Breastfeeding Diet – Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby

Eating well while breastfeeding is important for both mother and baby. While there are no clear-cut rules, guidelines or even a strict definition for what is considered a good breastfeeding diet, it still helps to be mindful of what you eat to ensure you and your child are getting sufficient nutrition during these critical years.

Nursing mothers often face the following eating dilemmas:

- It’s easy to miss meals – or more exactly, forget about self-care altogether – when you are caring for a baby.

- It’s hard to sit down for regular, proper meals when you have a baby attached to you most of the time.

- You feel thirsty and hungry all the time. No surprise, because it is estimated that you use 330 calories a day when you are breastfeeding (more than what you can burn if you run or mow the lawn for an hour).

This combination of exhaustion, hunger and time and logistical constraints is dangerous. It can lead to poor food choices and hard-to-break habits that can affect your health and your baby. The following are steps that can help you avoid this scenario:

Develop a meal plan. When you’re stressed, sleepless, having cravings and have limited mobility, reaching out for the nearest chips or glugging down a can of soda can become the easiest “solution.” Get away from this cycle by taking the time to plan your meals and make advanced preparation to enjoy easy but healthy choices and no-fuss, nutritious meals.

Great choices include combinations of the following:

- Fresh, whole fruits and vegetables (lots of the green leafy kind).

- Foods rich in calcium, such as milk, fortified tofu, almonds.

- Protein sources for energy, such as meat and eggs.

- Omega-3 sources, such as salmon and sardines, preferably wild-caught.

- Fiber-rich foods, such as whole wheat bread and rice.

Make “good” the easy choice. Make sure that in times of emergency (such as a late meal or a midday craving), you’ll have access only to good food. Keep water, natural fruit juices, coconut water, lemon water and other thirst-quenchers in the fridge and by your bedside so you stay hydrated all day and night. Make sure you have healthy and nutrient-rich snacks on hand, such as yoghurt, cut fruit, nuts and granola to graze on.

Know what you need to stay away from. For coffee, see if you can switch to decaf or at least limit yourself to two cups a day. For alcohol, a glass of red wine once in a while is often fine. If you are breastfeeding exclusively, be on alert for signs of allergy in your baby that may be due to your diet. If your baby frequently suffers from rashes, runny nose, watery stools and round-the-clock fussiness, take her to a pediatrician immediately.


Author Bio: Chelsea Sawyer is a certified health coach. She has been helping many people in changing their behaviors to keep them focused on achieving their health and fitness goals. With great passion for writing, her hobbies include writing and sharing helpful techniques on various health topics. She visits sites like Similac3Arabia