The effect of exclusive breastfeeding on female weight loss in the postpartum period

Background and Aim: Breastfeeding in the first year after birth can help the mother lose weight. Breast milk from birth to the end of 6 months alone can provide all the nutritional needs of the infant that are necessary for his normal growth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of exclusive breastfeeding on postpartum weight loss in women referred to health centers in Hamadan.Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed on 200 women who had recently given birth and referred to health centers in Hamadan for postpartum care. The sampling method was multi-stage cluster sampling. From 30 health centers in Hamadan, 13 health centers in the north, south, east, west and center were selected and from each center based on the quota of the samples were examined. The tool of this study is a researcher-made questionnaire containing demographic, midwifery and maternal weight information. Maternal weight was weighed and recorded at the end of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth months after delivery with a fixed scale. SPSS software version 16 was used for data analysis.Results: The mean and standard deviation of weight gain in pregnancy in the studied samples was 12.1 3 3.5 kg. At the end of the sixth month after delivery, the mean and standard deviation of weight loss of lactating mothers was 6.24 95 2.95 kg. The results of multiple regression analysis on the factors affecting maternal weight loss at the end of the sixth month after delivery in this study showed that age, number of deliveries, BMI before pregnancy, weight gain in pregnancy and exercise were significantly effective in reducing maternal weight ( (p <0.05).Conclusion: Mothers who used only their milk to feed their infants during the six months after delivery had a favorable weight loss after this time period. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding can help mothers lose weight after childbirth and encouraging mothers to this type of nutrition can pave the way for them to achieve health.