How important is healthy eating during breastfeeding?
Eating healthy while breastfeeding is good for both mothers and breastfed babies.
But what are the best foods to eat while breastfeeding?
A healthy diet should include plenty of calcium, iron, potassium and vitamins A and D. Breastfeeding mothers should strive to get these nutrients through a variety of foods, as it is helpful to expose babies to different flavors.
What to eat while breastfeeding
Nursing mothers should eat both the right number of calories and the correct foods.
Breastfeeding moms typically need 450-500 extra calories per day to support their body.
If you are looking to lose weight after pregnancy, you may not need to increase your calorie intake, but it is something you should discuss with your doctor and also with your pediatrician.
As for good foods to eat while breastfeeding, here are some types of foods and nutrients that you should include in your diet:
- Protein
Protein is an important component of the breastfeeding diet.
Most mothers need an extra 25 grams of protein each day. Good sources of protein include lean beef and pork, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. - Bold vegetables,
A good goal for nursing mothers is to consume about 700-750g of vegetables per day. Vegetables are rich in nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Some good options include carrots, tomatoes, spinach, red peppers, cabbage and sweet potatoes. - dairy products
Consuming many dairy products can help replenish the calcium that pregnancy and breastfeeding can extract from your bones. Moms should take 500g to 700g of dairy products per day.
This can include milk, cheese and yogurt, but any intolerances and possible substitutions should also be considered. - Cereals
For the main share of carbohydrates, cereals cannot be missed, particularly whole grains, which provide nursing mothers with many important nutrients. Rice, bread, pasta and oatmeal are good sources. Prefer old grains and try to reduce gluten that has a high inflammatory component (especially in particularly refined flours).
They should be integrated and divided into the main meals, trying to vary the source as much as possible (for example, oat cereals in the morning, buckwheat pasta for lunch and brown rice in the evening). - Fruits
Not only are fruits rich in nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, but they can help relieve constipation, which some women experience after childbirth. Fruits, including bananas, oranges, grapefruits, apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes and plums, are recommended to be consumed in the early hours of the day.
Any bloating can be remedied by having the fruit of choice cooked in a pan or baked, thus making it more digestible.
- Bold water,
Although water is not necessarily a food, taking enough is important. Drinking 12 glasses of water a day is a good goal.
What not to eat during lactation
Although nursing mothers can and should enjoy a wide variety in their diet, there are some foods to avoid during breastfeeding.
So it is important to know what to eat and what not to eat during lactation.
Foods to stay away from (or otherwise restricted) while breastfeeding include:
- Coffee and tea
Some of the caffeine in the coffee and tea you drink will end up in breast milk and may make it more difficult for your baby to sleep.
It can also make it more difficult for you to take a nap while your baby is resting or sleeping through the night.
It should therefore be limited; a cup of coffee a day perhaps in the morning is a fair trade-off. - Cabbage, broccoli and other “gaseous” foods bold,
If a particular food gives you gas and bloating in your belly, it can produce the same reaction in your baby. In these early times, by the way, very often newborns are naturally “full of gas” and therefore consuming these foods during lactation can make them particularly uncomfortable and exacerbate the problem. - Bold fish,
Some types of fish, such as mackerel and swordfish, have higher levels of mercury, which may be present in breast milk. If you are going to eat fish, you should consume other types, such as tilapia and trout, which have lower mercury levels and eat no more than six ounces of fish twice a week. - Chocolate
Alas, chocolate is also not a lactation-friendly food: it should not be demonized but limited and should not be abused.
Why? Not everyone knows but chocolate also contains caffeine (to be avoided for the reasons listed above) and also could have a laxative effect on children. - Garlic
Breast milk reflects the flavors of the foods you have eaten, and many babies do not like the taste of garlic because it can be unpleasant. In some cases, this may cause them to refuse to breastfeed - Peppermint, sage and parsley
These herbs can have a negative impact on milk production.
It is best to minimize consumption, especially if you have any indication that your baby is not getting enough breast milk while breastfeeding.
The answer to other questions like “Can I eat spicy foods while breastfeeding?” will depend on how your baby reacts when you do so. But with a little bit of experimentation and observation, you will quickly understand what works and what doesn’t and therefore what is better to limit and what to take without any problems.
