Hunger while breastfeeding

I don't mean while I'm actually breastfeeding DD, I mean in general. Are you hungrier than normal? I know you should eat a bit more (healthy) calories, but are you actually hungry?

I found I actually forget to eat some days. I'm not hungry at all. This morning I got up at 4:15am to feed DD (and I'm aware it's 11:15pm, I havent been to sleep yet - that's a whole other issue), and I didnt eat anything until 11:30am- a muesli bar- then lunch when I got home at 12:30, snacked at a party around 4:30ish and I haven't eaten dinner coz I wasn't hungry. Didn't realize until I was slightly peckish at 10:30 tonight, but didn't eat anything, and I'm not hungry again. I have nonidea what's going on, or how it's going to affect my supply.

Any ideas to remind me to eat or as to why I'm not hungry? (or even as to why I'm still awake 19hrs later?)

No idea but I can do the same thing... The other day I realised I went without eating anything o_0 so I'd gone about 30hrs without food. I do try to be conscious about eating though to set an example for DS, and at least try to snack on fruit if I'm not feeling like anything else.

Hasn't had any effect on my supply that I have noticed, and DS is still taking the boob roughly 4 times a day plus 1 overnight

I get sooooooo hungry when bfing! But I remember forgetting to eat when I had two busy children to look after, but I found I was so much more tired if I forgot to eat - so what helped was making sure I had lots of food on hand all the time so I could eat without much preparation.
I think if you make sure you eat something as soon as you get up - make it a priority, then youre more likely to eat throughout the day.

I'm the opposite - I get super hungry. Not all the time, but usually first thing in the morning I get to the point where I-absolutely-have-to-eat-right-now-or-I'll-pass-out, lol. I also tend to basically inhale my dinner most night - while DH and DS are still there with most of their food on their plates.

I think I only get like this in the early days with breastfeeding though. I guess everyone is different :).

I didn't have much hunger at all for the first 6 weeks. I think the nausea from the sleep deprivation made it worse for me but I've recently read on BB the some women get nausea with BF.

Anyway, in the end I really made an effort to force myself to eat. Nothing ridiculous but at least 3 good meals a day and several snacks, especially while I was BF. My appetite did pick up a bit and I got into a good routine. I was never a real 'eating machine' :lol: while BF though. I'm normally a big eater though so found it all a bit odd but we survived and BF til just shy of 12 months :)

I didn't always feel hungry but if I didn't eat properly I'd get headaches and a bit stroppy ;)

Sometimes you just have to fake it, til you make it. So make time to eat at least 3 meals a day. If you have a spot where you usually sit to feed, put a big drink bottle of water and fruit or muesli bars there so you can eat at the same time or when bub finishes. You need to look after yourself so you can look after bub.

Do you have things on your mind? Was your birth ok? I had difficulty sleeping cos i had a rough birth and my mind was overloading trying to work it all out.

Take care

I got too tired (well more so) and felt ill if I didn't eat. I also had a memory like a sieve so would do the following: I made sure I made lunch the night before and wrapped it on a plate in the fridge. I also tried to pre prep any dinner for the following night I could (like cutting veg) and filled a large drink bottle and put it in the fridge to grab before a bf because I'd get so thirsty when let down happened. For snacks I had small containers of fruit pre cut and waiting in the fridge. Things like rockmelon and watermelon were perfect for this and because they were pre cut then I could just grab my container and drink while I fed.

HTH