Of Hormones, Motherhood, Weight Gain and Extended Breastfeeding
I’ve been quite a healthy eater for a long time. I eat real food and minimize my consumption of anything processed. I don’t even feed my 17 month old anything processed and we live on veggies, chicken, eggs, fruits and the likes.
During pregnancy I barely gained weight and after I gave birth my weight was half a kilo less than my pre pregnancy weight.
I am still breastfeeding my 17 month old but he self weaned from his afternoon nursing session at 14 months. At 15 months postpartum Aunt Flo paid a visit after almost two years of absence (9 months of pregnancy and 15 months of nursing) and my hormones went out of whack!
Many mothers who do extended breastfeeding or exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months will tell you that when they start weaning they suddenly balloon. A few of my friends had told me that they gained weight for the first time since getting pregnant only after their child started eating solids.
The rationale behind this is that your appetite is ravenous when breastfeeding, but you are burning the calories. However once you start weaning, the calories expended by you reduce but your appetite is still ravenous because your stomach has expanded.
This makes sense on some levels, except; I am someone who is highly tuned into my body. I conceived my son at first attempt and I remember telling my husband the moment I ovulated that I think I have just ovulated and it’s time to make a baby. I didn’t even have to wait for a pregnancy test to know that I was pregnant.
I have spent the last 4 years learning how to tune into my body and listen to what ever it’s telling me.
So the logic of my body eating without really feeling the need to just didn’t add up.
Around the time I started menstruating again I gained weight all over, my arms, my face, my thighs were all bigger than they ever were. After awhile I lost the weight on my upper body and my jeans got very snug. I felt a distinct fattening of my rear.
I have always had skinny thighs and butt in comparison to my upper body. I’ve never been pear shaped or had a nice rounded butt. Therefore this tilt in balance (the new curves) prompted me to dig deeper.
I learnt about estrogen dominance.
Hormones in our bodies are very delicately balanced. Anything that throws it off balance can lead to weight gain or weight loss. Many women struggle with hormonal issues and try everything to lose weight but can’t.
Estrogen dominance is a condition whereby the balance between estrogen and progesterone goes out of gear. So you may have very high levels of estrogen in comparison to progesterone or progesterone may be very low as compared to normal levels of estrogen.
While the toddler starts getting more and more calories from solids he needs less and less milk. Therefore after extended breastfeeding, having estrogen dominance or lack of progesterone in comparison to estrogen totally adds up.
When the baby is born, your body is swimming in progesterone from the placenta, and your body creates prolactin while nursing to inhibit ovulation. Progesterone in a non-pregnant woman is provided by ovulation, so failing to ovulate for months would decrease your progesterone levels. Without progesterone to counteract it, estrogen levels would go up. When you do finally ovulate there is a surge of estrogen and a surge of progesterone. Because progesterone has been suppressed for so many months, and estrogen levels are high, there is a huge imbalance.
Some symptoms of estrogen dominance are:
– water retention
– bloating
– migraines specially around ovulation
– PMS like symptoms starting from around the time of ovulation until menses
– acne
– sluggish metabolism
– weight gain specially in the belly, hips, butt and thighs
– loss of lean muscle mass (boo hoo!) amongst many others.
It’s funny that this is so logical and obvious, yet when I did an Internet search for weight gain after weaning; everything points to over eating and burning fewer calories, as we’re not producing as much breast milk.
For women, weight gain is so hormonal and I don’t think women’s issues are talked about that much. I wrote another post on my blog about how sleep post baby is broken and hence also leads to weight gain.
As women we owe it to ourselves to stop taking advice and research at face value and dig deeper. Most of our issues are not as black and white like: eat less and you will lose weight, or use sunscreen to stop UV rays (hint: sunscreen is a major cause of many modern heath issues)
For me, because I knew it just couldn’t be the – me eating more even though I don’t need the extra calories – excuse (because my body would tell me if I was over eating right?) prompted me to RESEARCH! And guess what, I still don’t have a magical cure! Apart from weight gain I am no longer feeling my old self. My migraines have returned (mid-cycle and during my period), I no longer feel fit and healthy, I feel fatigued. After being in such excellent form for the last four years (since going primal) it’s hard to come to terms with.
We owe it to ourselves to ask tons of questions for the sake of our health and our children’s and experiment till we find the answer.
What do you think? Did you experience unexplained weight gain after weaning? Did you write it off as overeating?
Stay tuned and if I find a way out or just wait it out I’ll write about it here!
For now though, here’s to the new curvilicious me 😉
Thanks for reading!
Read the update on my journey here.
Further reading : http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/estrogen-dominance.html
UPDATE: I get about 10 searches a day with the search words hormones, weight gain, extended nursing / breastfeeding that leads moms here to this post. Obviously there are tons of us who are in the same boat without answers.
I personally feel that our bodies are expecting to get pregnant again and hence storing fat. I also think we lose muscle stores for some reason. I also hear a lot of moms lose weight when they stop breastfeeding and improve bone density. We just need to wait and watch.
There is NOTHING out there when it comes to hormones and weaning/ extended breastfeeding etc. Maybe because we’re far and few or we’re too busy to look for solutions writing it off as post motherhood wierd stuff.
I liked this post I recently read on the similar topic: http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2011/11/18/the-truth-about-recovering-from-pregnancy.html#.U8pHtY2Swao and this http://www.itbuildscharacter.com/parenting/parenting-support/breastfeeding-hormones-and-weaning
Our hormones are out of whack and the postpartum process is going to take way longer than we thought. So hang in there !
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so true aloka womens health issues are not talked over nor are they discused ..hence we never get informed …our mothers were in t he same boat so we also remained less informed!!! bt this is not the case now i m also so well tuned to my body too ..i guess regular lab tests will help us understnad and a good doctor …just to site a small eg when i had to start insulins in dec 2010 as they were fluctuating mad and we were planing our daughter ..my doc told me i might be puting on weight if i dont folow a diet and exercise regime as glucose in the blood stream will store up …and explained me all teh nitty grity of hormonal imbalance .. glad i came across him …my sugar levels stabilsed in 6 mnths time and i conceived the very day i ovulated …we were so planed on the month we wanted the child and sex too …voila we had it our way a girl but born a month advance !!!
hi just read your article, I breastfed my son for 2 years, exclusively for the first 6 months and introduced family foods at 6 months. Once I weaned him I gained 10kg on the belly, thighs and butt, became tired, menstrual cycle changed, got terrible headaches when I got my period and broke out in acne. It has been like this for 2 years and I have done all the healthy eating and exercising in the world and nothing has changed. I have been to the doctor but she can’t help me, she just said persist with the diet and exercise and she gave me medicine for the acne.
Tell me about it. It’s a constant battle for us with hormonal upheavals. One thing I’ve discovered is that there is no one size fits all solution specially for us women and mothers at that.
Thank you so much for posting this! I’ve been following a paleo/primal way of eating/fitness since before I was pregnant with my daughter. She is 28 months and still nurses a few times a day (on top of eating lots of food). My period returned when she was 12 months old and, at that time, I was already back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
A few months later, as she started to nurse less and less, I noticed my weight starting to creep up and up and up. (I didn’t associate the two things though.) I’m not overeating, and I’m definitely exercising. I told my husband it’s like someone is sneaking into the bedroom while I sleep and pumping me full of air like a balloon! It’s been so frustrating to feel helpless while my body just “inflates” for reasons I couldn’t figure out!
I started to suspect that it could be hormonal, which led me to Google, which led me to your page. Your explanation makes so much sense! Maybe I’ll stop trying so hard to shed this chub until after my daughter is 100% weaned. It seems like it may always be a losing battle until then.
Thanks again for your post!
” I told my husband it’s like someone is sneaking into the bedroom while I sleep and pumping me full of air like a balloon! ”
Well said! Me too exactly that.
I wonder if you’ve explored this site called progesteronetherapy.com it has some really good information, I have just started using natural progesterone cream. I will update this blog on whether I see progress or not. Thanks for writing 🙂
And hey it doesn’t hurt to change workouts etc and try all of it but don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t work.
You know my problem isn’t just about weight gain. I have been so healthy and feeling so exceptionally good for years but now suddenly I have migraines, feel tired, and generally not healthy. That’s whats getting to me!
I am so stoked to see this post. I’ve been researching myself and all this over eating talk doesn’t apply to me. I eat so healthy, all organic, and vegetarian. I hate that so much misinformation is being fed to moms. I know this is hormonal. I am generally built small so gaining seven pounds for no reason this quickly is just not adding up. I’m weaning my 17 month old now. She is still eating about three times a day from me. I’m also very active walking a couple of miles a day and swimming.
let me know how weaning goes for you. it maybe what will get everything back to order again! i don’t know yet I havent tried it. if you lose weight just like that / feel better, be sure to drop us a line here. thanks
Finally!! Glad to have found people with similar experiences. I am still breastfeeding, but my cycle didn’t return until my daughter was 22 months. It seemed like my body chaned overnight!! The year prior to my period returning, I felt the best I had in my life. I’ve had 10+ lbs of weight gain, it feels mostly in my behind and face. It’s been very hard to adjust to, and seems like no changes to my diet and exercise effect it. Like you, I feel I eat well- whole, natural foods – I’m completely frustrated by what I’m reading that it’s simply a matter of adjusting calories after not feeding the baby as much.
Hi Jen. It’s really really frustrating, there is no research or no information but I know for sure there is something very strange at work. Everyone talks about weight loss when you start breastfeeding but no one talks about the weight gain when you continue. 21 months nursing now and nothing I am doing is helping. Our bodies may be storing fat in preparation for another pregnany who knows? We just have to see don’t we?
`In 1951, a doctor who had been in charge of nutritional research for the U.S. Navy during World War II testified before a congressional committee. (When the Navy discovered the amount of money their men were spending on Coca-Cola, all cola beverages were studied. It was found they contained about 10 percent sugar.) The soft drink industry was given sugar rationing certificates so they could collect on all sugar sold to the armed forces. The Navy nutritionist, Dr. McCay, began studying these certificates: “I was amazed to learn,” he testified, “that the beverage contained substantial amounts of phosphoric acid…. At the Naval Medical Research Institute, we put human teeth in a cola beverage and found they softened and started to dissolve within a short period.” While the congressmen gaped, the doctor went on: “The acidity of cola beverages… is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, colouring, and flavouring matter.”
I only breastfed for 8 months (and it slowly ended) but I have experienced some changes. I am very much in-tune with my body as well. I have noticed a low libido, bloating and acne. I can tell that I am not ovulating, and my periods are very heavy and long. I have started taking maca daily. Hoping this natural remedy will balance me out.
I have a related but slightly different issue – I am breastfeeding a 2.5 year old and seem to be going through my third big post-partum hormone shift: the first one immediately after birth, the second was when my menstrual cycle returned at about 12 months and this one seems to be I don’t know what…?! Each shift has been associated with hypermobile joints (and injuries), nosebleeds, changes to my libido & energy levels. This time around, I seem to be losing weight for the first time since my first pregnancy 5 years ago, my energy levels & libido have gone up, my breasts suddenly feel empty (although I am still feeding around 8-12 times per 24 hours). I didn’t experience anything like this with my first child because by this stage I was 8 months pregnant. I have not had a break from feeding between my 2 children, so goodness only knows what will happen when I finally wean. The information out there is hopeless, I tried looking on la leche league, but just came across unfounded judgemental opinions discounting women’s knowledge of their own bodies… From your post, I am wondering if what I am experiencing now is my progesterone levels rebalancing? Thanks for the post and the links!
i hear you loud and clear … any solutions??
Bf my daughter, after some initial hurdles, exclusively, w solids introduced at 6 months. Still bf-ing at 2 years of age. My experience- gained a lot of weight during pregnancy- gone by her 1st bday (I felt triumphant!). Also noticed by muscle mass thinner too – a first for me sinceIm a normally solid type. Got my period back a few months later. Back to work part time, still bf-ing in pm and during breaks. Begin to put on weight. Migranes appear. Can now tell when i ovulate (new to me). Thicker in waiste, hips, all over. Also depressed. Begineating unhealthy more. Food fixing. Now predom vegan/raw 75% still fat. ??? Hormones make a lot of sense! Its symptomatic of this sexist, patriarchial society that there is no studies or awareness around it and instead, body and diet shaming. So, hormone therapy, then? Can it be done while still bf, bc my girl doesnt seem like shes weening anytime soon.
Hmm hormone therapy I am not 100% convinced. I would maybe wait until u wean. I have another thought will update in my next post. Thanks for the comment
[…] Of Hormones, Motherhood, Weight … – I am still breastfeeding my 17 month old but he self weaned from his afternoon nursing session at 14 months. and my hormones went out of whack!… […]
So good to see some discussion on this. After my first son, I lost beyond what pregnancy weight was gained. After my second son, no such luck. Weight loss is always a topic of discussion but not challenges with weight. I continue to nurse at nearly 2.5 yrs old and he’s not slowing down. I’m not complaining as he’ll be my last child and I’m loving it. But despite some effort toward weight loss, I have not seen success. I eat fairly well and work out at the gym 3 x per week. I’ve increased my frequency and intensity of exercise at the gym and definitely feel stronger over the past year but the number on the scale is unchanged. Yes, maybe replaced by muscle, but doesn’t seem to even out. I thought it could be because of breastfeeding and hormones in general, but didn’t want to just find a “scape goat” rather than working harder. Savoring the last bit of breastfeeding with my little sweetheart and then we’ll see about getting my weight back on track! Thanks for chatting about it – gives me a little peace of mind!
Hi, i am on the same boat. Until i was 27 i was a very slim girl who had problem gaining weight despite eating so much (52 kg, 168 cm) Then i moved from the coast to inland. I got a new boyfriend and went on the pill. Within a year i was 71 kgs. I went off the pill but failed to loose the weight. I took the same pill before without gaining any weight. When i quit smoling for the fist time, i didnt gain any weight. Then the second time i quit smoking i gained lots of weight fast (82 kg) every time i went to the coast, i lost so e weight, but when i returned back inland two month later, i got it back fast. Then i had a miscarriage and lost 3 kgs (79 kgs). Got pregnant on the first try, as usual, and had a baby boy (89 kgs 2 weeks postpartum. Got my period 3 month postpartum. Weight up 95 kg, 1,5 year 89 kg, now at 2 year old i gained weight 5 kgs within 4 month!!! Now i am 95 kg and feel like a whale and terribly ugly
I am conpletely in the same boat! My little one is 15 months old. Not weaning anytime soon, at least not on his own. Ugh. I was told at 1 yr postpartum, by our pediatrician, that I HAD to wean him or my calcium/vitamin D would be taken out of my bones. Needless to say, here we are still nursing. I have noticed ovulation when it begins, bloating, headaches, nipple pain like when i was first preg, mood swings, some weight gain, and minus the time around ovulation….low libido. Help!?
I’ve been gaining weight slowly and steadily since June or July and I cant figure out why. The only thing I can think of is that I finished weaning my daughter in June. She was 3 years old. Hormonal changes would make sense. I’ve gained the weight in my butt thighs and belly, but otherwise I feel fine and healthy. I don’t know if I could have this estrogen thing you speak of since my only symptom is weight gain. I’ve done a lot of work trying to be accepting of my body which has never been petite, but never a body that others would identify as fat. I thought I was doing well at body positivity until this happened. I gained 25 pounds and I am not at all OK with it. Not at all.
I gained 10 lbs 5 days after weaning my two year old. Just instant weight. I weigh myself everyday. I went to the doctor and it turns out my thyroid is out of whack so they are doing more bloodtests.
It was so good to read this… I have been told the same thing (that the weight gain is related to not burning the calories from breastfeeding) but it has to be more than that. With my first baby- I lost the baby weight quickly while breastfeeding, got pregnant with #2 before I even weaned (they are 2 years apart). Again, lost the baby weight quickly while breastfeeding. When I weaned #2 at 15 months I started a steady weight gain. I was up about 15lbs within a few months, though I started trying to diet and exercise with NO loss. My periods were also way out of whack and I had infertility issues with #3. But finally got pregnant, again lost a lot of weight while breastfeeding (back to my weight before any babies). Same story, after weaning (not completely, but enough that my periods came back and my milk supply really dropped), started gaining weight and my periods were out of whack again. This was about 2.5 years ago and I’m up 40 lbs! I’m eating better than I ever have and I’m moderately active. . Been checked for PCOS, thyroid issues but nothing. And NOTHING will make me lose weight. I finally started taking vitex several months ago. After a couple months of taking it my cycles normalized some (though still a little out of whack) and for the first time since I weaned I haven’t gained weight. Haven’t lost either, but I was gaining 1-2 lbs a month before. I’m going to keep taking it but I don’t know if I’m just putting a bandaid on things. I’m 99% sure my weight gain has to be hormonal. So frustrating! My doctor listens to me and is polite but didn’t seem concerned.
it’s really frustrating! and i can’t believe there is no way around this except a few of us trying to figure things out for ourselves!
I wish I had a better update! I wrote in Feb 2015, thinking there was limited time before my little one weaned on his own. Well… he’s 4 years old now and I’m taking the first steps to wean within the next few months. Wish me luck that I don’t gain fast and furious when it’s done.
I’ve continued working out 3x per week at the gym and keep building my intensity but I have not lost weight. In fact, a few months ago, I gained suddenly with no relation to eating or activity. I took a pregnancy test to be sure but it was not. Never found out why, but those pounds stayed on. I suppose I am 42 years old now and my metabolism is probably slowing from age. Ugh.
btw – I definitely have thyroid issues. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 10 years ago. I did not treat it as the treatment suggested was removing my thyroid (!). From what I was told, the thyroid “burned out” shortly after I was diagnosed and I’ve been hypothyroid for about 9 years now. I take a very low dose of medicine to replace what the thyroid produces (if it’s operational). My theory is that I will wean, wait a few months and then get my hormone levels re-tested to see if my medicine needs to be adjusted. I hope we find the answer.
This could have been written by me!! Has anyone found resolution? Did hormone replacement help? Is it the thyroid? Did time help? Did weaning completely help? I am at a loss at this point.
i really i wish i could help! i got pregnant with number two. now he is 20 months and i am still feeding. i am sure it’s going to hit me harder this time around
Hi Aloka, have you noticed the same pattern with #2?