A healthy diet for breastfeeding mothers

One of the wonders of breastfeeding is that it can meet the nutritional needs of your baby even when you do not eat perfectly. (However, if you eat a diet that is too low in calories or that depend on one food group to the exclusion of others, this can affect the quality and quantity of your milk.)

Just because your baby will not be harmed by occasional irregularities on the part of your diet does not mean that you will not suffer, though. If you do not get the nutrients you need from your diet, your body will draw on the reserve, which eventually can be exhausted. Also, you need strength and stamina to meet the physical demands of caring for new babies.

Many breastfeeding mothers feel hungry while an additional, which makes sense - your body is working around the clock to make milk for your baby. Eat small meals with healthy snacks in between (the way you might have done during pregnancy) is a good way to keep your hunger in check and energy levels high.
Do not count calories

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how many calories you need to consume as a nursing mother. As a general rule, most women who are breastfeeding will need approximately 200 to 500 calories more than women who did not - which would mean a minimum of 2,000 to 2700 calories per day.

Instead of counting calories, follow your hunger as a guide to how much you need to eat.

The exact amount will depend on a number of individual factors, such as your weight, how much exercise you get, how your metabolism works, and how much you are breastfeeding.
Aim to lose weight slow and steady

While some new mothers find the weight seemed to fall while they are breastfeeding, others do not lose much. It all depends on your body, your food choices, your activity level, and your metabolism.

Best Plan: Lose your pregnancy weight gradually. Count on taking ten months to a year to return to pre-pregnancy weight.

And do not try to lose weight by dieting until two months after your baby is born. Reduced-calorie diet in the first few months could zap your energy and hurt your milk supply.

Most women can safely lose 1.5 pounds per week by combining a healthy diet with moderate exercise. Losing weight more rapidly than it can pose a danger to your baby because rapid weight loss release toxins which are usually stored in your body fat into the bloodstream - and into your milk.

Decline, suddenly big in your calorie intake can affect your milk - so do not do one day of dieting to lose weight fast! If you lose more than 1.5 pounds a week after the first six weeks, you need to take in more calories.