Important diet tips for breastfeeding mums

You know you have to breastfeed your child but did you know that a nutritious breastfeeding diet plan is vital for the healthy development of your baby?

1. Provide adequate nutrition for the baby

The diet of a breastfeeding mother has to provide adequate nutrition for the baby and also herself. A nursing mother requires at least 500 additional calories, which should be derived from a nutritious intake of food. Here are some important diet tips for breastfeeding mothers.

2. Follow doctor’s recommendations

Most doctors prescribe a continuation of the nutritious pre-natal diet plan that is rich in calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals for the healthy development of the baby. One (1) gram of protein should be consumed for every pound of the mother’s weight. Calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheeses and yogurt should also be encouraged. You need to eat a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains for you and your baby’s optimum health. Singaporean research reveals that nursing women are usually lacking in folic acid and zinc. So, additional supplements of these can be taken on doctor’s recommendations.

3. Omega-3 fatty acids

Your diet should also include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids because they contain DHA, which the baby needs for brain development. This is found in fish and fish supplements, various kinds of nuts and seeds.

4. Vitamin A

A word of caution here: Don’t rush to buy those Vitamin A supplements just because everybody is recommending them. Although your daily need for Vitamin A increases from 1000 milligrams to 1300 milligrams, most of it can be sourced from naturally available raw vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, dairy products, leafy green vegetables and meat products.

5. Stay hydrated

Dehydration can lead to decreased milk supply. If you notice carefully, mother’s milk appears watery and you feel thirstier while you are feeding. This is because a large part of breast milk is made up of water. You should aim to increase your consumption of water by adding an extra 2 quarts of water per day. Water can also be consumed in the form of fruits, milk, juices, vegetables, soups – all of which have good water content.

6. Eat more

While nursing, you are consuming nutritious food for two people. So, you have to increase your consumption of calories to get around 2500 calories a day but you can spread it out over 5 meals – breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and another snack during the evening. Use the snack time to take in water, fruits and low fat dairy products. Remember that the quantity of milk you produce is directly dependent on the amount of food and beverages that you consume.

7. Foods to Avoid

There are certain foods that you should stay away from such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, which can irritate your baby and even seriously affect his/her development. All these ingredients pass through the mother’s milk to the baby. While smoking can induce vomiting, heart rate increase, restlessness and diarrhea in baby, alcohol can retard your baby’s growth if consumed in large quantities. Some doctors in Singapore suggest occasional sips of wine or beer - preferably after a feeding session or 2-3 hours before the baby is to be fed. Many doctors also advise avoiding consumption of fish with high mercury levels as well as certain herbs and supplements.

8. Foods that can irritate your baby

There are many foods that can irritate babies such as chocolates, colas, spices, chili, garlic and gassy foods such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and citrus fruits. However, there is no universal rule regarding this fact. Singapore is a multi-racial society and you find different cultures preferring or avoiding different kinds of foods. Babies too react differently to different foods. If you find your baby irritated or disturbed any day, you should try to recall what you have eaten in the past 24 hours. If you suspect any food to be the cause of your baby’s irritation, you can try eliminating it from the diet for a while. For this, you need to carefully observe and monitor your child. By following these tips, you can easily make a plan of your own that will help keep you and your baby happy and healthy.

9. Consuming peanuts

Some mums worry about eating peanuts while breastfeeding, but there's no real evidence that this makes your baby more likely to develop a peanut allergy. So as long as you're not allergic to peanuts, you can eat them as part of a balanced diet.

10. Herbal teas

You can drink most herbal teas when you are breastfeeding. Herbal teas bought from supermarkets, which use ingredients you might cook with, such as fennel, camomile and peppermint, are safe to drink in moderation.

10. Herbal medicines

You shouldn't take herbal medicines while you are breastfeeding, because we don't know enough about how they affect breastmilk.

11. Healthier choice

Always look for the healthier choice logo. Introduced by Singapore Health Promotion Board, the logo shows that the product has gone through rigorous tests to prove that it is a better and more wholesome option to its similar counterparts.

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Written by

Roshni Mahtani

Baby HealthHealthmumsbreastfeed