Proper Nutrition When Breastfeeding | Trim Down Thursday

Most people are aware of the importance of eating healthy when you are pregnant {after all, a new life is growing inside of you}.  Hopefully most people also know that you really should keep up those healthy eating patterns during lactation.

However, unlike when you are pregnant, so do not have to worry so much about what you eat or getting certain nutrients when you are breastfeeding.  The quality of breast milk is only affected in extreme cases of deprivation, or by excessive intake of a particular food.

But the quantity of milk depends very much on the mother’s diet.  A woman who does not feed herself properly may still have a healthy baby, but it will be to the detriment of her own health. If you lack sufficient nourishment, your body will make milk production its first priority, and your needs will go unmet.

There are no special dietary rules to follow during lactation. If your eating habits are fairly healthy, there is no reason to change them while you are nursing.  Did you know that the milk you produce when breastfeeding is flavored by the foods that you eat?  Some experts believe that if you eat a well balanced and varied diet your baby becomes used to a variety of taste sensations, and tends to have fewer feeding problems as he gets older.

Worried that the spicy food you ate for dinner or the bean burrito you had for lunch will give your baby gas?  Don’t ~ this is one of many “old wives tales.”  Gas is produced when bacteria in the intestine interact with the intestinal fiber. Neither gas or fiber can pass into the bloodstream, or into your breastmilk, even when your stomach is gassy.

One of the most important things to remember when breastfeeding is to get enough water.  The guide to how much fluid to drink while nursing is to “drink to thirst”. There is no evidence to show that forcing fluids will increase your milk supply {another”old wives tale}.  Drinking too much water (over 12 glasses a day) can actually decrease your milk supply. The problem is that when you are a new mom, you often forget to take care of yourself while you are so immersed in taking care of the baby.  Try drinking a glass of water whenever you sit down to nurse.

You not only want to get enough water, but you also want to get enough calories.  A good rule of thumb is to take in 200-500 calories in excess of what you needed to maintain your weight before you were pregnant while you are nursing.

Lastly, make sure you continue taking prenatal vitamins for as long as you are nursing, just to make sure your nutritional bases are covered.

Make sure to pop on over to Eco Baby Mama Drama to check out Bri’s journey with Nutrisystem.