Tamara Schryver, PhD, MS, RD Responds:

The best advice you can give your daughter is to encourage her to set up a consultation with a registered dietitian who is experienced in helping women lose weight postpartum. Losing weight while breast-feeding can be a difficult balancing act and every woman’s body responds differently to the fluctuating hormones that help produce breast milk. Oxytocin, one hormone that is released during breast-feeding, helps the uterus (and often the abdomen) contract—though the amount varies among women.

Women who are breast-feeding should focus on the quality of their diets, making sure to eat enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats and beans in order to ensure the production of high-quality breast milk. A helpful tool for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers is available on the USDA Web site. It shows how to use MyPyramid (www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/index.html) to meet specific dietary needs during pregnancy and lactation. Adding gentle exercise, such as a postpartum yoga class or walking is another way to help mothers reach their prepregnancy weight. Drinking adequate fluids when nursing and exercising is important for proper hydration and to ensure the volume of milk the mother produces doesn’t decline.