I have been exclusively breastfeeding my baby for the past 6 months, and for just over 5 of those months, I have been breastfeeding on a carnivore diet. In this article, I will share my experience while breastfeeding on a carnivore diet, why I chose to do it, and how I have been maintaining my breastmilk supply.
My Diet While Pregnant
It is important to know what my diet was like throughout my pregnancy. For the first month, I did The Lion Diet and consumed only meat, salt, and water. It was World Carnivore Month, and my husband and I chose to do a strict carnivore diet together. However, when my morning sickness and food aversions kicked in at 6 weeks pregnant, I added fruit to my diet to make meals easier and also included chicken and fish, as they were easier to eat than red meat at the time.
At 14 weeks pregnant, my morning sickness and food aversions went away, and I started getting intense cravings for red meat.
Around 20 weeks pregnant, I added eggs and goat’s dairy to my diet. I indulged in goat’s cheese, yogurt, and a lot of milk (and I really mean a lot). So, while pregnant, I stuck to an animal-based diet of only eating meat, fruit, goat’s dairy, and eggs.
My Diet When I Started Breastfeeding
When my baby was born and I started breastfeeding, my diet stayed the same. I ate meat, fruit, and goat’s dairy. I did not try to restrict how much I ate because I wanted to make sure my body had enough fuel to make milk for my baby. I also started taking an electrolyte supplement two to three times a day because having enough electrolytes can increase milk supply.
My baby was born 6 weeks early and was in the NICU for 3 weeks. She had to be fed through a feeding tube, so I had to express milk so she could still get breastmilk. I was expressing up to 2 liters of milk per day. It is safe to say that I was producing more than enough milk for my baby. I had to freeze most of it and ended up donating a lot of milk. I suspect that my diet had a lot to do with my oversupply of milk.
Deciding to Go on the Carnivore Diet While Breastfeeding
Once my baby was finally home, she started to breastfeed. No more relying on feeding tubes or bottles. I was thrilled. However, I started to notice that on days where I ate a lot of fruit, she would get stomach cramps and cried a lot. So, I decided to cut out fruit. The cramps basically went away immediately, and we have not struggled with that since.
I was officially carnivore and did not consume any plants, but I was still eating goat’s yogurt with a bit of honey and drinking liters of milk. Then, when my baby was about 6 weeks old, we interviewed Dr. Anthony Chaffee, a prominent carnivore doctor. I mentioned in the interview that I wanted to cut out all carbs and follow his protocol of “No plants, no sugar, no artificial ingredients,” but mentioned that I was worried my milk supply would go down.
He reassured me that as long as I ate enough food, I would not lose my milk. So, I took a chance and cut out all honey and dairy and went on a zero-carb, carnivore diet.
Breastfeeding on a Zero-Carb, Carnivore Diet
When I first went zero-carb while breastfeeding, I made sure to eat a lot. I was probably eating between 3000 and 4000 calories a day. It might seem excessive, but I kept hearing Dr. Anthony Chaffee’s words in my head: “If you eat enough, you won’t lose your milk.” And so, I ate and ate.
I figured that it didn’t matter if I was overeating. What was important was that I allowed my body to adapt to my new diet before I worried about how much I weighed. Weight loss was not a priority.
I actually ended up gaining 5kg in 3 months, which I was perfectly happy with. My breastmilk supply didn’t go down, and that was what mattered most.
As a bonus benefit of being on a strict, zero-carb carnivore diet, my skin cleared up for the first time in 19 years. I don’t care that I gained weight. My skin is clear, and that feels like a miracle.
Many people don’t realize that what you eat affects the quality of your breastmilk. It makes sense, though. Your body will use what you eat to make your breastmilk.
Your body actually uses a lot of fat to make milk. If you choose quality fats like butter, egg yolks, tallow, and fatty cuts of meat, your milk will be made from quality fats. If you consume unhealthy fats like canola, soybean, and sunflower oil, that’s what your body uses to make your milk.
I like to believe that I gave my body the highest quality ingredients to make milk for my baby girl.
She has been thriving while getting milk from her carnivore momma. Even though she was born 6 weeks premature, her weight is about the same as a full-term baby would weigh at 6 months. She gained weight and became fat very quickly. In this house, we celebrate every fat roll on my baby’s body. When I took her to the clinic for a checkup, they told me that they suspect the quality of my breastmilk was the reason for her health and weight gain.
My baby hasn’t been sick once, even though my husband and I have each been sick three times since she was born. How that’s possible, I don’t know. But she is one healthy and strong baby.
I’m really grateful that I decided to give a strict carnivore diet a try, especially while breastfeeding. My baby doesn’t struggle with cramps or digestive issues. She’s gaining weight and growing and developing beautifully, and as a bonus, my skin even cleared up.
At this point, I doubt I will ever go back and stop being carnivore. I’ve tried so many things to clear my skin over the past 19 years, and this is the first thing that worked. Other than having a healthy baby, clear skin was the thing I wanted most in the world, and I finally got both.
Going carnivore has been good for me and my baby. If you’re breastfeeding or hope to breastfeed in the future, don’t be afraid of going carnivore. Just listen to Dr. Anthony Chaffee and make sure you eat enough food. And don’t forget your electrolytes.
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