The Nursing Mom’s Diet

One of the best things I learned being a mom is to take good care of myself. A large part of that was to watch what I eat. I think the best perk of breastfeeding for moms is the fact that breastfeeding burns 500 calories daily! That means we really need that extra grub to keep up.  But this does not give us the license to munch on just about anything we can lay our hands on.

Minute amounts of what we eat can be ingested by the baby thru the breast milk. So we need to be extra careful about what we eat and drink.

I've been lactating for 10 months now (yahoooo....). Here are some guidelines that i follow to keep in nursing.

Eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Nursing moms should not try to lose weight right after giving birth. Doing so could jeopardize your breastfeeding plans. Don’t worry too much because breastfeeding burns calories so soon, you’ll be shedding off those pounds.  Yup, if you breastfeed, you’ll get back your pre pregnancy figure faster. So, did I convince you to breastfeed already?

Below is USDA's suggested menu for breastfeeding moms.

[caption id="attachment_1321" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Source: http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/BreastfeedingFactSheet.pdf[/caption]

The Philippines' Food and Nutrition Research Institute has a similar nutritional guide.  Click here for equivalents of one serving of common foods.

[caption id="attachment_1966" align="aligncenter" width="263"] This is a bit outdated, though, because in the US they already use the food plate as basis for healthy nutrition![/caption]

All you really need is a healthy balanced diet to produce breast milk enough for your baby. But there are foods known to aid lactation. According to FNRI calcium rich foods will increase milk flow. Such foods include whole milk, clams and malunggay. Oatmeal is also known to increase milk supply.

Nursing is another reason for moms to eat more.  I really noticed that when i pump more milk when i'm full.  And i really get hungry after pumping.   Have those healthy snacks on hand and munch on when you feel the urge to eat. Trying to lose weight right away may effect your breast milk production so try to do so gradually!

Water and other fluids

Nursing moms need to stay hydrated. Otherwise, manunuyot tayo! We need to take adequate amounts of fluids like water, juices milk and soups.

Coffee

I cut down on coffee after being a mom. Before  I would gulp down about 5 to 6 cups of coffee. As in, pakiramdam ko noon kape na ang nananalaytay sa katawan ko. But when I got pregnant, I cut down on coffee. Hindi naman daw bawal, sabi ng  OB ko. But just to be safe, umiwas na din ako. But I had 1 to 2 sips from my hubby’s cup while I was pregnant. Now that I’m nursing I do take just one cup daily, when I feel that I need a jumpstart. Take note caffeine is also present in colas, chocolate and green tea.

[caption id="attachment_1110" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 1 to 2 coffee cups per day is ok
Source of Photo:cancer.gov[/caption]

Observe if baby is sensitive to your caffeine intake. Too much caffeine can lead to hyperactivity and difficulty in sleeping. I observed my baby was agitated when i had 2 to 3 coke cans.  Imagine, alas dos na ng umaga, gusto pang makipaglaro! Since that time, i limit my caffeine intake na.

Also remember that coffee is a diuretic, which means it will make you urinate more.

Alcohol

Limit alcohol intake because it passes through our bloodstream, then to breast milk. If you consumed alcohol, wait for at least four hours before breastfeeding to get the alcohol out of your system.

[caption id="attachment_1106" align="aligncenter" width="292"] Alcohol and breastfeeding don't mix.
Source of Photo:openi.nlm.nih.gov[/caption]

Vitamins and supplements

My baby's pedia suggested that i take in prenatal vitamins and Natalac malunggay capsules to keep my production up. But really, the general guideline is to consume a balanced diet. We must not take vitamins and supplements as a short cut to healthy eating. If you’re not eating enough, chances are your milk production will slow down. Wag lang iasa sa malunggay!

My daily supplements include ascorbic acid, calcium lactate and malunggay capsules.

About street foods

Unless you're pretty sure about the cleanliness of your street food favorites like isaw, fishballs or barbeque, avoid them.  Unsanitary food handling can spread food-borne diseases.

So moms, munch on with care!

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