What are the breastfeeding foods to go to and to avoid? A healthy postpartum diet helps you to take in sufficient nutrients for postpartum recovery and breastfeeding. Practicing good eating habits on a postpartum diet will also aid you in losing the weight gained during pregnancy.

1. Avoid Crash Diets

After childbirth, your body needs sufficient energy and nutrients to recover and also to produce breastmilk. You will need to take in more calories than when you were pregnant in order to do so. Going on a low-calorie crash diet may deprive you of the crucial nutrients required and can affect your supply of breastmilk. Hence, it is recommended that you have a healthy and balanced postpartum diet by eating a variety of nutrient rich foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables and protein daily.

2. Eat Protein Rich Foods

Protein rich foods aids in postpartum recovery and building a strong immunity. You can consider eating healthy sources of protein such as lean meats, eggs and fish.

3. Drink Plenty of Liquids

As breastmilk consists of largely water by weight, drinking sufficient liquids can help maintain your supply of milk for breastfeeding. Staying hydrated also helps to replace the fluids that are lost through breastfeeding. Hence, you can aim to drink 6-10 glasses of liquids daily to stay hydrated. It will be best if the liquids comprise of water and other nutritious fluids like milk or juice.

4. Eat Foods High in Fibre

Foods high in fibre, namely fruits and vegetables, are the foundation of a healthy diet. Fibre helps to prevent constipation. Fruits and vegetables also provide various nutrients such as potassium, beta-carotene and vitamin B1 that will help boost your milk supply. We suggest eating half a plate of fruits and vegetables at every meal to ensure you consume sufficient nutrients in your diet. Before eating them, be sure to clean your fruits and vegetables properly by washing them under cold running water.

5. Supplement Your Diet

Besides eating a balanced diet, you can further supplement your diet with multi-vitamins or maternal milk to ensure that you are getting the essential nutrients for your health. These are some vitamins and minerals that are crucial for breastfeeding mothers:

• Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is vital for the formation of red blood cells and producing energy. Vitamin B12 is usually found in animal produce such as poultry and eggs.
• Iron: Your iron levels may drop during breastfeeding. As such, replenishing your iron levels is important to prevent fatigue or an impaired immune system. Common sources of iron include lean red meat and green leafy vegetables.
• Calcium: As you might experience transient bone loss while breastfeeding, taking in calcium helps to build and maintain bone health. Dietary sources of calcium include nuts and dairy foods such as milk and cheese.

Maternal milk with the right mix of essential vitamins & minerals crucial for breastfeeding mothers can be good diet supplementation alternatives.

6. Focus on Fresh and Wholesome Food

To maintain a healthy and balanced diet to facilitate your nutritional needs during breastfeeding, it is recommended to select a wide variety of fresh foods. You can choose to eat healthier snacks such as nuts, fruits or yogurts. Try to avoid foods that are rich in fat and sugar, like potato chips or cookies, as they deliver more calories and fewer nutrients than fresh and natural food choices.

7. Avoid Harmful Foods

Breastmilk is a vital source of nourishment for your baby at this stage. Your diet plays a large role during breastfeeding as the nutrients from your diet makes up the breastmilk that your baby ingests. As such, it is important to avoid foods containing potentially harmful ingredients that may be passed to your baby through breastfeeding. Examples of such foods include:

• Fish with high levels of mercury: Large fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel or tilefish contains high levels of mercury. Mercury is a toxic metal that may impair the development of your baby’s brain or affect your baby’s nervous system. Instead, you can opt for fish with lower levels of mercury such as canned light tuna or sardines to get your dose of protein and fatty acids.
• Alcohol: Alcohol in beverages such as wine, beer or malt liquor, can stay in your system for up to 2 to 3 hours and might be passed to your baby through breastmilk. This may affect your baby’s ability to suckle and may delay your baby’s motor skill development in the future.
• Caffeine: Caffeine, present in foods such as chocolate, tea, and coffee, is a stimulant that may cause restlessness and irritability in your baby.

Maintaining a healthy and balanced postpartum diet is essential to provide adequate nourishment for your baby during breastfeeding and for you to regain your pre-pregnancy weight and shape. Remember to be patient and take care of yourself during your postpartum journey.

References:

ParentHelp123 (2015). Postpartum Diet and Exercise. Retrieved from https://www.parenthelp123.org/pregnancy/after-pregnancy/postpartum-nutrition

McGrane, K. (2020). 5 Foods to Limit or Avoid While Breastfeeding. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/breastfeeding-foods-to-avoid

Health Promotion Board (2018). An Eating Guide For Breastfeeding Mothers. Retrieved from https://www.hpb.gov.sg/article/an-eating-guide-for-breastfeeding-mothers

Mandl. E (2017). 16 Effective Tips to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-after-pregnancy#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10

SingHealth (2017). Postnatal Medications and Nutritions. Retrieved from https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/medicine/postnatal-medications-nutrition/other-info

Reinagel. M (2019). Top 5 Nutrients for Postpartum Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-5-nutrients-for-postpartum-recovery/

Choose MyPlate (n.d.). Why is it important to eat vegetables? Retrieved from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/vegetables/vegetables-nutrients-health

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