In short, you clients can eat pretty much anything they desire while breastfeeding. However, there are some nutrient dense foods which are great for postpartum healing and feeling good during lactation. After all, if their body isn’t getting enough nutrients while breastfeeding, it will use up her stores making her feel not so great.
Sure, baby will likely be fine, but the breastfeeding mom matters too! As a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor (CBC) you can help your clients feel their best by encouraging an overall well-balanced diet. You can help by providing tips to make it easier to get good nutrition while juggling a new baby.
Here are some tips for what to eat while breastfeeding:
Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide a lot of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They also provide a lot of fiber which is ideal in the postpartum period.
Leafy greens aid in replenishing iron stores which are often low after pregnancy and childbirth. Berries have important antioxidants.
It’s recommended to have a minimum of 3-4 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables each day. For your new mom clients, this can sound challenging as it’s hard to do more than grab a granola bar.
They might find it helpful to:
- Stock up on easy to grab fruits like apples, pears, peaches, etc. which need only rinsed
- When in season, stock up on berries which are easy to grab and eat with one hand
- Try food prep with carrots, celery, etc. to dip in hummus
- Keep salad kits and mixes stocked
- Use frozen vegetables which cook quickly
Get Adequate Protein While Breastfeeding
Babies grow at an amazing rate. They need lots of protein, healthy fats, and calories to grow. Your client’s milk is tailored to meet their baby’s needs. However, if mom isn’t meeting her own needs, she may feel unwell while her body continues to provide for her baby.
New mothers do not need any extra help in feeling fatigued. Adequate protein intake can be an important part of a well-rounded diet while breastfeeding.
Some easy sources of protein include:
- Nuts and seeds
- Eggs
- Full fat dairy products
- Low mercury fish
- Mushrooms
- Lentils
- Peanuts and other legumes
- Beans and rice
- Meat
Get Plenty of Healthy Fats
During the end of pregnancy, many mothers feel baby taking all of their energy. Baby spends their final weeks building fat, iron, and other stores. This can leave new mothers feeling drained while they’re also providing their baby’s milk.
Genting plenty of healthy fat aids in postpartum recovery, and some research even shows it has mental health benefits.
Some great sources of healthy fats include:
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Low mercury fish
- Full fat dairy products
- Olive oil
Eat Whole Grains
New mothers can use all the energy they can get. While carbohydrates can provide energy, when they’re from sources other than whole grains, they can lead to crashing. Whole grains provide better energy, more nutrition, and lots of fiber.
Consuming healthy whole grains, with the least amount of processing, can be a great way to keep a balanced energy level throughout the day.
Stay Hydrated While Breastfeeding
If your browse any parenting posts about breastmilk supply, you’re bound to see comment after comment discussing the importance of hydration. While hydration is important, it is not necessarily a common culprit of milk supply concerns.
That said, for our bodies to feel and function their best, breastfeeding or not, adequate hydration is important. Getting plenty of water and water rich foods (watermelon, cucumber, etc.) will help breastfeeding mothers feel their best.
Get Plenty of Iron and Calcium
Both minerals are important for the body and both of those nutrition stores are typically impacted by pregnancy.
Both need to be consumed in enough quantity for a mother to feel her best, but they should not always be consumed together. If a mother has low iron stores from pregnancy or birth, any foods she’s consuming to help improve her iron levels, should be eaten without calcium.
Eating leafy greens and lean beef for iron? Save the glass of milk for later. Iron is absorbed best with vitamin c, while calcium can block the absorption of iron.