What Should I Eat While Breastfeeding?

In this post, I told you what you shouldn't eat while breastfeeding. Here are a few ideas about what you *should* eat. A lot of these are similar to/the same as what you were doing during pregnancy, so you probably won't have to make any major adjustments just yet. Plus, it's just healthy in general.

-Most doctors will tell you to continue with your prenatal vitamins, or suggest another multivitamin. Also essential are calcium, folic acid and zinc. Make sure you consume plenty of dairy items; you have to *have* milk in order to *make* milk!

-While they don't suggest counting calories, some doctors will say that you should increase your caloric intake by about 500 calories. This probably isn't much different from what you did during your pregnancy. *What* you eat is much more important than how many calories, so this is an estimate.

-Drink plenty of water. It doesn't *have* to be filtered because the EPA requires the local tap water supply to meet high standards for cleanliness, but some people prefer to lower any possibility of contaminants.

-You shouldn't have a problem with rare steaks, although some doctors will advise against eating tuna steak very often due to the possiblity of mercury in the fish. Trim any excess fat off of your meat because the fat is where most of the chemicals your meat comes into contact with are stored.

-Work in about 3-5 ounces of 'good fats" into your diet each day. By 'good fats', I'm referring to mono- and polyunsaturated fats, not saturated or trans fats. The 'good fats' can be found in things like olives, olive oil, avocados and vegetable-based oils such as peanut and canola. Whole grains, nuts and seeds are also good. Again, this might have been what you did during your pregnancy, so it shouldn't be much of a 'stretch'.

-As usual, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. It's a good idea to get them from a local farmer's market or similar place because they usually don't have the pesticides and preservatives that might be added to 'shipped-in' foods. Plus, you will be helping out local growers. While it may not be possible to remove *all* traces of pesticides, wash your fruits and veggies the best that you can.

-If you want to lose your 'baby weight', don't start 'dieting' until your baby is at least two months old. Otherwise, your milk production could be affected and you could suffer from a lack of energy. Anyone who has been around a young baby knows that you're going to need all the energy you can get! Also, it's estimated that babies consume about 1,000 calories from their breast milk each day; that *alone* will probably help you lose weight.

Basically, eat what's healthy for *you*. It won't harm your baby if you 'slip up' and down the occasional bag of Cheetos, but it's best to keep on a healthy track. It's better for you in general and can help with any weight loss you are trying for.

For more information, visit
http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/breastfeedingbasics/a/nutritionalneed.htm
http://www.babycenter.com/0_diet-for-a-healthy-breastfeeding-mom_3565.bc
http://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/basics/nutrition-tips-for-breastfeeding-moms/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/breastfeed_eating.html#