With the arrival of a little one, mothers are oftentimes forgetful that their bodies need extra care and nutrition. You and your baby were nurtured for nine months by the food you ate. However, your diet is equally crucial after giving birth. It supports your body's healing process and provides you with the energy that you need to look after your child. Here are some tips for new mums to ensure that they are getting the proper nutrition.

Nutrients That You Need

Despite not needing to "eat for two," you need to replenish your body with a number of vital nutrients. You need proper food for your health as well as foods that increase breast milk production.

Half your plate should always be made up of fruits and vegetables at every meal. Oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice should make up the other half of the meal. Limit your intake of packaged, processed items like sodas and foods that are heavy in saturated fats, salt, and added sugars.

1. Protein

Protein-rich foods, including beans, shellfish, eggs, lean meats, and soy products, aid in the body's postpartum recovery. Set a daily goal of five servings, or seven in the case of breastfeeding.

2. Calcium

Each day, you'll need 1,000 milligrams or roughly three servings of low-fat dairy to ensure that your body has enough calcium.

3. Iron

This nutrient aids in the production of new blood cells in your body, which is crucial if you have significant blood loss during delivery. Iron levels are high in red meat, poultry, beans, and tofu. The recommended daily intake for breastfeeding mothers is 9 mg. Lack of iron can not only affect you but also develop an iron deficiency in your baby.

Consult your doctor if you have multiple babies, have a medical problem, are vegan, or follow any other specific diet. They might suggest taking vitamins.

Nutrients For Breastfeeding Mothers

As a new mum, you must be struggling, especially in the first month when you are breastfeeding. Here’s what you should maintain to feel better.

Drink Plenty of Fluids

Drink plenty of liquids. When breastfeeding, most women feel thirstier than normal. To quench your thirst, consume sufficient liquids, like milk, juice, and water. You should only consume a small amount of caffeine if at all.

Although it is not important to force drinks past your point of thirst, it is still a good idea to hydrate yourself whenever you experience thirst. Grab a beverage or have a glass of water close to your preferred breastfeeding location.

Eat a Variety of Foods to Get Sufficient Calories

Generally, the best indicator of how much to eat is your own hunger. In general, the first few months of breastfeeding make women feel more hungry, so you shouldn't ignore them if you're trying to give your infant milk. To eat while nursing, grab a one-handed snack, or keep packaged snacks close to your preferred breastfeeding location.

To acquire the calories, vitamins, and nutrients you need to stay healthy, eat a variety of meals. While breastfeeding, experts advise that you consume at least 2,000 calories a day. You should ensure that you are consuming 500 calories more than what was advised for you before you were pregnant.

Foods You Should Avoid

What you eat can pass to your baby through milk if you are breastfeeding. Here are some foods you should eat carefully:

1. Spicy Foods

Spicy foods are popular in many cultures' diets, and most babies do not react negatively to them. When their mothers consume certain foods, a few children will develop gas in the digestive tract or become colicky. However, no single item or food group causes issues for all babies. There is no need to avoid any specific foods unless you observe that your child reacts within six hours every time you consume a certain food.

2. Vegetarian Diets

A vegetarians mother’s breast milk is usually as nutritionally appropriate as that of other mothers. While breastfeeding, you'll want to make sure your diet contains complete whole proteins, so eat a variety of foods. Many vegetarians, including lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who eat dairy products and eggs), may need additional vitamin D, iron, and calcium while breastfeeding.

Women who follow a macrobiotic or vegan diet may lactate milk that is low in vitamin B12. These mothers frequently require vitamin B12 supplements to ensure that their breast milk contains an adequate amount.

3. Caffeine

Caffeinated beverages can make your child irritable and make it difficult for them to sleep, especially if you consume too much caffeine or consume it quickly. Caffeine-free beverages are safer when you are breastfeeding. If you need to have coffee to go about your day, limit yourself to eight-ounce portion sizes twice per day.

4. Alcohol

While pumping for milk or directly breastfeeding, it is best to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can enter the milk and harm your baby. If you consume alcohol while breastfeeding, you may have to pump and discard the milk.

5. Consuming Tobacco

When breastfeeding or pumping, it is best to avoid using tobacco. Consumption of tobacco can cause a baby to have a faster heartbeat, vomiting, restlessness, or diarrhoea because of the presence of nicotine and its derivatives which pass into milk. Tobacco use can interact with milk let-down and may decrease the quantity of milk you produce, in addition to its potential effects on the baby.

Conclusion

Once you give birth, losing the pregnancy weight might be your top concern but what’s more important is that you eat well enough to get sufficient nutrients that your body needs to recover from the nine-month-long process. Also, in order to ensure that you can produce the right amount of milk for your baby, proper nutrition is needed. Otherwise, you can become ill and that can have negative repurcussions for your baby. So make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you and your child require. It will be beneficial to both of you.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.