Covering your specific nutritional needs while breastfeeding means avoiding deficiencies and contributing to your well-being. Maintaining lactation over time requires feeding correctly on a daily basis to conserve energy. Because if the mother is tired, breastfeeding can become more complicated. It is said that a breastfeeding mother needs additional energy intake for lactation between 70 and 380 kcal per day. However, this is not a strict rule because the needs vary according to the weight gained during pregnancy, physical activity, possible deficiencies and the age of the mother.
So here are 7 key points to take care of yourself and your baby while breastfeeding.
1 – Eat a varied and balanced diet
Good news, apart from caffeine and alcohol, there are no specific foods to avoid while breastfeeding. The only rule is to indulge yourself with a varied, balanced, natural and quality diet, that is to say rich in micronutrients to be able to breastfeed in good shape and in good health over the long term. Breast milk provides the proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals your baby needs to grow well. It is recommended to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (complex carbohydrates), lean proteins found in chicken, eggs, legumes, lentils, fish and lean beef. And then it is also advisable to vary his diet so that your baby gets used to different flavors. Obviously, certain foods are to be avoided such as sugar, industrial products... Prefer "homemade", fresh, local and organic products. And if you are vegetarian, it will be necessary to supplement you with iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
2 – Consume polyunsaturated fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids deserve special attention because they act directly on the proper development of the newborn's brain. However, breast milk is the only food providing the different natures of these polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, they prevent both sleep disorders and postpartum depression in the mother.
They are found in small fatty fish: herring, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, etc. at least three times a week. Prefer olive, rapeseed, hemp and camelina oils as well as all nuts and seeds.
3 – Supplement with vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for bone health, both for you and for your baby. It plays an important role in the immune system, the growth and strength of bones as well as your muscle tone. If you live in a place with little exposure to the sun, you may not be getting enough vitamin D. It is therefore recommended that you supplement with vitamin D. In terms of food, it is mainly found in fatty fish and eggs.4 - Other essential micro-nutrients
Calcium is as essential as during pregnancy because it allows the skeleton to continue to form and participates in the renewal of cells and tissues. The calcium content of breast milk is high for the first few months and then gradually decreases. It is advisable to consume about 1,300 mg each day. Seafood, some vegetables and nuts are also sources of calcium. You can eat four servings of dairy products a day: milk, yogurt, cheese.Iron is also an essential mineral, especially since mothers are often iron deficient after childbirth, or even anemic. You will probably need to supplement with iron. Foods rich in iron are red meat, lentils. Also remember to have a diet rich in vitamin C because it helps fix iron.
5 – Drink a lot and hydrate yourself regularly
Breast milk contains no less than 90% water! This is why drinking is essential. And then breastfeeding can make you thirsty. 8 to 10 glasses of liquid in total per day are recommended. To change water, you can alternate with herbal teas, fresh vegetable juices (preferably organic), smoothies without added sugar. And then, remember to drink a glass of water or milk each time you breastfeed your baby.
6 – Breastfeeding requires a healthy lifestyle and good sleep.
It is not wise to follow a diet during the breastfeeding period. On the other hand, it is important to have a healthy lifestyle to avoid fatigue, to do physical exercise and to sleep well. Favor soft sports such as walking, swimming, cycling so as not to exhaust yourself.
7 – Galactogenic natural foods, which increase lactation.
A temporary decrease in lactation may appear depending on the period. But nature being well done, it has provided so-called galactogenic foods and plants, which can boost milk flow. Here are some examples: almonds, sesame, coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, anise, fennel, cumin, ginger, oats, millet, brown rice, barley, brewer's yeast, fenugreek...
