When women are breastfeeding their babies, they must be very careful about their feeding since what they eat will pass almost without realizing it to the baby through breast milk. That is why, as occurs in pregnancy, the diet of a pregnant or breastfeeding woman should be watched carefully and avoid some foods or drinks that could be harmful to the development of the baby and even to its health.
For all this, if you are thinking of feeding your baby through breastfeeding, then you should take some considerations into account and also know why it should be this way and not otherwise. Below you can discover everything you need to know about how a breastfeeding woman should eat.
What does science say?
Everyone knows the importance of breastfeeding for the development of babies. Breastfeeding mothers often receive a variety of well-intentioned advice from those around them so that they know what to eat and what not to eat during the period of breastfeeding. But what is really important is to know what science says about it.
The dietary recommendations for breastfeeding is quite simple, there are only some minor changes compared to people who eat healthy, that is, in the recommended diets for healthy people. The difference is that during pregnancy and lactation, the body prepares to expend extra energy so some additional fat reserves must be established. You have to eat in a healthy and healthy way but bearing in mind that the calories should be a little more than normal, but not much more.
Energy needs during breastfeeding
As a general rule, women who are breastfeeding can produce around 780 milliliters of breast milk per day and will need to expend an extra 700 calories per day. Instead, the additional requirement per day in the diet will be only 500 extra calories, based on the assumption of the fat deposits of the female body that are used to compensate for the deficit and energy expenditure.
Furthermore, the body also adapts to conserve energy during lactation by decreasing the basal metabolic rate. Production and activity levels also drop after having a baby. Regarding the dietary recommendations, the additional food needs should equal vegetables or cereals, but not extra calories from unhealthy eating. For example, adding an extra serving of vegetables to your plate or dining on a larger bowl of rice would be more than enough. You can choose, for example, to add a bowl of soup or a bread roll to your meal, but not both because then you would exceed the recommended calories.
Nutritional needs in breastfeeding women
In the world of nutrition-conscious, we often assume that vitamin supplements are needed during this time of breastfeeding, but surprisingly they are not necessary. In fact, there are women around the world - even those who are malnourished - who breastfeed successfully due to their nutrient stores without the need to use any type of vitamin complex.
Although of course, there can always be exceptions. If nutrient stores are not sufficient to support good breastfeeding, it will depend on the quality of the diet and weight gain. that the woman had during pregnancy. It is also necessary to understand that there are different pregnancies and breastfeeding and that each woman is different. It will be the doctor who must assess the nutritional needs of a woman who is breastfeeding.
What to avoid a woman who is breastfeeding
During pregnancy women should avoid alcohol, but while breastfeeding, they should also be cautious about alcohol consumption. The best advice for a breastfeeding woman is to avoid alcohol as much as possible. since doing so is not safe, especially during the first month of breastfeeding. After the first month has passed, it is suggested that you drink no more than two drinks at a time and then wait long enough before breastfeeding to give the alcohol time to disappear from the bloodstream and from your baby. mother's milk.
The time a woman should wait for the alcohol (one glass) to have disappeared from her milk and blood will depend on the mother's weight (less weight, less time) and the amount of alcohol she has drunk (more alcohol, longer ). The ideal is to wait two and a half hours for every 12 g of alcohol consumed (a beer, a glass of wine, a glass of liquor ...). The times are approximate, but if a woman weighs 60 kilos for example and has a glass of wine she will have to wait two and a half hours, if she drinks two glasses of beer, she will have to wait 5 hours, etc.
As for other drinks, if you are thirsty it is best to drink water ... Because it's the only drink that will really quench your thirst. Many mothers want to drink coffee to fight sleepless nights, but caffeine is best avoided since it enters breast milk and newborn babies take a long time to metabolize it.
As for food, spicy foods or foods that may contain caffeine such as chocolate are best avoided at the beginning of the baby's life. Although there is little evidence to support these claims, it will always be more advisable to eat healthy foods and take into account proteins, dairy and other suitable foods so that the milk is well loaded with nutrients. If you have doubts, think no more and go to your doctor for guidance on what your diet should be in this important period for your baby. So you will both be well fed!