What's the Best Diet for Breast Feeding Mothers?
The best diet for breast feeding mothers is a balanced one. Unless food allergies are suspected or a family history exists, you do not need to eliminate any foods from your diet while breast feeding. Follow this breast feeding advice to keep baby and mom healthy: - Eat well, eat often!
- Remember that your body is hard-wired to provide for the baby before the mother. All of the required nutrients will go into mom's milk and she gets whatever is left over.
Poor nutrition can lead to infections, illness, and fatigue. Moms' bodies are challenged enough during this time, so an ounce of prevention is really worth a ton of cure. It is recommended that nursing mothers add 600 calories of nutritious foods to their daily intake. - No Dieting!!
- Remember that breast feeding uses an extra 500 calories a day. Even while eating a satisfying, well-balanced diet the pounds will start to fall off.
- Drink up! (Water, that is...)
- It's very easy to become dehydrated while breastfeeding because of the added fluid requirements on your body.
- Practice Moderation with Caffeine and Alcohol
- Alcohol can be taken with moderation while following a healthy diet for breast feeding. Intake should NOT exceed one glass of wine (8 oz), 2 oz of liquor, or 2 beers in any 24 hour day.
Remember that not only is it dehydrating, caffeine is passed to the baby through breast milk and can build up in baby's blood. Avoiding caffeine completely is preferable but, if that's not an option for you it is recommended that nursing mothers limit their intake to 85 - 255 mg per 24 hour day.
(Source: International Food Information Council Foundation)- Vegetarian Diets
- A healthy vegetarian diet should provide all the necessary requirements for mom and baby. Vegetarian moms should add a B12 supplement to their diets as some babies can display symptoms of B12 deficiency.
Visit MyPyramid.gov to get your personal dietary needs while nursing
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