Before I get into my personal experience, I want to say this clearly:

As a prenatal and postpartum dietitian, I have worked with so many women through breastfeeding, weaning, and postpartum recovery. Some lose weight very quickly while breastfeeding. Some stay exactly the same. And some hold onto more fat until they fully wean.

There is no “right” pattern. Every single body is different.

And your experience says nothing about your discipline, your health, your worth, or whether you’re “doing it right.”

With that said, here's my experience... because now that I’m fully weaned after nearly 3.5 years of being pregnant or breastfeeding with no break, I’m noticing shifts in my body that reaffirm everything I teach my clients.

I had always suspected that my body held onto a little more fat while breastfeeding, even though my habits were solid, and now that I’ve weaned, I can confidently say:

My body is shifting in ways I haven’t seen since before babies, without me changing a single thing.

Here’s what I noticed.

1. I Lost a Few Pounds Without Changing My Nutrition

It’s been about six weeks since I weaned, and I’ve naturally lost a few pounds, even though my nutrition hasn’t changed at all (and I've actually decreased workouts).

I’m still prioritizing:

• high protein meals

• balanced minerals

• regular fiber

• blood sugar support

• consistent hydration

Nothing extreme. Nothing restrictive. Nothing different.

The only major differences are:

1. I’m no longer breastfeeding.

2. I lowered the intensity and frequency of my workouts.

And somehow… that’s exactly when things began to shift.

2. Cutting Back My Workouts Actually Helped My Body Lean Out

This surprised me.

From April to September, I pushed myself in my workouts — heavy lifting, high-intensity classes, ~5-6 days per week. I felt strong, but my body composition barely changed.

Once I weaned, I intuitively scaled back:

• strength training 3x/week

• one conditioning day

• daily walks when I can (this hasn't been a change for me though)

Within TWO WEEKS, my arms leaned out — an area that had held onto fat since my first pregnancy over three years ago. My legs changed. My lower stomach slimmed down. Everything looked less inflamed.

Lower prolactin + lower workout stress was exactly what my hormones needed to feel safe releasing fat.

3. My Body Held Onto More Fat While Breastfeeding — and That’s Normal

I want to make this very clear:

It’s not “bad” or “wrong” that my body held onto extra fat while breastfeeding.

Your body is smart. Mine was doing exactly what it needed to do to produce milk and recover from two pregnancies.

Prolactin, your milk-making hormone:

• lowers metabolic rate

• increases appetite

• shifts fat storage

• influences thyroid function

• slows fat loss

Some women lean out while breastfeeding.
Some maintain weight.
Some — like me — hold onto extra fat until weaning.

All are normal. All are valid.

4. A Quick but Important Note: I Truly Loved and Accepted My Body While Breastfeeding

I also want to be clear:

I was completely okay with how my body looked while breastfeeding.

With my second baby, weight loss actually came more easily during breastfeeding — but that was because once I ran my mineral test and corrected my imbalances, everything improved:

• stable blood sugar

• fewer cravings

• more energy

• happier metabolism

With balanced minerals, my body composition shifted even while nursing, but I also accepted that my body needed to hold onto some extra fat to maintain an optimal milk supply.

That extra softness supported:

• milk production

• hormonal stability

• my mental and emotional wellbeing

It wasn’t “holding me back.” It was holding me together.

Now that I’m done breastfeeding, my body is simply adapting to a new hormonal reality, and shifting in ways that feel natural and expected.

5. My Mineral Test Explained Exactly Why I Felt “Stuck” Before

After I weaned, I ran a hair mineral analysis again, and it explained everything.

I was depleted in:

• potassium

• magnesium

• calcium

• copper balance

These minerals control:

• thyroid health

• metabolism

• estrogen + progesterone balance

• blood sugar

• stress response

• cravings

• energy

Now that I’m replenishing these specific minerals, my hormones are working more efficiently, and my body composition is responding accordingly.

6. Years of Consistent Nutrition & Strength Training Paid Off (Just Not Overnight)

This is something I want every mom to hear:

Sometimes your habits ARE working, the timing just isn’t right yet.

For nine months I’ve been:

• eating enough

• prioritizing protein

• balancing minerals

• strength training consistently

• supporting my nervous system

Those habits laid the foundation.

But with prolactin still in the picture and my body nourishing two babies back-to-back, it simply wasn’t the season for aesthetic change.

Now that I’m weaned, my metabolism is shifting, my hormones are recalibrating, and I’m finally seeing progress that reflects the work I’ve already been doing.

7. And Yes… My Boobs Are Sad 😂

Honesty moment.

My boobs have officially deflated. Completely.
Breastfeeding gave me volume I never had before, and now? We’re back to even lower than square one.

Not my favorite part of weaning, but I’m grateful for what they did: they fed two babies, beautifully.

This is simply part of the journey (I can only imagine what they would look like after breastfeeding 2 more, hopeful, babies lol).

8. The Biggest Shift: My Body Finally Feels Like My Own Again

The most unexpected part?

For the first time in almost four years, I feel like I’m back in my own body.

No more prolactin steering the ship.
No more nutritional demands of milk production.
No more hormonal shifts tied to nursing.

Just me.
My hormones.
My metabolism.
My rhythms.

And as I prepare my body for a future pregnancy, it feels freeing to build from a place of restoration, not depletion.

Don't get me wrong.... I do miss nursing my little babe. And I was very sad when we stopped but it did not last long, and he is happy as can be!

9. No hormone craziness!

This was something I was a little nervous about. Many weaning mothers will go through hormone shifts post-nursing where they may be more anxious, depressive, irritable, etc... This was not the case for me! What helped was how slowly I weaned. Baby H has always loved solids so his natural weaning timeline was nice and gradual.

I also noticed a dip in supply when I was in my luteal phase so I used it to my advantage and didn't try to "boost" supply with extra pumping etc during that time when I was wanting to wean. 

The gradual-ness of my weaning journey most definitely helped my hormones adjust, without feeling like I was going crazy. 

If You Want Support With Body Composition (Breastfeeding, After Weaning, or Before TTC) I Can Help

If reading this made you think:

“That feels exactly like what my body is doing…”
“I’m doing everything ‘right’ but nothing is changing…”
“I don’t know what my hormones need anymore…”

Please hear me:

You do not need more restriction, more tracking, or more stress on your body.

Inside Nourished Moms Collective, I help women in every motherhood season — breastfeeding, weaning, TTC, postpartum, preparing for another baby — understand what their body actually needs to:

✨ see body composition changes without dieting
✨ rebalance minerals + hormones
✨ stabilize blood sugar
✨ support thyroid & metabolism
✨ rebuild energy
✨ reduce cravings
✨ regulate mood
✨ feel confident in your routines

Whether your goal is to feel better in your body while breastfeeding, to finally see changes after weaning, or to prepare your body for another pregnancy… this program will meet you exactly where you are.

If you want support like this:

👉 Apply for Nourished Moms Collective Coaching here

Your body isn’t “stuck.”
It’s simply responding to the season it’s in — and with the right support, that can shift beautifully.

xoxo

Lauran