During the breastfeeding period, mothers do not have to adopt any special diet plan and neither are they limited to eating only specific kinds of food. In general, they can eat whatever they like, however, certain precautions still need to be taken care of for the sake of the mother’s health. Fortunately, even if mothers do not take care of their own diet, their baby will still obtain the same nutrition and high caloric milk from their mother’s body. Still, it is vital to take a balanced, wholesome and nutritious diet to cater for the baby’s physical needs as well as for her own self.

There are certain kinds of food items that mothers needs to abstain from or avoid because they can indirectly affect the baby’s well-being. Breastfeeding mothers also have to make sure to consume certain food types for example, whole grains & cereals, fresh fruits & vegetables for the sake of iron as well as calcium rich dairy products and protein rich foods. Protein foods are a source of B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium; milk products are rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin and phosphorus; grain products are a source of B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and zinc and vegetables and fruits are sources of folacin and vitamins A, B6, and E, and minerals. Consuming a healthy, well-balanced and adequately caloric diet can assist in the baby’s growth and ensure the safety of the mother’s health as well. According to Kathleen Huggins, author of The Nursing Mother’s Companion, breastfeeding mothers don’t necessarily need to eat more than average mothers but they need to make sure that their diet includes all the healthful and fresh food items.

Certain mothers feel that losing pregnancy weight might be hard during breastfeeding; on the contrary, the technical process of breastfeeding actually helps to lose weight since deposited fats are diminished as body is prepared for lactation. Breastfeeding also helps delay menstruation and prevents pregnancy. Experts recommend that mothers should not attempt to lose weight during the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding since energy is required to nurse the baby around the clock. Rather, the weight loss procedure should be gradual, losing one or two pounds every week and maintaining a well-balanced and wholesome diet. If mothers find that they are losing more than a couple of pounds, they should consider increasing their daily intake of calories. Losing weight rapidly can release harmful toxins in the body’s bloodstream that can enter breast milk and be passed to the baby’s body; limiting food supply can also affect the mother’s milk supply. Therefore, mothers should take 10 to 12 months to gradually lose all their pregnancy weight by taking care of their diet.

For the fact that fish and seafood contain mercury, conceiving, nursing and pregnant mothers should limit their intake of fish to 6 ounces of ‘white’ tuna and 12 ounces of ‘light tuna’ a week. Moreover, shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish (golden or white snapper), tuna steak, orange roughy, Spanish mackerel, marlin, grouper have highest mercury levels and should be avoided. Breastfeeding mothers should also abstain from alcohol or limit its consumption because it too, can indirectly affect the baby. If an alcoholic beverage is consumed, mothers should wait for a couple of hours for the alcohol to pass from the body before nursing. During this time, the baby can be fed stored breast milk using a breast pump, which the mother has already saved and frozen earlier. Varying types of breast pumps are available in stores depending on costs, efficiency and ease of use. Two major types of pumps are manual or hand operated and breast electric pumps. This type of nursing should be done only if there is no danger of nipple confusion; a situation where the baby might confuse a bottle nipple with that of the mother’s. Water intake should also be taken care of; mothers should consume at least 8 ounces of water, juices, soups and other fluids to avoid dehydration since excess fluid is drained from the body during nursing. Also, caffeine in all forms should also be limited as it can make the baby agitated, fussy and alert; not more than one cup of coffee or equivalent should be consumed. Nicotine can cause respiratory diseases in the baby, so smoking mothers should quit during breastfeeding period or try to limit their nicotine consumption during this time.

Certain foods can cause the baby to fuss, cry or sleep little, therefore they should be avoided. Allergic foods can also be identified by observing skin rashes on the baby and any change in breathing and stool. Overall, if these precautions are heeded, both the mother and the child will benefit from them. Apart from these limitations, mothers can enjoy eating whatever they like during the breastfeeding time. Happy eating!

Additional Resources

Track breastfeeding and mom’s diet to make sure your baby is not sensitive to your diet.

More on foods mom can/can’t eat

 
 

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