Healthy diet for nursing mothers

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1. A healthy balanced diet

One of the wonders of breast milk is that it can meet your baby's nutritional needs even if you're not eating perfectly. (However, if your diet is too low in calories or depends on one food group and excludes others, this can affect the quality and quantity of milk.)
Just for your baby. Just because your irregular diet won't hurt doesn't mean you won't be affected. When you don't get the nutrients you need from your diet, your body uses up its stores and can eventually become depleted. In addition, you need the strength and stamina to meet the physical demands of caring for a new baby.
Many nursing mothers feel hungrier, for a reason: Your body is working around the clock to make breast milk for your baby. Eating small meals with healthy snacks, the way you probably did during pregnancy is a good way to keep hunger under control and keep your energy levels high.

2. No calorie count

There is no single answer to how many calories a nursing mother needs. But in general, most women who are breastfeeding need about 500 more calories than mothers who are not breastfeeding, which is a total of 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day.
Instead of counting calories, track your hunger as a guide to how much you need to eat. The exact amount depends on several individual factors, such as your weight, exercise level, how your metabolism works, and how often you breastfeed.
If you are concerned about excessive weight gain, talk to your healthcare provider about body mass index and what you can do to maintain a healthy weight.

3. Slow and steady weight loss goal

Some new moms find the weight seems to drop, while others don't lose much. It all depends on your body, your food choices, your activity level and your metabolism.
Best option: Gradually lose weight during pregnancy. Plan to take up to a year to regain your pre-pregnancy weight.
Don't try to lose weight by dieting until at least two months after giving birth. A reduced-calorie diet for the first few months can drain your energy and decrease your milk supply.
If you are overweight or obese, you can start trying to lose weight earlier but consult your doctor first. And make sure to stay hydrated, sometimes dieters cut back on water when they eat less food.
Most women can safely lose 0.5 kg per week by combining a healthy diet with moderate exercise.
A sudden drop in calories can affect your milk supply, so don't diet to lose weight quickly. If you lose more than 0.5 kg a week after the first six weeks, that's a sign you need to take in more calories.

4. Healthy Food

What is good for breastfeeding? Variety and balance are key to a healthy diet. Eating a mixture of protein and fat with meals helps you stay fuller longer and provide the body with essential nutrients. That is nutrition while breastfeeding. Complex carbs like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables not only provide more nutrition than processed starches and sugars, they also provide longer lasting energy. And it's important to choose from all the food groups so you can get the vitamins you and your baby need over time. So mix it up, try to eat something today that you didn't eat yesterday.

5. Choose good fats

When it comes to fats, think mono and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources of these "healthy fats" include canola oil, olive oil, and fatty fish (like salmon) as well as avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds.
Limit saturated fat and avoid trans fat, both of which are considered unhealthy. Saturated fats occur in high-fat meats, whole milk, tropical oils (such as palm kernels and coconut), butter, and lard. Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats. Saturated fat and trans fat are both listed on the product's nutrition label.
In addition to being bad for your diet, too much of this unhealthy fat can change the fat composition of breast milk, which is not good for your baby's health.
While we don't know the long-term effects of unhealthy fats on the heart health of infants, we do know that in adults these fats negatively affect heart health by increasing LDL (bad cholesterol), lowering HDL (good cholesterol) and increasing markers of inflammation. Unhealthy fats also increase the risk of heart attack and death from heart disease.

6. Take additional steps to avoid contaminants

You should try to minimize your exposure to contaminants in food (and your environment) while breastfeeding. Pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals you ingest can get into your breast milk.
Although research is underway, we know that environmental chemicals can affect your baby's long-term health. Here are some tips to limit your exposure:
Eat a variety of foods. If you eat large amounts of a pesticide-rich food, your pesticide intake will be higher if the food is just one of many foods you eat. Know which fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of pesticides, and choose organic varieties where possible. Always wash fruits and vegetables. Or better yet, peel them off. According to the Environmental Working Group, as of 2011, the "dirty dozen" highest tested for pesticides were apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines and imported grapes, bell peppers sweets, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce and kale and broccoli. The vegetables with the lowest pesticide residues were onions, sweet corn, pineapple, avocado, asparagus, peas, mango, eggplant, cantaloupe, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potato, grapefruit. and mushrooms. Choose products that are in season in your area and shop locally when you can. Products that travel long distances often have more pesticides. Choose lean meat, remove the skin and excess fat before cooking. Chemicals are stored in fat. Consider drinking plain water while breastfeeding. The EPA requires all tap water to meet certain standards, but small amounts of many chemicals are found in tap water.

7. Eat fish

When you're breastfeeding, it's important to get protein from a variety of sources including fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish for a heart-healthy diet.
Certain types of fish (especially cold water fish) also contain DHA and EPA, omega-3 fats that play an important role in continued brain and eye development into your baby's first year. (Your baby gets these omega-3s from your breast milk.)
DHA not only helps your baby, it helps you as well. Research shows that mothers with lower DHA intake, as well as eating less seafood, are more likely to experience postpartum depression.
Eat up to 340 grams of most fish and seafood per week, including salmon, shrimp, canned tuna, trout, tilapia, catfish, crab, tilapia and scallops.
If you don't like seafood, try an omega-3 supplement. Just make sure to talk to your healthcare provider first to find out how much to take.
Also, be aware that some fish contain contaminants that can be harmful to pregnant and lactating women and children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency advise against eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
Solid white or albacore tuna tend to contain more mercury than other types of canned tuna. If you eat solid white or albacore tuna, limit your intake to 170 grams per week.

8. Drinking alcohol

Alcohol gets into breast milk, and drinking in moderation can also affect your lactation reflex. Studies show that children drink less milk in the four hours after you drink an alcoholic beverage. And your baby may fall asleep and fall asleep faster after you drink alcohol, but will also fall asleep in a shorter amount of time. (And of course, heavy drinking makes it impossible for you to safely care for your baby.)
If you're going to indulge in occasional alcoholic beverages, keep in mind that it takes 2-3 hours for the body to recover. can eliminate alcohol in a single drink of beer or wine. The specific time frame depends on your weight and how much you drink, but the more you drink, the longer it takes your body to get rid of it.
Alcohol is not stored in breast milk, rather, levels rise and fall just like in your blood. If you have alcohol, wait at least two hours before breastfeeding or you may need to express milk at this time. If you're going to have a drink with alcohol, breastfeed or express milk before that.
If you are a breastfeeding mother supplemented with breastfeeding late at night, another option is to wait until your baby has gone to bed overnight before you drink alcohol.
Also, drink water with alcoholic beverages and eat before g to help reduce the amount of alcohol in your blood and milk.

9. Drink lots of water and limit caffeine

When you are breastfeeding, your body needs a lot of fluids, but it is not necessary to record how much you drink. A good rule to follow is to drink to satisfy your thirst i.e. drink whenever you feel the need. If your urine is clear or light yellow, it is a good sign that you are well hydrated.
Speaking of liquids, you can have a morning cup of coffee while breastfeeding if you like, but don't overdo it. Small amounts of caffeine build up in breast milk and it can build up in your baby's body because he can't easily break it down and excrete it.
Most experts recommend that breastfeeding mothers limit caffeine consumption (including coffee, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate and coffee cream) to no more than 300 mg per day . That's as much as you'll get in three 150 ml cups of coffee. You can drink even less if you are nursing a newborn or premature baby. Check out our caffeine chart to see how much caffeine is in common beverages and foods.

10. Consider the taste of what you eat and drink

Most nursing mothers can eat a variety of foods while breastfeeding including spicy foods. In fact, some experts believe that babies enjoy a variety of flavors in breast milk. Eating your favorite foods while breastfeeding gives your baby a "taste" to your diet and can help him accept different foods when he starts to eat solid foods.
But some mothers claim that certain foods like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, dairy products, chocolate, citrus, garlic or peppers make their breastfed babies uncomfortable or uncomfortable. If your baby frequently seems upset after you eat a particular food, avoid it by all means to see if she feels happier.
In rare cases, your child may be allergic to something you have eaten. If this is the case, you may notice a reaction on your child's skin (rash or hives), in his breathing (wheezing or congestion), or in his stools (green or mucus).

11. Continue to take vitamin supplements

You should continue to take prenatal vitamins while breastfeeding for at least the first month. You can then switch to your regular multivitamin and mineral supplement or continue taking your prenatal vitamin, depending on your individual needs.
A food supplement is not a substitute for a balanced diet, but it can provide some additional coverage on those days when caring for your new baby keeps you from eating as well as you would like.
In addition to prenatal vitamins or multivitamins, consider taking the following supplements:
11.1. Calcium Although your prenatal vitamin or multivitamin may have small amounts of calcium, you'll need a calcium supplement if you don't eat at least three daily servings of calcium-rich foods (such as milk and dairy products). from other dairy, canned fish or calcium-fortified foods such as cereals, juices, soy and rice-based beverages, and breads).
The recommended dose for women before, during, and after pregnancy is 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day. (Adolescent mothers need 1,300 mg per day.)
Do not get more than 2,500 mg per day from all sources. Exceeding this safe upper limit may lead to nephrolithiasis, hypercalcemia, and renal failure syndrome. It can also interfere with the body's absorption of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. If you're going to take calcium, be sure to get extra vitamin D
11.2 Vitamin D This vitamin is important for bone growth and overall health. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium, and research shows it can reduce your risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain autoimmune diseases.
Sun exposure helps the body produce vitamin D, but many women don't get enough sun (especially in winter and when using sunscreen) to make the right amount and Experts say the small amounts found in foods may not be enough. The best way to know if you're getting enough vitamin D is to have a blood test. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the American Institute of Medicine both recommend that all women get 600 IU (15 micrograms) of vitamin D per day, but no more than 4,000 IU. Very large amounts of vitamin D - more than 10,000 IU per day - can cause kidney and tissue damage.
By the way, breast milk doesn't provide enough vitamin D. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies who are exclusively breastfed or drink less than 32 ounces of formula a day should get 400 IU (10 micrograms) of vitamin D. every day more. Talk to your baby's doctor about vitamin D supplementation.
Vitamin D is important for bone growth and preventing rickets in children. Experts say getting enough vitamin D in childhood can also help prevent certain diseases, like osteoarthritis, from developing later in life.
11.3. DHA The amount of DHA in breast milk depends on your diet, especially whether you eat fish or not. So, if your diet doesn't include a few servings of cold water fish or other foods that contain DHA (like fortified eggs) per week, you may want to consider taking a supplement.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that nursing mothers get 200 to 300 mg of DHA per day.

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Reference source: babycenter.com