Top 6 Breastfeeding Foods for New Mums
A woman’s nutritional intake during breastfeeding is so important for both the physical and mental growth and development of her baby. Lack of certain minerals and vitamins in the mum’s diet can naturally have a negative effect on the baby.
According to research, foods containing nutrients such as calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, protein, vitamins C and K should be encouraged during breastfeeding.
Human milk is ordinarily the basic source of nutrients for babies. Thus, for it to be nutritionally complete, the breastfeeding mum has to eat foods that contain the above nutrients to benefit both the baby and the mum healthwise and to give her all the energy that she needs.
Below are the top 6 breastfeeding foods for a new mum with all the nutrients she needs for herself and her baby.
1 . Water
Drinking water is the most important one. You can choose plain water or add sugar-free squash or fruits for flavour. Oranges and other citrus fruits are great breastfeeding foods for boosting energy. They contain vitamin C which is essential for repairing red blood cells, bones and tissues.
Vitamin C also strengthens the baby’s blood vessels, boosts the immune system and minimises the rate of the child’s body infection.
Drinking enough water throughout the day will help raise your energy levels and keep your milk production going.
One of the best ways to drink more water is to use water bottle fruit infusers. They are portable and you can move with them anywhere in addition to adding the flavours of your choice. The best part of having a bottle like this, is that it can be refilled many times before the flavour disappears.
2 . Oily Fish
Just like any other fatty fish, salmon is loaded with the type of fat called DHA and the Omega-3 fatty acids. DHA fat is important during the development stage of the baby’s nervous system as well as boosting your mood.
All breastfeeding milk contains the DHA fat, but its level of concentration in the milk depends on how much you get from your diet. New mums are therefore encouraged to eat salmon weekly. However, there are also other fish choices here as described by FDA and EPA that you can eat and contain nutrients that can help your baby’s growth and development. You can also take a supplement if you don’t like fish and there are vegetarian/vegan capsules too with Omega fatty acids from algae.
Eating eggs is a great way to boost your protein intake. Amino acids that make proteins are the essential elements for building both your body and the baby’s body cells. Eat a piece of hard-boiled egg or two at lunch or breakfast or a cheesy omelette with salad for dinner.
4. Whole Grain Cereal
Whole grain cereals contain lots of fiber and other nutrients such as vitamin E, mineral selenium and other phytonutrients for protecting the cells. They’re great for boosting energy levels which new mums usually need!
Vitamin E deficiency in infants can cause neurological problems due to poor nerve conduction. However, studies have shown that giving vitamin E supplement to infants is beneficial, but also may cause life-threatening infections if given in excess. It’s best if the vitamin E comes naturally from the foods you eat via your breast milk to your baby.
5 . Leafy Greens
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and swiss chard are loaded with vitamins such as A, K, and C including folic acid. Vitamin K is needed by bodies for blood clotting.
Low levels of vitamin K in babies can cause severe bleeding – sometimes in the brain, causing significant brain damage.
Whereas Vitamin A plays an important role in vision and helps to protect the body against infections in addition to promoting the growth of cells and tissues in the body of a baby.
There are loads of ways to incorporate leafy greens in your diet – some you can eat raw like lettuce or added to smoothies and they’re delicious cooked quickly with a bit of butter or added to soups, omelettes or stir-fries for example.
6 . Dairy Products
Dairy products such as milk, Greek yogurt, and cheese are important to breastfeeding mums because they are the major sources of calcium to help your baby’s bones and skeleton develop. Ensure you eat several servings each day to strengthen both your own bones and your baby’s bones.
Bones are the framework of a baby’s growing body. Maintaining calcium intake during infancy is essential for the development of a maximal peak bone mass.
Every cell in the body contains proteins, which make up the enzymes needed for chemical reactions. Most of the child’s energy comes from proteins which the baby must get from protein-rich foods such as breast milk. Greek yogurt contains more protein than the regular yogurt and it is also a source of probiotics.
This is a guest article provided by Amelia Johnson and edited by myself. Amelia is a writer/editor with an endless passion for bringing a lot of useful and trustworthy information to the community. She founded stayhealthyways.com, a blog dedicated to sharing quality articles related to health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. As a typical introvert, Amelia is a perfectionist in work. At times of leisure, she reads, listens to music, chats with some close friends and walks with her pet.