How many more calories should I consume while lactating?

Providing food for one growing infant increases the lactating parent’s energy demands by approximately 30% compared to nonpregnant, nonlactating levels.^[1] The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that breastfeeding mothers consume an additional 450 to 500 calories per baby per day.

Keep in mind that this recommendation, despite being a good general rule, overestimates or underestimates the true metabolic requirements in about one-third of lactating parents.^[2] Determining the exact caloric requirements for each lactating parent simply isn’t feasible because it would necessitate careful calculations of the amount of milk produced, the energy density of the milk, and the energetic efficiency of milk synthesis, all of which are generally out of reach for the average parent. Following general recommendations and tweaking them as needed based on personal assessments alongside professional guidance is an acceptable method to determine caloric intake for most lactating parents.