HCG Diet Interferes with Breastfeeding
Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that breastfeeding confers significant health benefits to mother and child and is the ideal method for feeding and nurturing infants. Breastfeeding also provides health benefits for the mother. It assists the uterus in returning to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces post-partum bleeding, as well as assisting the mother in returning to her pre-pregnancy weight.
With that being said, we are asked if the HCG diet is safe if a woman is planning on or is currently breastfeeding. In response, we absolutely do not recommend doing the HCG diet while breastfeeding.
Reasons to Not Do the HCG Diet While Breastfeeding
Pregnant women have high levels of prolactin, which helps create breast milk. During pregnancy, prolactin levels increase by 10 to 20 times. After the baby is born, prolactin stays at a very high level if you are breast-feeding. Prolactin is the hormone that tells your body to fill the breast with milk. This will interfere with the HCG diet. Also, the HCG diet does require that you stick with a very strict 500-calorie diet. When you are nursing, they recommend that you actually increase your diet by 500 calories. Additionally, breastfeeding burns about 200-500 calories per day. If a mother is not eating enough calories, her milk supply will suffer.
This is not a suitable calorie requirement for a lactating mother, it simply does not provide enough “energy” for producing good milk supply OR maintaining health during lactation. We want to make sure that you and your baby are getting the nutrients that you need in order to be healthy, and that is why we don’t recommend nursing and doing the HCG drops.
HCG Diet and Breastfeeding Conclusion
Furthermore, while you are on the HCG diet, your body is cleansing toxins and some of them will be potentially released through your breast milk creating a higher risk for the baby. For the safety of your newborn, wait until are finished with breastfeeding before you start a HCG diet plan.
