Introduction Losing weight during time of lactation is the theory that is being heard amongst many women.

This is a reason why some women try breastfeeding in the first place. To lose weight after being pregnant is typically is a womans dream. It is known that the current daily recommended intake (DRI) that there is an assuming weight loss of .! kg"month in women (#rown $%&). There are a lot of factors that tie into weight loss during lactation and how to safely approach it. 'owe(er) weight loss during lactation can (ary amongst a (ariety of women out there because e(eryone is biologically different. *omen need to become more educated that weight loss during lactation is more about the calories consumed and how energy is used in the body to make weight loss possible. It comes down to fat mobili+ation and energy e,penditure) which will be e,plained in further detail. It is crucial to know how weight loss occurs during lactation and by doing so- this paper will pro(ide information focusing on the mothers diet during lactation) the physiological aspect of lactation) and how some factors can influence changes in body weight and composition. Energy and Nutrient Needs during Lactation The maternal diet is the main focus during lactation because this is the foundation of weight loss during lactation. .nergy needs in lactating women are much different than women who are pregnant. The daily recommended intake (DRI) for normal/weight lactating women assume that the energy that is spent for milk production is 0 per day in the first si, months and 1 calories

calories after the si, months (#rown $%!). The

e,tra calories needed to be consumed for the breastfeeding mother to produce for her infant) high/2uality breast milk. The mother needs to consume the e,tra 0 calories each

day because the calories come from the body fat stores) which help to subsidi+e lactation (#rown $%!). 3de2uate energy intake needs to be obser(ed by the mother to recei(e the most ideal nutritional status and for the ultimate weight change to occur. Recommended Nutrient Intake during Lactation 3 womans diet is (ery sensiti(e when it comes to lactating. The appropriate amount of nutrients is a factor that needs to be considered for the mother to ha(e a healthy nutritional status and for her infants growth. The right amount of crucial nutrients is (ery important for a woman to consume. *ith the ade2uate amount of caloric intake being consumed by the woman) it could help with her bodys fat mobili+ation and how the body weight changes during lactation. The amount of fatty acids in the mothers diet is a factor that needs to be focused on. *hen a mother is losing weight) the fatty acid profile of her fat stores is reflected in the breast milk. *hen the mothers diet is low in fat with ade2uate calories of carbohydrates and proteins instead) the more medium/chain fatty acids are synthesi+ed into the breast (#rown $44). The two fatty acids crucial for a mother during lactation are the linoleic acid and alpha/linolneic acid. These two are crucial because they gi(e the mother her ade2uate amount of D'3 (docosahe,aenioic acid) needed into her diet. D'3 is essential for retinal de(elopment and accumulates during the last months of pregnancy. It is e,pected that the mother recei(e $5 grams of linoleic acid and $.5 grams

of alpha/linolenic acid into her diet (#rown $44). These essential fatty acids can be consumed by eating 6 four o+. ser(ing of fatty fish each week (such as salmon) according to professor 7apathakis. 8ot only are fatty acids crucial in the maternal diet during lactation) but also protein. Those who are lactating are e,pected to consume 60g of e,tra protein per day in the first si, months of breastfeeding and it decreases back down to $!g si, to twel(e months. Rapid weight loss diets are not necessary or recommended for an o(erall healthy maternal diet during lactation. This could mess with nutrient intake and possibly impair infants o(erall growth during this important time. 3lso) another important factor to consider is to eat a (ariety of grains) fruits) (egetables and meat (or meat alternati(e) daily. Changes in Nutritional Status 9aternal nutritional statuss can be altered by a few different factors. :irst) it is to be said that the ;duration and intensity of breastfeeding are potential determinants of the change in maternal nutritional status during lactation because these factors affect the mothers nutritional re2uirement during lactation< (*ink(ist 5$ ). This factor is to be the o(erall known factor in the change in maternal nutritional status. There are known to be three groups of effect modifiers of the nutritional status of mothers who are lactating. The three that are mentioned) according to *ink(ist) are ;nutritional supplies and demands) adaptations to nutritional demands and maternal characteristics< (5$ ). 8utritional supply and demands is primarily about ;in addition to lactation) contribute to the energy balance of the mother) and) therefore) affect her need to mobili+e her body stores in response to

lactation< (*ink(ist 5$ ). =ome of the factors that deal with this first group are physical acti(ity) dietary intake) and illness. 3s for the second group) *ink(ist states ; this group includes factors that may reflect accommodation to nutritional re2uirements during lactation such as basal metabolic rate and muscular efficiency<. :inally) as for the third group) it contains personal characteristics likely to alter changes in nutritional status during lactation) such as ;maternal initial nutritional status) weight gain during pregnancy) age) marital status) race"ethnicity and socioeconomic status< (*ink(ist 5$ ). This is why nutritional status can change in all different ways amongst women because e(eryone is biologically made up differently.

Nutritional Assessment for Breastfeeding Women

Women should pay special attention to what is being consumed during their daily intake. Adequate food and nutrient intake should be recognized carefully daily because it is just as important for the child as if the mother were pregnant. According to Brown, women should be educated on the appropriate amounts of the DRIs needed for nutrient intake. A plan for monitoring maternal weight change, infect grown (adequate milk supply) or nutrient status are factors that sum up the initial nutrition assessment in those who are lactating (Brown 178).

Brown goes on to describe that nutrition intervention may include a plan for adjusting energy intake to promote appropriate maternal weight change, education regarding milk production mechanisms, and appropriate supply are ways to assess the mothers nutritional status (178). With the knowledge of what is needed and/or what the lactating mother in her diet, is consuming, the child can have a healthy, stable growth and

development without any defects. Nutrition assessment and intervention should be given to most lactating women because not many women are educated well enough to know exactly of how much of what nutrient that should or should not be consumed.

Energy Expenditure and Fat Mobilization during Lactation

Energy expenditure is known to be the amount of energy, also known as calories, that a person uses to digest food, breathe and overall be physically active. As for energy expenditure during lactation, a woman must reduce the amount she is taking in. According to Sally Ann Lederman in the article Influence of Lactation on Body Weight Regulation, Lederman states that when energy output rises , (output meaning energy needs), because of the onset of milk production balance can be reestablished in several ways. She goes on to mention that one way is to increase dietary energy intake. Another option is to use maternal fat stores. Maternal body fat is measured to be a buffer of lactation needs and we might expect body fat to be used up in a physiological manner during lactation (Lederman 112). A third way that is mentioned is that maternal energy needs can be reduced by decreasing the energy expenditure due to activity. Improving the efficiency of energy use for energy-requiring processes such as basal metabolism or the thermic effect on food, or improving the efficiency of milk synthesis would also lower the increment of energy need during lactation (Lederman 112).

In a study done by Dewey et al, non-dieting breast feeders and a formula feeding group, that included women who breastfed briefly, were examined by their weight and intake changes. The focus of this study, found in Ledermans article, was to focus on women who were not dieting, and both groups as a matter of fact lost weight. However,

women who were breastfeeding lost weight more quickly than formula feeders starting at around two months postpartum. By six months postpartum, breast feeders had lost about 2.8 kg more than the formula feeders (Lederman 113). Overall, this study determined that women who breastfeed lost more weight between nine and twelve months rather than between three and six months.

Some studies of weight loss during lactation suggest that unpretentious energy restriction ( around 500 calories per day) can be done without the large decreases in the value of the maternal diet, but that the macronutrient matter of the diet may induce maternal weight loss and fat content of the milk differentially (Brown 179). The energy content of the weight change can most certainly change depending on the maternal diet and nutritional state. Women depend on mobilization of body fat to a limited extent, and must increase dietary intake to meet increased needs of lactation (Butte 383). With an increase in caloric intake, the more energy is needed for the milk to be produced and efficiently increases the lactation needs.

Changes in Developed and Developing Countries

Lactation can have an effect on both developed and developing countries. In developing countries such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America, women who were lactating were measured by skin fold thickness tests. According to Winkvist, skin fold thickness has been observed to decrease during lactation for most women in Third World countries. During the first three months postpartum, it has been reported that a range of change in triceps skin fold thickness was -21.2% to + 30.3%, and for Bolivian women, between three to six months, it decreased 15.2% (Winkvist 311). As for nutritional supply and

demands, women lactating in developing countries were known to consume higher dietary intake than those who are pregnant, and neither of the two. Their physical activity was also observed and was known to be typically lower and sedentary.

As for women in developed countries, they too experienced a reasonable loss of weight during lactation. The amount of time ideally covered for this data was from the point of conception all the way up to twelve months. Women in developed countries, such as America, had a decrease in fat mass during the postpartum period, and this decline was greater amongst lactating women compared to non-lactating women (Winkvist 311). In a study of American women who were lactating, investigators examined the relationship aspects of breastfeeding intensity (measured as breastfeeding frequency and total time per day spent breastfeeding) and the nutritional demand, such as milk energy output was looked at. Higher breastfeeding frequency and milk energy output were associated with less weight loss at three to six months but with greater weight loss at nine-twelve months postpartum (Winkvist 311). This goes on to show that women in developed countries are known to have greater success with weight loss during lactation than women who live in developing countries.

Conclusion

Losing weight during lactation can be diverse for a variety women due to how everyone is biologically different in every way, shape and form. With the appropriate amount of energy and nutrient requirements, women can see somewhat of a success to losing weight. By looking at the energy expenditure and fat mobilization during lactation, opens the explanation of how it all works together. Not only do women in developed

countries lose weight during lactation, but also those living in developing countries can lose weight successfully as well. With a variety of different factors influencing weight loss, it all comes down to the individual and how the woman is genetically and biologically created.