Milk Production and Body Weight Response to Suggested Protocol in Obese Lactating Women

"All participants will be instructed by the following guidelines:~* Hold the breast so the nipple brushes the center of the infant's lips and wait for the infant to open the mouth.~* Infant's mouth should be opened wide, as with a yawn and should cover the entire areola, or a large amount of the areola.~* Both breasts are used in each feeding, usually 10 to 15 minutes on the first side, followed by burping before beginning the second side.~* Break suction by placing finger in the corner of infant's mouth and quickly remove breast.~* Apply breast massage before breastfeeding.~* The neonate is nursed shortly after birth and approximately every 2 to 3 hours thereafter for a total of 8 to 12 feedings a day.~* Lactating women needs about 8 to 10 glasses of fluids per day while breastfeeding.~* Caffeine consumption should be limited to 2 cups of coffee, tea or cola per day.~* Lactating mother should consume a healthy diet which is varied, balanced, and natural."

The participants will be engaged in a supervised moderate aerobic exercise in the form of walking on a treadmill for 40 minutes/ day, 3 days/ week, for 6 weeks beginning 6:8 weeks postpartum. Each exercise session will be divided into 3 phases. The warm-up phase begins with walking at low speed (within resting heart rate) on a treadmill for 5 minutes. The active phase continues for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity of 60 to 70% of maximal heart rate (HRmax). Gradual increase and adjustment of speed will be applied for each woman according to her prescribed intensity based on HRmax. HRmax is calculated by subtracting the age from 220. The program will be terminated with 5 minutes cool-down phase, during which the treadmill speed will be gradually decreased until the heart rate resumes its resting level.