4 Ways to Create Healthy Diets for Breastfeeding Moms

1. Fill Your Water Bottle

Hydration is beneficial to a mother's own health and also plays an important role in milk production. Often mom will heed her child's needs and sit and get comfortable as soon as the child indicates she wants to be fed; but once mom is sitting, chances are she won't get up for a drink of water and will be too busy afterward to remember to drink. So the best solution is to get into the habit of grabbing a glass of water every time you sit and nurse the baby. Sip the water while you nurse to ensure adequate milk supply and proper hydration. Limit caffeinated beverages to no more than 12 oz. daily and avoid alcohol. While consuming a small amount of alcohol, such as 1 glass of wine or 1 beer right after nursing sessions, is considered to be safe, it is best to avoid alcohol while nursing.

2. Bone up on Calcium

A woman will need 1,200 mg of calcium per day to support lactation. This can be achieved by including 4 servings from the dairy group daily. Eight ounces of nonfat milk provides about 300 mg; an 8-ounce yogurt will provide about 450 mg; and a 1-oz. slice of cheese about 150 mg of calcium. If you do not think you can include 4 dairy servings daily, then consider a supplement. Many physicians encourage breastfeeding mothers to continue the prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement, which typically provides 250 mg of calcium a day.

3. Plan Healthy Snacks

Breastfeeding moms are busy and do not have a lot of time to prepare and sit down to healthy meals. For this reason, planning healthy snack choices is a good strategy to ensure you get the nutrients you need daily. Consider purchasing some convenient foods for times when you only have one hand available. Wash fruit at night and put it in a bowl on the counter so you can grab it and eat it. A small handful of almonds, a sports bars with protein, or low-fat string cheese, provides both protein and some calcium and can be eaten while you are breastfeeding or on the go.

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4. Lose Weight in Your Rocking Chair

Not only does breastfeeding provide perfect nutrition for you baby, it is the one time in your life that you can sit down and lose weight. Since calorie needs during lactation are greater than pregnancy, this is a good time to shed unwanted pounds gained. You can gradually reduce you calorie intake once your milk is well established as long as you are eating a balanced diet with foods from each food group. If you include adequate calories (no less than 1,800) and protein (about 60 to 90 g per day), and adequate calcium, you will have no problems supporting lactation. Lactation requires up to 600 calories a day. Your body will gradually dipped in to your fat stores for extra energy, and hence you will gradually shed your weight.