Breastfeeding Diet
Lactation, Health And Diet
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The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely solely on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will need to maintain a healthy diet.
If the baby is large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly, meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.
This type of diet normally involves a high calorie, high nutrition diet which follows on from that in pregnancy. Even though mothers in famine conditions can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.
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Advanced Prenatal Effervescent Dietary Supplement, 32 Stick Packs
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Smoking
If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use extreme caution. More than 20 cigarettes a day has been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in the infants. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.
Alcohol
Heavy drinking is also known to harm the infant, as well as yourself. If you are breast feeding, you should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at a time.
Coffee and Caffeine
The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased feeding in the infant. Moderate use, normally 1 - 2 cups a day normally produce no effect. Therefore, mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid caffeine or restrict intake of it.
By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake of the above, you’ll ensure that your baby gets the right nutrients during your time of breast feeding. This stage of life is very important - as you don’t want anything to happen to your baby.
Water
Breast milk is over 90% water. Even in the hottest days of summer, a baby won’t require any extra water. If a baby isn’t feeding well, they still don’t require any extra water - although they will need the breast feeding problems to be fixed.
Vitamin D
Although breast milk doesn’t contain much vitamin D, it does have a little. The baby will store up vitamin D during pregnancy, and remain healthy without any vitamin D supplementation, unless you yourself had a problem with vitamin D deficiency when pregnant. Exposure to the outside will give your baby vitamin D, even in winter and when the sky cloud covered. An hour or more exposure during the week will give your baby more than enough vitamin D.
Iron
Breast milk contains less iron than formulas do, especially those that are iron enriched. Iron will give the baby added protection against infections, as many bacteria need iron in order to multiply. The iron found in breast milk is utilized well by the baby, while not being available to bacteria.
The introduction of iron should never be delayed beyond the age of 6 months. Breast milk is the best that your can feed your baby, as it provides everything he will need for probably the first 6 months. After the first 6 months, you can introduce solid foods to your baby if he is taking an interest to them.
Foods to Avoid While Breast Feeding
Many women find that they can eat whatever they may like during breast feeding. Even though it’s true that some strongly favoured foods can change the taste of our milk, many babies seem to enjoy the varieties of breast milk flavours
Occasionally, your baby may get cranky at the breast after you eat certain foods. If you notice this happening, simply avoid that particular food.
The most common offenders during breast feeding include;
- chocolate,
- spices,
- citrus fruits,
- garlic,
- chilli,
- lime,
- gassy vegetables such as cabbage, onions, cauliflower, etc,
- and fruits with laxative type effects, such as prunes and cherries.
You can have a cup or two of coffee a day, although too much caffeine can interfere with your baby’s sleep and even make him or her cranky. Keep in mind, caffeine is found in many sodas, tea, and even over the counter type medicine as well.
It’s okay to have an alcoholic beverage every now and then, although having more than one drink can increase your blood alcohol level, putting the alcohol into your breast milk.
If you are planning to have more than one drink at a time, it’s best to wait two hours or more per drink before you resume any type of nursing or breast feeding. There is no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and its time to feed your baby. While breast feeding, any type of heavy drinking should be avoided.
Before you actually omit any foods from your diet, you should talk to your doctor. If you avoid certain foods and it causes a utritional imbalance, you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on taking other foods or getting nutritional supplements.
