Breastfeeding Diet
A breastfeeding diet is no more complicated than regular healthy eating habits. Mother’s diet does not affect the quality of milk- even mothers in famine can provide adequate milk for their babies. Poor diet will typically affect the mother’s own health before her milk supply (and in turn, her baby’s health).
Drink to meet hunger and thirst. Excessive fluid intake is not necessary. Women who eat and drink to meet hunger and thirst tend to take in the required number of calories and amount of fluids for adequate milk production. Counting calories to maintain milk supply truly isn’t reasonable, as the number needed will be affected by the degree of the breastfeeding relationship. For example, the mother who is exclusively breastfeeding her baby will require a different number of calories than the mother whose baby is going through a growth spurt. The number will also vary if the baby is receiving solid foods, or receiving formula supplementation, etc.
Mothers need about 600 additional calories than they would normally take in (or 300 over pregnancy caloric requirements). Not getting enough calories, or a drastic reduction in calories over a short time (as in crash diets), can affect milk production. Mothers who are overweight tend to not need many extra calories, as they have fat reserves that will fuel milk production. Active women or women who are thin may need more calories due to their lower or non-existent fat reserves. A normal, healthy woman should typically consume at least 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding. Any fewer and she may experience a reduction in her milk supply.
It is a myth that certain types of vegetables cause gassiness in baby. The main cause of gassiness in a breastfed infant is a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Gassiness occurs in the mother as a result of the breakdown of the plant matter in her gut by bacteria, but the actual plant matter does not go into her milk. She does not actually have ‘broccoli’ milk if she ate broccoli.
There are no particular foods that must be avoided while breastfeeding. Some infants may have a cow’s milk protein allergy, however. If this is the case, the mother should cut out dairy products from her diet. It’s common for an infant who has a cow’s milk protein allergy to be allergic to soy as well. A protein allergy is not the same thing as lactose intolerance, which is an extremely rare condition in children under six years of age. Peanut proteins are secreted in milk as well, so these should be avoided if there is a history of peanut allergies in the family.
Coffee in moderation is fine, and even alcohol in small quantities is ok. Pumping one’s milk and dumping is not necessary, as the alcohol in the milk is metabolized at the same rate as that in the blood. About 2% of the alcohol consumed reaches the mother’s milk. In general, if you are safe to drive a car, breastfeeding is perfectly fine after consumption of alcohol.
The mother may need to take some vitamin supplements depending on the particulars of her diet. If the mother is taking no dairy products she should make sure she is getting adequate amounts of calcium (1000mg a day), combined with magnesium in a ratio of 2-1, and zinc (12mg a day) from other food sources. If she is vegan, and is consuming no animal products, she needs to make sure she is taking a vitamin B12 supplement or is getting enough B12 through fortified food sources. If the mother is eating a reasonably healthy diet, no vitamin supplementation is needed. If the mother is not adequately exposed to sunlight and is not eating enough vitamin D-fortified foods she should consider a vitamin D supplement (all that is needed is a few minutes of sun outside every day or two). Taking vitamin D in amounts averaging about 4000 IU a day has been shown to increase breast milk levels that will provide complete vitamin D requirements to the baby. She should be careful of taking fat-soluble vitamins A and E, as they can concentrate in her milk in amounts too high for the baby.
Mothers should use common sense in their breastfeeding diet. There is no specific diet that needs to be maintained or foods that specifically need to be restricted. A healthy, well-balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods that are minimally processed is best.
