How Many Calories Do You Burn a Day Breastfeeding?

Video Transcript

"Many breastfeeding women ask the question how many calories a day do I burn while I'm breastfeeding? That's a great question. My name is Michelle Collins, and I'm a Nurse- midwife and professor at Vanderbilt University. The reason it's an important question is that pregnant women need to know that they burn five hundred calories a day just making milk, and they need to add that five hundred calories to their diet to insure that not only do they have the vitamins and minerals in their own body to have enough energy to produce the milk, but also to make milk that's plentiful and rich for their baby. Breastfeeding women should also make sure that not only are they getting enough calories, but that they're drinking enough fluids throughout the day. Six to eight glasses of water is very important for women women to ensure that their milk supply is plentiful."