Yes, you can work out while breastfeeding and still maintain a good milk supply!! While exercise in and of itself won’t impact milk supply, going too far into calorie deficit is what can drop milk supply for some. Nurse baby or pump just before exercising to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of engorgement or fullness during your workout. Some find wearing a tight sports bra can put pressure on the breast and increase the risk of plugged ducts for some. If that’s the case for you, just make sure to shake your breasts and do a little lymphatic drainage massage immediately post work out when you take your bra off. Post-exercise, lactic acid levels in your breast milk may temporarily change. Studies have shown that lactic acid levels in breast milk are significantly elevated for up to 90 minutes after MAXIMAL or exhaustive exercise, which may change the flavor of milk (but not the nutrients). BUT research has not shown a noticeable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.

Struggling to make it to the gym? There is also a lot of pressure on “bouncing back” after having a baby. Take your time and don’t look at other peoples journeys. It took you 9 months to grow the baby and it can take time to feel like your new normal and get into a workout routine. In the beginning, especially when recovering from birth and caring for baby, you may have less time and stamina for working out. You’re not alone. Start with a shorter or gentler exercise and add duration/difficulty over time. Prioritize your overall well-being — including your mental health — over a societal expectation to look or be something that may not even be realistic. And remember: breastfeeding is exercise. You burn about 20 calories for every ounce of breast milk you express (either from feeding or pumping). That adds up to an average of 500 extra burned calories a day, which is equivalent to:

1 hour of rock climbing 🧗‍♂️

1 hour pedaling a bike 🚴🏻 at 13-14mph  

2 hours of water aerobics 🏊🏼‍♀️

1 hour of rowing 🚣‍♀️ at a moderate pace

30 minutes of stair climbing 🧗‍♀️

50 minutes of jumping rope 👟

1 hour of steady lap swimming 🏊🏼‍♀️

45 minutes of hiking 🥾

30 minutes of 🥋 martial arts

30 minutes of cross country ⛷ skiing

1 hour of down hill ⛷ skiing

Flanges are the horn shaped part that actually touch the breast. You also need to be mindful of the flange you’re pumping on. Most companies will send a standard 24mm flange. Sometimes they’ll send a larger size as well. They can’t send every flange size they make as that would be expensive and create too much waste. But they don’t always make it clear that the flanges that come with the pump are not one size fits all. And in my practice I hardly EVER use the 24 or bigger flanges unless we’re using a silicone insert. For almost all of my families we’re sizing down. Some times significantly smaller. 

The fit of the flange can make or break your pumping experience. Too small and friction can cause pain and even damage (and pain makes it difficult for milk to let down). Too large and the breast may not be stimulated well, which inhibits your let down to have milk flow. When too much areola is pulled into the flange, the tissue swells around the nipple pores and can prevent milk from efficiently emptying from the breast, resulting in plugged ducts, pain, tissue breakdown, and eventually a reduced milk supply. Using too large of a flange from the beginning may even prevent you from bringing in a full milk supply. Do you ever pump for 20+ minutes and still feel like there’s milk in there? Most likely too large of a flange. The stimulation from the pump is triggering you to make more milk, but the size of the flange is preventing you from emptying that milk efficiently. Poor flange fit can also impact the suction of your pump and how well it functions with your body. If you have the suction all the way to the highest level and aren’t emptying well, you flange is too big. 

Yes, you can work out while breastfeeding and still maintain a good milk supply!! While exercise in and of itself won’t impact milk supply, going too far into calorie deficit is what can drop milk supply for some. Nurse baby or pump just before exercising to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of engorgement or fullness during your workout. Some find wearing a tight sports bra can put pressure on the breast and increase the risk of plugged ducts for some. If that’s the case for you, just make sure to shake your breasts and do a little lymphatic drainage massage immediately post work out when you take your bra off. Post-exercise, lactic acid levels in your breast milk may temporarily change. Studies have shown that lactic acid levels in breast milk are significantly elevated for up to 90 minutes after MAXIMAL or exhaustive exercise, which may change the flavor of milk (but not the nutrients). BUT research has not shown a noticeable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.

Struggling to make it to the gym? There is also a lot of pressure on “bouncing back” after having a baby. Take your time and don’t look at other peoples journeys. It took you 9 months to grow the baby and it can take time to feel like your new normal and get into a workout routine. In the beginning, especially when recovering from birth and caring for baby, you may have less time and stamina for working out. You’re not alone. Start with a shorter or gentler exercise and add duration/difficulty over time. Prioritize your overall well-being — including your mental health — over a societal expectation to look or be something that may not even be realistic. And remember: breastfeeding is exercise. You burn about 20 calories for every ounce of breast milk you express (either from feeding or pumping). That adds up to an average of 500 extra burned calories a day, which is equivalent to:

1 hour of rock climbing

1 hour pedaling a bike at 13-14mph 

2 hours of water aerobics

1 hour of rowing at a moderate pace

30 minutes of stair climbing

50 minutes of jumping rope

1 hour of steady lap swimming 

45 minutes of hiking

30 minutes of martial arts

30 minutes of cross country skiing

1 hour of down hill skiing