>When we recently completely rewrote the breastfeeding portion of our
>patient binder (notebook with all the info we give mew moms) we were
>careful NOT to give a lot of "rules".   Basically we pointed out
>that it takes about 500 extra calories a day, baby gets "first
>choice" and mom gets what's left.

Well, I don't think that's correct either!

You can't take the calorific value of a day's worth of breastmilk and then
say this was the amount needed to produce the milk - which is what I think
that old figure of 500 cals a day was based on.

According to Infant Feeding: the Physiological Basis, there's evidence that
lactation is carried out at minimal calorific expense to the mother. Her
metabolism is *different* when lactating.

Basically, we do not have a clue how many calories an individual  mother
needs when bf. We know, from observation, that mothers do sometimes feel
hungrier when bf...and that you can get an attack of the munchies when you
just gotta have a cheese sandwich *now* ....but placing a figure on it,
even one as vague as 'about 500 calories' is  mere guess work, and, I
think, playing the numbers game.

It is also risky. In this society, when mothers are so preoccupied with
food and calories, 500 calories a day sounds huge. It could put women off.

Also, what is the point of giving this info (I think everyone shuld have
info, but only if it is correct and helpful)? No one expects a mother to
actually count those calories in....eat according to your hunger is the
most we can say with any degree of authority, surely?

Heather Welford Neil
NBCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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