Breastfeeding is a necessity for the baby and a big load on the mother’s body. Useful substances are needed for both mother and baby, so you need to receive them in an increased volume. Since the main source of all the substances necessary for normal functioning is food, lactating mother needs to be very responsible about her diet. Compliance with the 10 basic rules of nutrition will help a young mother to maintain her body healthy and successfully feed her baby.
Diet
The diet is very important. A nursing mother should eat 5-6 times a day: the three main meals and “snacks” between them. Snacks can be unplanned. For example, some mothers experience severe hunger immediately after feeding the baby - then it is then that you can organize a snack. Frequent meals have a positive effect on metabolic rate, but you should not get carried away with snacks, because overeating is also bad.
Useful Food Processing Methods
When processed with high temperatures, most vitamins are destroyed, however, there are processing methods that can save the benefits of cooked food. So, instead of frying, you can use baking or steaming. Fried foods are not only less rich in vitamins, but also too fat, which is absolutely useless for a nursing mother.
Cereals - the basis of the diet
According to the food pyramid, cereals should be the basis of the diet. This rule is also relevant for nursing mothers. The best side dish for a nursing mother will always be porridge: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal or any other. Eating bread is not forbidden at all, but it is better to choose cereal bread or from wholemeal flour.
"Sour milk" instead of whole milk
Milk and dairy products are a source of protein and calcium, which is why they are necessary for a nursing mother. True, whole cow's milk is best removed from the menu or severely limited. Protein of cow's milk can cause a child's reaction or provoke problems with the tummy. Yes, and for mom's digestion, dairy products are more useful than whole milk. Ideally for a nursing mother, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt are suitable.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best option for snacks between meals. This is due to the fact that fruits and vegetables contain the so-called “slow” carbohydrates, which are broken down for a long time and therefore give a longer feeling of satiety. In addition, fresh fruit and vegetables are rich in fiber, which is necessary for good bowel function, and therefore for maintaining good immunity. Apart from everything, the eaten fruit is absorbed much better and does not cause fermentation processes in the intestine.
READ ON THE TOPIC OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:
- What kind of fruit can a breastfeeding woman eat? – fruits with HS
- What vegetables can I eat while breastfeeding? – vegetables for HS
- Updated - Fruits in the nutrition of a nursing mother
Environmental friendliness
In pursuit of a variety of nutrition, you need to know the measure and be careful. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables. Most of the fresh fruits in stores are imported, which means that they are not typical of your climate and region, and in the “off season” they may contain many harmful substances. Exotic fruits are also better to be postponed: they can cause allergies in the crumbs, and even in the mother herself against a background of reduced immunity. If there is no way to enjoy the harvest from your own garden, you just need to limit yourself to seasonal vegetables and fruits grown in your area.
Vitamins and Minerals
In order for the mother and baby to have enough vitamins and minerals, nutrition should be organized so that the diet covers the need for these substances. Nursing mothers are most often deficient in calcium, iodine, and iron. These substances are rich in dairy products, cheeses, seaweed, iodized salt, “red” meat, eggs, and legumes. Mom and child also need vitamin D. It affects the immune system and is involved in calcium metabolism, which is why it is necessary for the development of bone tissue. It can be obtained from egg yolk and oily sea fish.
Be careful with meat
Although protein is necessary for the growth and development of the body, an excess of protein has negative consequences. Protein creates a big burden on the baby's kidneys, so mom should not abuse meat products. In addition, you should be puzzled by the quality of meat. It is better if it is not fatty meat or poultry.
Not sweet and not salty
An excess of sugar and salt has a bad effect on the metabolic rate and the general condition of the body. It is better for nursing mothers to refuse food with a high sugar content (especially if instead of sugar there is a sweetener), and the use of salt should be reduced to 1 teaspoon per day.
Less chemistry
Taste enhancers, preservatives, colorants, flavors and other chemicals should not be present in the diet of a mother who is breastfeeding. A child may be allergic to chemical additives.
The above nutritional rules are not strict instructions, and first of all, you need to listen to your body. However, you should listen to these rules, and if possible make a choice in favor of proper nutrition. This will help mom to maintain her own health and provide the baby with everything necessary for growth and development.
Link block
WE ADVISE TO READ THE ARTICLE ON NUTRITION DURING THE PERIOD OF GW:
- Nursing mom's nutrition (basics + links to each product description);
- More about the nutrition of a nursing mother – myth and truth article;
- What can I eat during the GV;
- What to eat is not recommended.
BLOCK OF LINKS TO KEY AND IMPORTANT ARTICLES ON THE TOPIC OF BREAST FEEDING:
Very useful article: Fundamental advice to nursing mothers on breastfeeding (many tips and many video tutorials) – https://kid.htgetrid.com/en/kormlenie-grudyu/grudnoe-vskarmlivanie.html;
- Further about the reasons why it is painful to breastfeed;
- Basic and general rules for breastfeeding;
- Breastfeeding Poses – familiarize yourself with postures;
- All About Proper Breastfeeding – how to feed / how to apply to the chest (correct recommendations and advice).
Video recommendations
Klevoshina Ekaterina Nikolaevna - a consultant on breastfeeding and caring for babies - will tell you how to eat properly for mom during the neonatal period. Recommendations on nutrition will be given: what should be excluded from your diet for the period of feeding, and what should be paid attention to (the composition of the products, their combination and the method of their preparation). Thanks to these recommendations, a nursing mother will be able to eat quality and varied without consequences for her child.
What is the best diet for mom when breastfeeding?
In my opinion, it is best to eat what you like, but also stick to the forbidden list. Vitamins, fiber and proteins give a lot of strength. The main thing is not to starve and eat on time, to refuse fast food.
When I fed my kids, so that there would be a maximum of vitamins in the products, I would buy a slow cooker, and everything would be cooked in it, and the food would be healthy and with vitamins, and the baby would feel fine after my milk.
In the first months after giving birth, I couldn’t eat at all, the baby was restless, so my appetite disappeared from my emotions. True, she tried at least to drink tea with condensed milk so that the milk would not disappear. And eating berries and fruits, at least some vitamins, it’s good that my son didn’t show allergies after we eat citrus fruits or berries.
That Marina is lying (author with Kukomments, huh? 😉)
I didn’t eat anything, only a child fed allergic citruses and berries. And tea, probably, also jammed with chocolate for reliability? 🙂
They wrote in vain that one must obey one's body. This phrase is the apogee of obscurantism in nutrition.
And if the body wants a barbecue under brandy? Or coffee with chocolate-orange cake? 😉
And about seasonal fruit and vegetables from your region - it's silly. In our middle lane there is snow for six months, what seasonal fruits and vegetables are there? And in the pyramid of products: 2-4 types of fruits and 3-5 types of vegetables. What, 4 grades of apples and 5 grades of potatoes crack daily? 🙂