5 Nutrition Facts To Remember When You Are Breastfeeding
In this Article
Many pregnant women are constantly being told what they should eat, when they should eat, and how they should eat. From doctors, to their mothers, to other friends with children, and the Internet – there’s a lot of information available about the right kind of food to eat during pregnancy. After all, they are “eating for two”. But “eating for two” does not only refer to eating while pregnancy. Even when a woman is breastfeeding, she is still eating for two – herself and her baby.
Experts recommend that babies should only be given breast milk for their first 6 months. Breastfeeding is a unique experience and creates an emotional bond between the mom and the baby. But sometimes mothers may have trouble breastfeeding – this is not something to feel bad or guilty about. In fact, 6 out of 10 moms face breastfeeding challenges in the first month post-delivery. Remember, nutrition plays an important role in helping mothers make sufficient and nutritious breast milk.
Nutrition Facts For Breastfeeding Mums
1. Women need more energy when breast feeding, as compared to when they were pregnant
Breastfeeding is hard work (and most new mothers know that already!). After all, breast milk is the best available nutrition for new-born and young children, packed with all the important nutrients they need, while also helping them fight common diseases. During the first 6 months of breastfeeding, a woman may need about 600 extra calories, compared to when she was not pregnant, and 250 calories more than when she was pregnant.
2. Be as careful about your diet after delivery, as you were during pregnancy
After delivery, many new mums shift their attention to their children, and don’t pay enough attention to their own diet. But be careful not to skip meals because you are busy taking care of the baby. Your body needs food in order to make adequate amounts of breast milk, and to keep you healthy. Also remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
3. What you eat is what your baby gets
To some extent, the quality of breast milk, and the amount of certain vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin A depends on the mother’s diet. For the first few months, the baby gets good quality fat, proteins, iron, and other minerals from the mother. With good supplementation of the mother’s diet, the quality of some of these nutrients in breast milk can be improved. Some nutrition supplement powders, like SimMom, are specially designed for breastfeeding mothers and are packed with essential proteins, vitamins and minerals to support breastfeeding.
4. Remember your multivitamins and supplements
Breastfeeding mothers need higher amounts of Caclium, Iron, Vitamin B complex and protein powders, as compared to when they were pregnant and before pregnancy. A doctor will often recommend that a woman continue taking her supplements, even after giving birth.
5. Eat healthy to lose the pregnancy weight
As expected, most women weigh more after giving birth than they did before they were pregnant. And that’s normal. Set a goal to reach your pre-pregnancy weight by your child’s first birthday. However, if you start trying to lose weight immediately after delivery, you may take a longer time to recover. And remember, breastfeeding mums should wait for at least 2 months before they start losing weight, since the body needs the extra energy to make enough milk to feed your baby. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and breastfeeding will help you lose the weight gradually. Speak to your doctor about how to do this.
