Breastfeeding Nutrition 101
Making breast milk is hard work for your body.
So it is important to consume nutrient dense foods that not only provide you with the essentials to sustain a healthy milk supply for your baby, but to also ensure YOU are being supported through the long days, lack of sleep, low energy and fluctuating mood.
While many new mothers want to lose the baby weight quickly, my first advice would be to be kind to yourself. Supporting your body through this important process will not only serve your baby with nutrient dense breast milk, but will also ensure healthy hormonal changes, to allow weight loss to fall into place naturally and sustainably.
The amounts of some nutrients in your diet may directly affect their presence in your breast milk. On the other hand, some nutrients are transferred into breast milk regardless of your intake.
The general rule is that you can eat anything in moderation while breastfeeding.
And since a varied diet changes the taste and smell of your milk, it will expose your baby to many different flavors (so the green vegetables, flavour rich foods and fish you’re eating today may have your baby reaching for those foods in the future). In fact, expanding your little one’s culinary horizons well before they start solids might even minimize the potential for pickiness...true story.
It is however important to note that some flavours from food, spices or beverages may be reflected in your breast milk. If you find that your baby becomes fussy, spits up and becomes ill after a feeding, it may be because of something you ate. Nevertheless, you should not make any significant changes to your diet without consulting your naturopathic doctor or registered nutritionist.
Here’s what to consume each day to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need and offering your baby a taste for the healthy stuff early on:
Protein: 3-4 servings
Whole grains and complex carbohydrates: 3 servings
High-fat foods: Small amounts (2-3 tbsps - you don't need as much as you did during pregnancy)
Leafy green and yellow vegetables/fruits: 3 to 4 servings
Calcium: 5 servings (or between 1,000 and 1,500 mg — especially important since breastfeeding draws from your calcium reserves)
Iron-rich foods: 1 or more servings
Vitamin C: 2 servings
Other fruits and veggies: 1 or more servings
Omega 3s: 2 to 3 servings a week to promote baby's brain growth (that’s at least 8 ounces a week of low-mercury fish like wild salmon and sardines; you can also get omega 3s in DHA-enriched eggs)
This blog was written by wellbe’s holistic nutritionist, Sabrina Virdee.