Does anyone have experience doing IF while breastfeeding? Is it safe? How long did you fast?
Whether or not it’s safe doesn’t mean it’s ideal. Breastfeeding requires so much energy to produce the milk, I’m assuming you’ve recently given birth & if that’s the case your body is most likely depleted in iron, zinc, b12 & possibly more so right now your priority should be eating healthy, nourishing foods at the very least until your supply is well established.
I tried 16/8 (1pm-9pm eating window) IF while breastfeeding when my son was 3 months old. It was awful. Would not recommend. Within two weeks my supply had dropped pretty dramatically and I could no longer produce enough for my son’s morning feed. I had to start supplementing with formula and was never able to get back to exclusive breastfeeding. I was also unbelievably hungry and grumpy; significantly more than when I did IF without breastfeeding.
Bad idea. Need regular food for baby. Don’t wanna mess with the body while it’s doing any part of the MOTHER thing. It gets very particular about intake during any of the MOTHER phases. Hold off until they’re on solids at least most of the time.
How old is your nursling? I only ask because there is a huge difference between the supply required for a baby vs a toddler. If you do a gentle fast like 12:12 it might be okay for a baby (basically cut nighttime snacking). I nurse my 1.5 year old but he doesn’t need it for nutrition, so I haven’t been too concerned about my supply. But I wouldn’t have risked my supply before he was 1.