muscle tissue is more dense than fat. It weighs quite a bit. You can gain weight and actually look thinner. This happened to me once. I was pretty thin, started working out, lost inches in my waist and hips, got a bit broader and more muscular in my shoulders, and gained weight, but I was more fit. I was more in proportion.

As far as bfing causing you to retain water, no, I haven't heard this. It can make some women hold onto 10 lbs or so of fat. This is the body's way of protecting your milk supply (and your baby's life) in case of famine.

But some women just keep getting thinner and thinner. It varies. When you average it out, tho, bfing mothers do lose their pregnancy weight faster than artificially feeding moms.


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

I was wondering about something along those lines also. I weigh the same now as my pre pregnancy weight but my clothes from that time don't fit me. My hips and boobs must be bigger than before cause my old clothes are tighter there. I feel and think I look thinner but I think that's because I got used to seeing myself as huge while pregnant. I put on 40lb while pregnant. Pregnancy certainly does something to your fluid levels which I imagine is due to hormones so I imagine BF could do something also.


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