Nutrition and breastfeeding: What to eat when breastfeeding?
What was already right during pregnancy is just as true when breastfeeding: The diet should be balanced and healthy. Plenty of fruit and vegetables as well as dairy and whole grain products should still be on the menu, and meat and fish should not be missing either.
Specifically, when breastfeeding, the diet should consist of
- lots of plant foods,
- animal products from time to time, and
- only rarely fatty and sweet foods.
During breastfeeding: More nutrients and calories
If you yourself are poorly nourished, your baby will also lack important vital substances. So for the sake of yourself and your baby, don’t neglect your diet and regular meals while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding costs energy. If your nutrient intake is poor, it will go to your reserves.
Breastfeeding: Dietary recommendations
The diet during breastfeeding is largely the same as during pregnancy: balanced, fresh and healthy. In addition to more calories, the following things are necessary to keep milk production running and breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding: Drink plenty
A lot of fluid is lost during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mothers should therefore drink enough. Three liters a day are recommended. It doesn’t have to be even more liquid – that doesn’t increase the amount of milk any further.
Tap water, mineral water, juice spritzers and herbal and fruit teas are suitable. Special blends that stimulate milk production are considered good teas for breastfeeding. Although their effect has not been scientifically proven, they do not do any harm. Sage and peppermint teas, on the other hand, are said to inhibit milk production.
Breastfeeding: A diet with good energy sources
About half of the energy should come from fiber-rich foods. Good suppliers of fiber are, for example:
- Whole-grain bread
- @ Whole-grain pasta
- Brown rice
- Potatoes
- Legumes
- Fruits and vegetables
Nutrition with a plus in protein
Women need around 15 grams of protein more per day if they are breastfeeding. The diet should therefore include dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk, cheese or fresh milk. Sea fish and whole grain products also contain protein. A daily slice of cheese or a glass of milk in addition cover the additional protein requirement when breastfeeding.
Vitamins and minerals
Women who eat a balanced and healthy diet while breastfeeding need not worry about vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Nevertheless, it is important to keep an eye on nutrient intake. Breastfeeding mothers should pay increased attention to folic acid, iodine, calcium and iron.
Folic acid
Mothers have an increased need for folic acid – not only during pregnancy, but also when breastfeeding. Diet alone, even if healthy and balanced, is not always enough to meet the need. Ask your doctor if you may need a folic acid supplement. Otherwise, you should frequently turn to foods high in folic acid such as:
- Tomatoes
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Lamb’s lettuce
- Peas
- Wheat
- Wholemeal bread
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Strawberries
Iodine, iron and calcium
For a good iodine supply, iodized table salt and fish twice a week are recommended. After consulting your doctor, you should also take tablets containing 100 micrograms of iodine per day.
Too much iodine is harmful to health: You should therefore not eat dried seaweed with a high iodine content – if you are breastfeeding!
The diet during breastfeeding should also contain sufficient iron. The best source of iron is meat. But also in
- cereals (e.g. millet, green spelt and oats) and
- Vegetables (lamb’s lettuce, fennel, salsify, spinach and carrots).
contain a lot of iron. However, meat should be on the menu three times a week if you are breastfeeding. A diet high in vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron – the iron store fills up faster.
A lot of calcium is found in kale, spinach, fennel and broccoli. So if you are breastfeeding, plenty of green vegetables should end up on your plate. Cheese and buttermilk are other important sources of calcium.
Diet during breastfeeding: No diet!
Under no circumstances should women who are breastfeeding restrict their diet and calorie count. Extreme weight loss is bad during breastfeeding, because otherwise the harmful substances stored in the fat are released and collect in the breast milk. In addition, milk production and the energy content in breast milk can decrease if you lose more weight.
Monthly weight loss of around two kilograms is okay. However, you should not achieve fewer kilos than before pregnancy when breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding on a vegetarian or vegan diet
Diets that completely avoid meat or animal products can cause deficiencies in important nutrients and affect the health of the child. Vegetarian and especially vegan mothers who exclusively breastfeed must keep this in mind.
Largely vegetarian diets, but supplemented with dairy products and eggs (ovolactovegetarian diets), are possible without problems during breastfeeding. However, vegetarians must ensure adequate iron and protein intake when breastfeeding.
Vegan women who breastfeed need to ensure the supply of vitamin B12, iron, calcium and zinc through supplements!
Breastfeeding: What am I not allowed to eat?
Pregnant women have to abstain from some foods. Therefore, many mothers are also unsure during breastfeeding and are faced with the question: What is not allowed to eat while breastfeeding? The reassuring answer: During the breastfeeding period, the restrictions regarding nutrition are not that great. However, you should know the following points if you are breastfeeding:
- Coffee and caffeinated beverages as little as possible and only after breastfeeding: The stimulating substances get into the milk and make babies restless. The same applies to energy drinks and black tea.
- Breastfeeding requires abstinence: avoid alcohol and nicotine when you are breastfeeding!
If certain foods were a serious problem during pregnancy because of possible pathogens, they are allowed again during breastfeeding. These include, for example, raw milk cheese and sushi.
Not everything gets into the milk
If you are breastfeeding, you can eat anything you like. This also applies to spicy foods as well as citrus fruits and other acidic fruits: During breastfeeding, these do not necessarily have to lead to a sore bottom for the baby.
Nutrition influences the taste of milk
Another note for mothers who are breastfeeding: Food can influence the taste of breast milk, in such a way that it then does not taste right to the breastfeeding baby. This can happen, for example, if you breastfeed after eating asparagus. Conversely, a diet that is already varied during the breastfeeding period means that the baby gets used to different tastes and is not bothered by them. So before you give up certain things from the outset, it is better to try them out.
Breastfeeding: Nutrition against allergies?
Foods that are more likely to cause allergic reactions include eggs, corn, soy, nuts and strawberries. If you are breastfeeding, you should still continue to eat these foods. Not eating them will not reduce the risk of allergies in your child. On the contrary, you run the risk of not providing yourself and your baby with sufficient essentials.
Lactation and milk production
Special teas and malt are considered to promote milk production. Too little fluid and irregular, nutrient-poor meals and diets, on the other hand, are bad for milk production. Alcohol also reduces the amount of milk produced. Peppermint and sage also have an inhibitory effect.
Breastfeeding: Do not neglect nutrition!
It is therefore extremely important for mother and child not to neglect nutrition when breastfeeding. So take your time to eat in peace. During breastfeeding and especially in the first weeks, it is pleasant to have someone to take care of your physical well-being.
