If you are breastfeeding your baby, you will be giving him all
your nutrition. You need to ensure that
you are receiving all of the nutrition you need as well. Women who are
breastfeeding need to add about 300 -400 calories per day to their normal diet
to cover the energy that is needed to make breast milk. Breastfeeding also
increases the amount of fluids your body needs so you should drink enough
fluids to satisfy your thirst. You will know when you are getting fluids if
your urine is nearly colourless or pale yellow. A suggestion to ensure that you
are getting enough fluids is to sip on a glass of water, fruit juice or milk
while nursing. Fruit juices and milk supplies other nutrients such as calcium
and Vitamin C which you need in extra amounts for nursing.
Foods in breastfeeding mothers’ diets usually don’t bother their
babies. It may happen however, with spicy or gassy foods. If your baby is fussy
or gassy and you do not know why, you should review what you ate within the
last 24 hours. You should try to eliminate any “problem” foods and see if it
helps baby.
Nursing mothers should also look at other important nutrients
such as DHA for their babies’ health, well-being and development. Expert nutrition
groups recommend a diet containing at least 200 – 300mg of DHA per day for
nursing mothers. DHA is a nutrient that promotes babies’ eye and brain
development. Eating fish such as salmon and shellfish can help achieve the
recommended levels of DHA. As the majority of mothers do not eat enough DHA
enriched foods, nursing mothers should also consider using a dietary supplement
to help meet the nutritional needs while breastfeeding.
No comments:
Post a Comment