“What should I eat while I am nursing my baby?” A question asked by many moms worried about changing their diet while breastfeeding their baby especially with the daily life stresses and the rush lived by working moms.
It is very hard, these days, to find a time to take care of our diet. Here are some tips to follow:
Continue taking your prenatal vitamins.
Don’t count your calories. Eat when you are hungry. The amount of food is related to how much exercise you are practicing, your way of life, your metabolism and your weight.
Do not lose weight rapidly. It will take around a year to return to your normal weight. This rapid loss will affect your milk supply.
Eat everything especially food rich in protein, cereals, grains, fruits and vegetables. Pick fresh fruits which are ideal for you to eat.
Avoid Alcohol. It can enter your milk and pass through to your baby.
Drink plenty of water, juices and milk and avoid caffeine.
Avoid hot sauces, peppers and chili. Some people believe that cabbage, onion and garlic have a gassy effect on the baby. There are no researches indicating that “gassy food” may pass to the baby. You may also eat honey, peanut, sugar since breast milk is not affected by the amount ingested.
Try to avoid some kinds of fish as shark, swordfish, tilefish and mackerel since they contain high amounts of mercury.
There are no diets for nursing moms that you should follow. It is recommended that you eat everything moderately in equal quantities and drink plenty of water. Your body will produce milk no matter what your diet is, but a non-balanced diet would affect your body and would make you feel tired, exhausted and depressed. Breast milk is the best food for your baby, don’t give up, take care of yourself and enjoy breastfeeding.