I'd like to reverse this question to what does nature do to provide moms with
the energy to bf their offspring? Not as ''can bf help me get rid of those extra
pounds?''. Normally a wellfed pregnant woman will gain weight from the extra
fluids (larger amount of somewhat diluted blood), larger breasts, growing
uterus, growing child and about 3-5kilograms of extra fat stores. These fat
stores are nature's (Creator's if you wish) way of providing a mom with the
energy needed to feed a child without getting depleted herself. Other energy is
found in a change of metabolism which also slows down the bf woman a bit.
Slowing down will make it easier for her to stay with her child and literally
''take it easy''. I think that the complaint of many bf women that they always
feel so tired is because they don't realise this and try to catch up with our
upspeeded societal behaviour.
Don't have research to back this up, it's just my interpretation of biological
facts that I've learned through the years and the observation of pregnant and
lactating women's behaviour. I'd like to hear from others how they think about
this and if there is some literature on it that I didn't see.

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
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