Many moms will make a conscious effort to breastfeed their child after birth. It’s not for everyone, as some new moms will find breastfeeding impossible (or simply prefer not to) and some babies don’t agree with breast milk. However, if this is something you want to do, here are 6 of our top tips for eating healthy while breastfeeding.
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1) Eat for you
The importance of breastfeeding is ensuring that you can meet the nutritional needs of your baby and this all starts with making sure your body gets the right foods. Although your breast milk can meet the needs of your baby when you’re not eating well, eating healthy while breastfeeding will go a long way to ensuring the quality and quantity of the milk you produce.
You might find yourself feeling hungrier more often which is completely normal – especially when you consider that your body is having to work much harder to produce breast milk on demand. Eating healthy snacks in between meals is a great way to keep your body going and maintain a healthy diet.
2) Don’t count the calories
Calorie counting won’t help. The amount of food and nutrients you require is going to vary depending on how you feel. Generally speaking, moms who are breastfeeding will require an additional 500 calories compared to those who aren’t.
It’s much more important that you feed your hunger and give your body what it wants to ensure your eating healthy while breastfeeding as opposed to counting the calories you’re putting into your body and restricting your intake that way.
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3) Proactively try to avoid contaminants
Minimising your exposure to contaminants will help to prevent pesticides, insecticides and chemicals from making their way into your breast milk. You can monitor your contaminant intake by knowing which fruit and vegetables are a high risk – or even switch to an organic option. Choosing to buy local will also help you to eat healthy while breastfeeding.
4) Avoid the alcohol
Although one drink every now and again won’t have a drastic effect on your breastfeeding, you should try to refrain from including alcohol in your diet, as it can enter your breast milk and therefore enter your baby’s system.
5) Stay hydrated
As with during your pregnancy, maintaining good levels of hydration will ensure your body can do what it does best. If you can limit the amount of caffeine you consume as well, that will prevent it from entering your baby’s system.
6) Don’t try to lose your pregnancy weight all at once
Every mom is different and that’s why it’s important to not focus on shedding the pregnancy weight as quickly as possible. Some new moms will find the weight just drops off, and some will struggle to lose any at all.
Don’t try losing the weight or dieting until at least two months after you’ve given birth to allow your body time to adjust to its new responsibilities – reducing your calorie intake within the first few months could drastically effect the amount of milk you’re able to produce.
Resources:
https://www.babycenter.com/0_diet-for-a-healthy-breastfeeding-mom_3565.bc?showAll=true
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