With health professionals, other mums and the media telling us that breast is best, there is the pressure to make sure we at least try to breastfeed our babies when they’re born. That’s great – it does give babies the best possible start in life. If you’re self-employed, you may have the pressure of a business to run draining your energy (and having a negative impact on how much milk you produce). And thanks to the credit crunch, a lot of mums are forced to return to work earlier, which will mean juggling work and breastfeeding.
So just how do you make sure your baby gets the most nutrition out of your breast milk? Angie Jefferson, a registered dietician? who works with Vitabiotics shares some tips.
- Giving birth is an exhausting experience, so it’s essential to maintain energy levels and stamina with a healthy, balanced diet and keep well hydrated with plenty of water.
- Lack of energy is common when you have a baby and can often be caused by a lack of iron, so it is important to keep levels high not only to boost energy but to also aid the healthy production of milk when breastfeeding.
- You need to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat and has a mix of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.? Low-fat, high-fibre foods and healthy snacks such as fresh fruit will help stave off hunger and help you keep up with the demands of working and being a parent. This is not the time to be dieting, so avoid low-calorie or restrictive diets as they are likely to exacerbate exhaustion.
- Lactation places heavy nutritional demands on the mother for energy, calcium, and many other vitamins and minerals.? Breastfeeding women will need to add an extra 400-600 calories a day to supply the energy needs for the production of breast milk.
- The nutritional content of breast milk reflects, to a large extent, the nutritional content of mum?s diet, particularly in terms of omega-3 fatty acids.? However, eating a healthy, balanced diet can be challenging when you’re trying to stay on top of a new baby’s demands, broken sleep and the time commitment needed for breastfeeding. Taking a supplement specifically designed for breastfeeding like Vitabiotics Pregnacare Breastfeeding, to help during this time.
