What Should A Mom Eat While Breastfeeding?

By Author: Payal Bhatnagar
Total Articles: 11
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When you’re expecting or lactating, you get to hear a lot of nutritional advice from people around, all the time. Some say that you have got to eat certain types of food to produce adequate milk, others warn that some foods will make the baby refuse your milk - and yet others tell you that certain sorts of foods in your diet can be damaging for your baby or even, lessen your milk production. How can a mom find her way through all this information?

The best diet during lactation is neither complicated nor costly. It doesn’t call for extensive preparation, at the expense of favourite foods, or a need to have rare or strange foods in huge quantities. It also differs with the individual’s personal likings.

A nutritious diet is essential for the mother and child for the long run.
So, what is the perfect diet for a breastfeeding woman?

Good nutrition during lactation helps a mother in maintaining her health.
Majority of lactating women all over the world follow ...
... inadequate diets, at least half of the time. The idea of a "perfect" diet differs in different families, cultures, economic circumstances, religions, and even, seasons.

The following are the major groups of foods that should be included in the everyday diet.

Fresh vegetables as well as fruits (preferably those in-season) of all sorts, eaten raw or cooked;
Different grains (wheat, rice, corn, barley, millet) - if possible, whole - in different forms, whole or broken kernels, along with semolina and flour
Protein foods from animal sources (dairy products, eggs, meat as well as fish) and/or plant sources (lentils, beans, soybeans);
Small quantities of fats - if possible, uncooked; cold-pressed vegetable oils.

A balanced diet can be achieved by consuming a variety of foods from each of the aforementioned food groups and by having individual foods in diverse forms - for example, consumption of diverse varieties of fruits and vegetables or cooking them in different ways. A few vitamins and proteins are better absorbed if other vitamins and minerals are present simultaneously. For example, Iron is consumed better if Vitamin C is there in the diet. In contrast, an excess of some types of foods can be harmful. Large amounts of Protein can cause reduction in the amount of vitamins and minerals in the body.

Also, there are many nutritional supplement powders available in the market for the breastfeeding women, with all the proteins and vitamins in proportion.