CAIRO: Would you have believed that that the secret to the killer Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham body was breast feeding? That's what they said on a TV interview. The show claimed that women can lose up to 5000 calories a day simply by breastfeeding, which is a lot more calories than a diet or workout schedule can do. The TV host jokingly said that breastfeeding is becoming a popular way to lose weight in Hollywood. Later, a friend who recently gave birth said: "My doctors say I can eat whatever I want while breastfeeding because it all gets burnt. Then she downed a Big Mac. Remember that scene in Desperate Housewives (season two, episode 40) when Lynette Scavo's co-worker sat and cried that she has to start going to the gym now that her five?-year-old son won't breastfeed anymore because all the excess calories she eats will start to pile on? Okay, so many of these things are exaggerated TV entertainment and girl friend chatter, but apparently there is some truth in it. During breastfeeding the body needs a lot of nutrient heavy calories, which are burnt off. Up to 500 (not 5000, as the TV program claims) calories a day are used in lactation, producing an average of 850 milliliters of mother's milk. Therefore it is actually recommended for nursing mothers to go on high calorie diets to make up for the lost calories. Dr Rania Hosni a lecturer in Kasr El Aini hospital, pediatrician, neonatology specialist and member of the International Lactation Consultants Association, explains: "If [the mother] eats out of hunger not habit she loses two kilos a month while breastfeeding. But here [in Egypt] they eat too much and end up gaining weight instead. In some cases, lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) mothers end up burning more than the average 500 calories. Nadia, a mother of two, says: "When my first child was about four months old, I suddenly lost three or four kilos. Her doctor later explained that her drop in weight was due to breastfeeding. It appears that the baby was going through a growth sprout and teething at the same time so his intake was excessive due to his need for more food and comfort. According to a study conducted in 1993 comparing women who use formula versus women who breastfeed, one month postpartum mothers who breastfed (either exclusively or partially) had slimmer hips and weighed less than women whose babies received only formula. Hosni says that the size of the hips is not related to breastfeeding in any way. One thing every woman must keep in mind is that celebrities who give birth are surrounded by dieticians and work out intensely with their private trainers. Due to pressures of their commercial commitments, they are whipped into shape immediately after birth. So when they say it's breastfeeding that does the trick, it is actually a tiny factor in their weight loss program if anything at all. No nursing mother should lose more than two kilos a month and exercise should be minimal. Hosni says: "It is recommended to avoid strenuous exercise which produces lactic acid which infuses the milk and makes it taste so bad the baby refuses to take it. Another false alarm then: breastfeeding is not the quick and easy solution for killer bodies. Now back to the gym. Everyone knows that breastfeeding is healthy for a baby, but what are the benefits for the mother, besides weight loss: . Research shows that breastfeeding benefits the health of mothers.. Breast milk is always fresh, perfectly clean, just the right temperature, and is the healthy choice at the least cost!. Increased levels of oxytocin stimulate postpartum uterine contractions, minimizing blood loss and encouraging rapid uterine toning.. Breastfeeding offers some protection against the early return of fertility.. Because breastfed babies are healthier, their mothers miss less work and spend less time and money on paediatric care.. Breastfeeding women report psychological benefits such as increased self-confidence and a stronger sense of connection with their babies.
