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Breast Feeding
Breastfeeding - Diet
Diet for Breastfeeding
Nutrition for breastfeeding mothers is of utmost importance. This is because the baby draws all its nourishment from the mother’s milk. There are no best foods for breastfeeding mothers
because the focus has to be on a holistic diet rather than a restrictive one. The following pointers must be kept in mind to ascertain that the diet for breastfeeding mothers is wholesome.
- Consume a diet that is well balanced your well being first. The baby will do just fine if you are healthy.
- Do not indulge in calorie counting. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ principle cannot be applied to how many calories you consume as a breastfeeding mother.
- Aim for the ‘slow-but-steady-wins-the-race’ principle when it comes to weight loss. Drastic weight loss did nobody any good and this holds true more so in the case of a nursing mom.
- Make sure your diet consists of a variety of healthy food options. These foods must contain a mix of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
- Watch your alcohol intake. This is because alcohol does enter your breast milk and tends to affect milk let down.
- Stay hydrated by drinking sufficient amounts of water and limit caffeine intake. Caffeine tends to build up in the baby’s system because his/her system cannot process and excrete it.
- Make sure that you take your vitamins daily; calcium, vitamin D, DHA are all vital to you and your baby.
You may log on to the internet for some exciting and interesting recipes for breastfeeding mothers. The important thing to keep in mind is that you should eat whatever you feel like but in moderation; keeping the above mentioned points in mind.
Frequently asked questions
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics. New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding. Meek JY, ed. New York, NY: Bantam Books; 2002
- Kramer MS, Chalmers B, Hodnett ED, et al. Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT): a randomized trial in the Republic of Belarus. JAMA. 2001;285 :413 –420