Breastfeeding mothers should always eat a balanced and healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids to produce more breast milk. Your daily diet should include all the basic food groups such as calcium, protein, iron, and vitamins. Breastfeeding mothers typically require more calories than a new non-breastfeeding mother. If she is fully breastfeeding, her diet should include 2700 kcal per day. However, her calorie intake will be reduced after weaning from breastfeeding to 1800 kcal per day. It is very common for you to feel more thirsty; therefore, it is essential that you drink enough water to quench your thirst. You can also drink a glass of water before and after nursing.
A healthy breastfeeding diet is based more on the good quality of food than on the quantity of food.. A healthy daily diet should include:
1. 50% grain (such as oats, cereal, wheat germ, etc.)
2. 20% vegetables, beans and peas (such as carrots, squash, spinach or other green vegetables, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans, kidney beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.)
3. 10% fruits (such as plums, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, honeydew)
4. 10% various nuts, seeds, and seaweed (such as almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, etc.), and 5. Last but not least, 10% meat and Fish (such as lean beef, pork, lamb, shrimp, clams, oysters, cod, rainbow trout, halibut, etc.). 6. You can also add some dairy products to your diet, such as low-fat milk and low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
Good foods that help maintain a healthy and balanced diet for lactation:
1. Beans and peas such as soybeans, kidney beans, etc. are your source of protein. They are also rich in vitamin B. It is a good source of food to lose weight during lactation without affecting the quality of breast milk.
2. Raisins, almonds, and other nuts contain more iron, calcium, and fiber than fresh fruit, and are also a very good substitute for fruit that can lead to weight gain.
3. Dried clams, oysters and scallops are enriched with iron. You could add this food group to your diet to prevent anemia.
4. Seaweed is a high-fiber, zero-calorie food that also helps lower cholesterol. 5. Spinach, cabbage and green vegetables would improve your body’s metabolism.
Nursing mothers should be aware of the intake of certain foods, as any food that you have included in your diet will pass into your breast milk. It is recommended to avoid taking a lot of spices, vinegar, ginger and sesame oil. Fish such as swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish are not suitable for you as a nursing mother, as these fish contain high levels of mercury. It is also recommended to avoid alcoholic beverages. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee are also not recommended. However, a moderate amount like 2 cups a day would not affect your breast milk much if you can’t help it. You should quit smoking if you are a smoker. Even secondhand smoke is not good.
Nursing mothers are advised to be aware that any medication should be taken under professional description. Although the amounts of medication that will be present in breast milk are low and the concentration is too low to cause any danger to the baby, you are urged to consult a professional before taking any medication. You should seek professional advice on the appropriateness of the use of any medication before attempting self-medication.
Breath feeding your baby requires additional calories in your diet; therefore, you must ensure that your diet and the foods you eat daily include all the essential dietary food groups. The type of food you eat will affect the quality of breast milk for your baby.
