What to eat when breastfeeding
The moment you know that you have conceived you start taking care of what you eat, how you sleep and many other things that relate to the health of your baby. After delivery, you start breastfeeding your baby, a magical moment for any mother. For the production of breast milk, the calories are taken up from the fat reserve that is made in your body during pregnancy. However, to ensure that the supply of milk is enough you must know what to eat when breastfeeding. A proper diet will ensure that you are able to produce ample milk for the baby.
Importance of Breast Milk
After delivery Doctors advice that baby should be fed only with breast milk for at least the first six months. Thus, during this period whatever the mother eats is transferred to her baby through breast milk. It is the easiest and safest form through which baby gets nutrients. Breast milk helps the baby develop their immune system that helps them to fight against infections. The digestive system of a baby too is developed with breast milk as it contains different minerals, vitamins and enzymes. It is also a great source that helps in cell growth. Thus, it’s necessary that mother takes in required nutrients that her baby will get through breast milk. And to take proper nutrients she must know what to eat when breastfeeding
What to eat when breastfeeding
Different food items that must be taken during breastfeeding are
- Loads of fluid intake is a must during this stage. After delivery body needs water as it had shed a lot of it during delivery. Thus, it’s advised that mothers should intake quite a good amount of water or any other fluid; it may be juices, milk or pluses. Caffeine should be avoided as it is harmful to baby.
- While looking for what to eat when breastfeeding a mother should go beyond her comfort zone. It’s not your taste buds that matter most; it’s the health of your baby that should be a prime concern. Having lot of fresh fruits, calcium and iron rich foods, vegetables will help in producing more milk. Avoid getting hungry as it will hamper your ability to produce milk.
- Vitamin B9 and iron are an essential part of your diet during lactating period. Folic acid is essential as it is a vital nutrient required for the development of baby’s nervous system. Eat a lot of corn, spinach, fenugreek, cabbage, chickpeas, asparagus and beetroot to fulfil the daily requirement of iron and folic acid.
While you are looking for what to eat when breastfeeding you must also know what to avoid while you are breastfeeding your baby. You should avoid caffeine that is present in coffee and carbon-di-oxide that is present in soft drinks. Both of these are harmful to baby, so say a big NO to coffee and soft drinks. You should also avoid alcohol as it passes to breast milk within hour and retards the growth of your baby. So, it’s better you say no to alcohol and tobacco too.
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