Breastfeeding Diet

A healthy nutritious diet is much more important while breastfeeding than during pregnancy, when it is important to consume a balanced diet. Your breastfeeding diet determines the attributes of breast milk. Besides, breastfeeding diet decides the speed in which your body recovers from delivery and its aftereffects. As motherhood is an ultimate responsibility, you must do what is good for your baby. You must develop a breastfeeding diet that will supply all the ingredients needed for the development of your baby. Mother’s milk must give all the necessary nutrition and supplement vital antibodies required to be immune to different illnesses and infections that plague babies. A healthy regular diet of around 2500 calories is sufficient to give necessary nutrients and energy to make milk for the baby’s daily intake. After three months increase it to 2800 calories. To produce breast milk continuously, partake in around five or six small balanced meals, instead of a few large ones. Drink around a gallon of water daily.

Nutrients In Breastfeeding Diet

The nutrients like proteins, vitamins and other minerals are absolutely essential for the growth of the babies. The nursing mothers must include in their breastfeeding diet all food that supplies these to the baby through the breast milk. Carbohydrates like rice and wheat and low fat diary products are highly suitable food for breastfeeding mothers. Protein intake must be at the rate of one gram for every pound of her weight. Stay away from alcohol or indulge very moderately. Limit consumption of colas, coffee, tea, chocolate and sweets.

Vitamins

Vitamin D is the sole vitamin produced in the mother’s body. Include diet food that will provide all the other vitamins. The baby’s body needs Vitamin A, B, C and D. These along with fiber and minerals can be obtained from various fruits like apples, oranges, melons, peaches, plums and berries and vegetables like broccoli, beans, cauliflower and squash. To produce Vitamin D you need sun, which can prove difficult in winters. Then you will have to get it from food like dairy products, oily fish and margarine or take 10-microgram supplements of Vitamin D. Milk gives Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B12. If you take birth control pills, diet supplements rich in B6, as well as B9 must be taken to overcome the pill induced deficiencies.

Minerals

Breastfeeding diet must supply minerals such as Zinc, Calcium, Iron and Selenium. You can get zinc from sardines, prawns, mackerel, red meat, cedar cheese, baked potatoes and beans, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, lentil, cashew nuts, peanut butter and bread. Diary products and milk are rich in calcium. Nondairy food includes white bread, spinach, sardines, salmon, dried figs, almonds, Soya milk, sesame seeds, tahini, kale, broccoli and tofu. Minimum calcium of 1000 milligram is essential daily for developing healthy bones and frame of the baby. Iron is necessary for making hemoglobin, found in red blood cells. Good sources of iron are lamb, lean beef, turkey meat, dark chicken, sardines, eggs, chick-peas, kidney beans, baked beans and potatoes, red lentils, broccoli, spinach, kale, spring greens, apricots, figs and prunes. Selenium can be obtained from fish, lentil and cheese.