How Many Calories Does Breastfeeding Burn?

You may have heard that breastfeeding burns calories. Here's what doctors want you to know and why you shouldn't focus on postpartum weight loss.

An image of a mom breastfeeding.
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From celebrities to friends, you've likely heard someone tout breastfeeding as a tool for postpartum weight loss. You've also probably heard about—or maybe even experienced— breastfeeding's ability to make the body hang on to weight more stubbornly than usual. So which one is true?

Well, the real answer is both! Every body is different, so some bodies may be designed to "store" extra calories while feeding a baby through milk production. On the other hand, others may tend to burn through stores faster.

Also, keep in mind that the goal of breastfeeding should not be weight loss. And more important, postpartum bodies (like all bodies) come in various shapes and sizes. So there's no right or wrong way to look.

That said, breastfeeding is serious physical work, and you're entitled to wonder what that means for your calorie burn. Read on to learn about how many calories breastfeeding burns, your caloric needs while breastfeeding, and answers to some common questions about breastfeeding and weight loss.

How Many Calories Does Breastfeeding Burn?

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you burn around 450-500 calories daily while breastfeeding. However, there is no simple answer to how many calories you can burn while nursing. It comes down to your body and the amount you breastfeed.

"Exclusive breastfeeding typically burns about 500-700 calories per day, less if partially breastfeeding," says Kecia Gaither, M.D., who is double board-certified in OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine.

With that being said, Dr. Gaither stresses that genetic and metabolic factors can affect this number, so take it as a generalization. The takeaway, however, is that your body does need additional calories to produce milk, so if you're noticing an increase in hunger lately, that's perfectly normal. You actually need more calories while breastfeeding than during pregnancy! (Pregnancy requires just 300 extra calories per day, according to the National Library of Medicine.)

How Many Calories Do You Need While Breastfeeding?

As tough as it can be to get a full meal when you're in the throes of the newborn stage, nourishing yourself is incredibly important. When lactating, your body does a lot of work, requiring additional calories to support this. Dr. Gaither says caloric intake should be at least 1500-1800 calories per day—perhaps more if you're more active.

According to a 2014 study, those exclusively lactating need an additional 400-500 calories every day. How many total calories you need depends on your activity level. Caloric needs by activity levels are as follows:

  • Sedentary: 1,800-2,000 calories per day
  • Moderate: 2,000-2,200 calories per day
  • Active: 2,200-2,400 calories per day

According to Robyn Price, a registered dietician, other factors can affect your caloric needs. "Recovery takes energy. If you had a really rough birth, maybe you have a lot of healing to happen. Maybe you need more energy," says Price. "The amount of energy you need on top of [the energy you need] for breastfeeding is more than somebody who didn't have a very difficult birth and has a shorter road to recovery."

It can be tough to pinpoint the exact number of calories a breastfeeding parent requires. "It's going to be different for everyone," Price says. "Your baby drinks a different amount of milk every day. It's not always the same, its composition is always changing. It's hard to put an exact number on it."

As most breastfeeding parents will tell you, your appetite does tend to increase if you're nursing. Let that be your guide, go for nutritious foods, drink lots of water, and you should be good to go.

Does Breastfeeding Help You Lose Weight?

Since you burn calories while breastfeeding, it is possible that you could lose weight. A 2014 study found that exclusive breastfeeding for the first three months had a small effect on postpartum weight loss. Specifically, those who exclusively breastfed for three months lost slightly more than 3 pounds more than those who didn't breastfeed or didn't breastfeed exclusively by one year postpartum. In addition, they had a 6% greater chance of returning to their pre-pregnancy weight or lower.

But health experts recommend not putting too much thought towards weight loss. "Breastfeeding shouldn't be seen as a weight loss mechanism," says Dr. Gaither. That's because it has a negligible effect on body fat and total body weight for most well-nourished people. While it may help to get you to your pre-pregnancy weight slightly quicker, that depends more on your lifestyle and activity level.

Is It Safe to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding?

Restricting calories while breastfeeding can negatively impact your milk supply. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating less than 1,800 calories a day while lactating could reduce the amount of milk your body produces.

Focusing on trying to lose weight while breastfeeding could also cause long-term issues as well. "Research shows that the majority of people that lose weight now only gain that weight back, and they often get stuck in a cycle of chronic dieting. They have feelings of failure and struggle with being connected to their hunger and fullness cues, making eating feel like a very unregulated process and causing a tumultuous relationship with food and body," says Kimmie Singh, MS, RD, a registered dietician nutritionist at LK Nutrition, a Health at Every Size® nutrition private practice in New York City.

"Whatever your weight is, that doesn't necessarily determine your health," says Price. "Come at the postpartum period with an open mind. It may look different for everyone. Just because there are those pressures, it doesn't have to be one way or the highway."

And remember: postpartum is not forever. If weight loss is your eventual goal for individual health reasons, you and a health care provider can discuss how to do that healthily after your nursing journey.

What if I'm losing too much weight while breastfeeding?

"The calories it takes to make breast milk come from what you eat daily and the fat stores you may have gained during pregnancy. If you find you are losing a lot of weight while breastfeeding, you may not be consuming enough calories to make up for those used to make breast milk. It's essential to fuel your body with nutrient-dense foods to keep yourself and your baby healthy," says Sapna Shah, M.D., a board-certified endocrinologist with Paloma Health. "Healthy snacks like hard-boiled eggs, sardines, nuts and seeds, or yogurt are great ideas. Bonus points if you can eat with one hand!"

Can You Gain Weight While Breastfeeding?

The nature of new parenthood can also contribute to postpartum weight gain, according to Dr. Shah. "The postpartum period can be very stressful—worrying about your new baby, losing sleep, stressing about milk production," she says.

"When you experience high stress, your adrenal glands naturally ramp up the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can impact your ability to lose weight. One reason for this may be that high cortisol levels can increase ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone."

According to Dr. Shah, there are postpartum hormones associated with breastfeeding to consider. "Your body requires extra calories to make breast milk. You likely need to eat a few hundred extra calories a day to keep up," she says. "Prolactin, a hormone that helps with milk production and stimulating hunger, may in some cases suppress the ability to metabolize fat."

What Is a Healthy Mindset About Postpartum Weight?

It is reasonable to want to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. However, Dr. Shah says the most important thing in the postpartum period is ensuring the parent and baby are well-nourished. "If breastfeeding is the goal, excessive calorie reduction can reduce both the quantity and quality of the milk and is not recommended."

Instead of trying to lose weight right now, Singh recommends focusing efforts on body positivity, such as celebrating what your body is capable of (making food for your baby is a big deal!). "Focusing on body positivity during the postpartum period can help people both feel more connected to their current body and have a healthy overall relationship with food," she says.

If you're a new parent, you have enough to worry about; how long it takes to get back into your skinny jeans doesn't need to be one of them. At the same time, it's natural to want to feel like yourself again after giving birth.

Will Your Weight Change When You Wean?

Your weight may fluctuate when your baby weans. After all, there's a major hormonal shift happening.

"When weaning, your prolactin and oxytocin levels drop. Prolactin helps with milk production. This hormone also supports feelings of well-being, calmness, and relaxation. Oxytocin supports milk ejection and is occasionally called the 'love hormone.' Weaning can undoubtedly impact your body and emotions. Of course, the faster the weaning process, the more sudden the shift in hormone levels," says Dr. Shah.

Weaning means that you are burning less energy and calories than when you were breastfeeding, Dr. Shah adds. "It would help if you found a new way to burn these calories, or they store in your body. One of the best ways to curb weight gain is regular movement and exercise. You may also assess your diet when weaning to ensure you are eating the appropriate amount of calories for your body's new demands."

Key Takeaways

Breastfeeding burns calories but also requires additional calories. It's impossible to know how exactly each body will respond to this. You may lose weight while breastfeeding, or you may not. Either way, nourishing yourself is key. And at the end of the day, that's so much more important than the number on the scale or the tag of your jeans.

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Breastfeeding your baby. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2021.

  2. Eating right during pregnancy. National Library of Medicine. 2022.

  3. Impact of breastfeeding on maternal metabolism: Implications for women with gestational diabetesCurrent diabetes reports. 2014.

  4. When breastfeeding, how many calories should moms and babies consume?. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 2017.

  5. Effects of breastfeeding on postpartum weight loss among U.S. womenPreventive medicine. 2014.

  6. Losing weight while breastfeeding. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2022.

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