During pregnancy, there are many types of foods that a woman should avoid to keep the baby growing inside of her safe and healthy. These foods may include undercooked meats, raw fish and sushi, certain dairy products, caffeine, and, of course, alcohol. But now that your baby is here, many new mothers wonder if there are still certain types of that should be avoided and others that should be eaten. After all, you will be breastfeeding your newborn for at least six months after delivery, so you want to make sure your baby is getting the best nutrition possible.
Continue reading to learn more about the nutritional decisions a new mother should think about making while breastfeeding her baby.
Thinking about postpartum diets
Now that you are a new mom and no longer have your baby growing inside of you, you may think it’s safe to go back to a normal diet. However, after childbirth, the mother’s body will be in a state of recovery, at least for a short while. The baby, on the other hand, will still depend on the mother for nutrition and nurturing needs. To make sure that you make a speedy recovery while still having sufficient energy to care for your newborn, it may be wise to heed some dieting advice.
What to include in your diet
You’ll want to make sure that your postpartum diet is centered on eating organic, whole foods. Eating organically is recommended for any healthy diet, but especially if you are a new mom. Whole foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leafy greens, lean proteins, iron-rich foods, and vitamins. If you can’t avoid consuming dairy, then make sure you only eat low-fat dairy products. If you are a vegetarian and don’t eat meat, then you will want to incorporate high-protein foods like nuts, eggs, quinoa, and lentil into your diet. Healthy fats that come from avocados, fatty fish, olive oil, dark chocolate, and chia seeds are all a great addition to an organic diet. To help maintain steady energy levels throughout the day while caring for your child, focus on eating smaller portions more frequently. This will also help you to fight the cravings for unhealthy snacks in between meals.
In addition to eating organically, it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Coconut water is a great option for staying hydrated while also consuming healthy sugars, sodium, and potassium. Including some vitamins into your diet is also a good idea. Vitamin B is good for energy production and iron absorption while vitamins A and C are good for boosting your immune system. It’s important for a new mother to boost her immune system to keep from getting herself and the baby sick.
What to avoid in your diet
If you are a new mother and had your delivery via C-section, your incision will be healing for at least a few weeks after the procedure. Complications can arise from wound infection that often results from a prolonged healing process. Eating the wrong foods during this healing process can slow down the recovery process and lead to avoidable complications. Processed and fast foods and foods high in sugar are not ideal as a new mother and can lead to illness and poor wound healing. The added benefit of avoiding high sugar foods is that you will return to your pre-baby weight and shape much sooner.
If you are planning on breastfeeding your child, you should wait at least 2-3 hours after consuming an alcoholic beverage before pumping or nursing. This is to avoid passing any alcohol along to the baby. Drinks that are high in caffeine should also be avoided because caffeine can also pass through breast milk and disrupt your baby’s sleep cycle. This will only cause your baby to become fussy and you to lose out on much needed sleep.
As a new mother, you require extra calories (up to 600 a day) to breastfeed. The recommended post-partum diet is as follows:
• 2-3 servings of protein a day
• 3 servings of vegetables a day
• At least two servings of fruit a day
• Whole grains
• Staying hydrated with water
• Including enough iron, zinc, protein, and vitamin b12 into your diet
Continue reading to learn more about the nutritional decisions a new mother should think about making while breastfeeding her baby.
Thinking about postpartum diets
Now that you are a new mom and no longer have your baby growing inside of you, you may think it’s safe to go back to a normal diet. However, after childbirth, the mother’s body will be in a state of recovery, at least for a short while. The baby, on the other hand, will still depend on the mother for nutrition and nurturing needs. To make sure that you make a speedy recovery while still having sufficient energy to care for your newborn, it may be wise to heed some dieting advice.
What to include in your diet
You’ll want to make sure that your postpartum diet is centered on eating organic, whole foods. Eating organically is recommended for any healthy diet, but especially if you are a new mom. Whole foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leafy greens, lean proteins, iron-rich foods, and vitamins. If you can’t avoid consuming dairy, then make sure you only eat low-fat dairy products. If you are a vegetarian and don’t eat meat, then you will want to incorporate high-protein foods like nuts, eggs, quinoa, and lentil into your diet. Healthy fats that come from avocados, fatty fish, olive oil, dark chocolate, and chia seeds are all a great addition to an organic diet. To help maintain steady energy levels throughout the day while caring for your child, focus on eating smaller portions more frequently. This will also help you to fight the cravings for unhealthy snacks in between meals.
In addition to eating organically, it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Coconut water is a great option for staying hydrated while also consuming healthy sugars, sodium, and potassium. Including some vitamins into your diet is also a good idea. Vitamin B is good for energy production and iron absorption while vitamins A and C are good for boosting your immune system. It’s important for a new mother to boost her immune system to keep from getting herself and the baby sick.
What to avoid in your diet
If you are a new mother and had your delivery via C-section, your incision will be healing for at least a few weeks after the procedure. Complications can arise from wound infection that often results from a prolonged healing process. Eating the wrong foods during this healing process can slow down the recovery process and lead to avoidable complications. Processed and fast foods and foods high in sugar are not ideal as a new mother and can lead to illness and poor wound healing. The added benefit of avoiding high sugar foods is that you will return to your pre-baby weight and shape much sooner.
If you are planning on breastfeeding your child, you should wait at least 2-3 hours after consuming an alcoholic beverage before pumping or nursing. This is to avoid passing any alcohol along to the baby. Drinks that are high in caffeine should also be avoided because caffeine can also pass through breast milk and disrupt your baby’s sleep cycle. This will only cause your baby to become fussy and you to lose out on much needed sleep.
As a new mother, you require extra calories (up to 600 a day) to breastfeed. The recommended post-partum diet is as follows:
• 2-3 servings of protein a day
• 3 servings of vegetables a day
• At least two servings of fruit a day
• Whole grains
• Staying hydrated with water
• Including enough iron, zinc, protein, and vitamin b12 into your diet
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