Leena Watts
Breastfeeding is a healthy way to provide essential nutrients for your baby's development. However, it is crucial to maintain a healthy diet while breastfeeding to ensure that both you and your baby receive the necessary nutrients. While there is no need to follow a restrictive diet, breastfeeding mothers should generally consume a nutrient-rich and well-balanced diet with a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Additionally, staying hydrated and maintaining adequate calorie intake are important considerations. Certain foods, such as specific types of seafood, may need to be consumed in moderation due to potential adverse effects on the baby. Individual dietary choices, such as vegetarian or vegan diets, may require additional supplementation to meet the increased nutritional demands of breastfeeding. Overall, consulting with a healthcare provider or a lactation specialist can help ensure a breastfeeding mother's diet adequately supports her and her baby's health.
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What You'll Learn
Nutritional requirements
Breastfeeding mothers should focus on eating a nutrient-dense diet with a variety of foods. This includes starchy foods like whole grains, fibre from wholemeal bread, cereals, brown rice, and pulses, as well as protein sources such as beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and lean meat. Dairy or dairy alternatives like milk, cheese, and yoghurt are important for calcium and protein.
It is recommended to consume at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, including fresh, frozen, tinned, and dried varieties. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of folate and vitamin C. Additionally, mothers should aim for at least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish like mackerel, sardines, trout, or salmon. However, it is crucial to limit the consumption of certain types of seafood due to mercury content, which can adversely affect the infant's brain and nervous system.
Some mothers may need to pay extra attention to their nutrient intake. For example, vegetarians and vegans may need to supplement their diets with specific nutrients like iodine, choline, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fats. Mothers who continue breastfeeding after the return of their menstrual cycle may benefit from increased iron intake. Additionally, all women, including breastfeeding mothers, should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter.
Breastfeeding mothers should also stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, especially water. While caffeine is not off-limits, high caffeine intake (more than 2-3 cups of coffee per day) may lead to irritability, poor sleeping patterns, and fussiness in infants.
It is important to note that individual dietary needs may vary, and mothers should consult with healthcare professionals to determine appropriate dietary supplements and address any specific concerns or allergies.
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Food to avoid
While breastfeeding, it is important to eat a healthy and diverse diet. However, there are certain foods that should be limited or avoided. Here is a list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding:
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that can pass through breast milk and cause irritability and sleep issues for your baby. It is recommended to limit caffeine intake to 300 milligrams per day or less while breastfeeding. This includes not only coffee and tea but also chocolate, energy drinks, and soft drinks that contain caffeine.
Alcohol
While an occasional drink is unlikely to harm the baby, it is recommended to avoid alcoholic beverages as much as possible while breastfeeding. Alcohol can pass into breast milk, and drinking can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if bed-sharing occurs while intoxicated. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is advised to wait at least 2 to 3 hours per serving before breastfeeding or pumping, and never bed-share with your baby after drinking.
Fish with high levels of mercury
Fish such as swordfish, marlin, shark, mackerel, and tuna contain high levels of mercury, which can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. Limit your consumption of these fish to one portion per week or less while breastfeeding.
Oily fish
It is recommended to limit your consumption of oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, and pilchards to no more than two portions per week while breastfeeding.
Additionally, if your baby shows signs of sensitivity or allergy to certain foods, such as increased gassiness, colic, diarrhoea, or allergic reactions, you may need to avoid those foods. Common allergens include dairy products, soy products, wheat, eggs, fish, nuts, peanuts, and corn. In these cases, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional for advice and to determine if any dietary supplements are needed, especially for those on vegetarian or vegan diets.
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Food to eat
Breastfeeding mothers generally need to consume more calories to meet their nutritional needs. This means eating approximately 2,000 to 2,800 kcal per day, depending on age, body mass index, activity level, and whether the mother is exclusively breastfeeding or also formula-feeding.
A healthy, balanced diet with a variety of foods is recommended for breastfeeding mothers. This includes:
- Dairy or dairy alternatives, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, choosing lower-fat and lower-sugar products where possible.
- Plenty of fluids, including water, lower-fat milk, and lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks.
- Starchy foods, such as potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, and other starchy carbohydrates. Choose higher-fibre or wholegrain varieties where possible.
- Plenty of fibre from wholemeal bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, brown rice, potatoes with the skin on, pulses such as beans and lentils, and fruit and vegetables.
- Protein-rich foods, such as beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and lean meat.
- Fruits, which are rich in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, and may help relieve constipation, a common issue after giving birth.
- Vegetables, particularly dark, leafy greens, which are rich in iron.
- Grains, especially whole grains, which provide important nutrients such as iron. Rice, bread, pasta, and oatmeal are good sources.
Breastfeeding mothers should be careful about their seafood consumption due to the presence of mercury in most fish, which can adversely affect the baby's brain and nervous system. The US Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend eating a variety of fish from the "Best Choices" and "Good Choices" categories on their charts. Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout, and salmon are recommended, with a limit of two portions per week.
Some mothers may wish to restrict caffeine, as it can be passed into the breast milk and may disrupt the baby's sleep. Similarly, alcohol consumption should be minimised, and breastfeeding should be avoided until the alcohol has cleared from the milk, typically after a few hours.
It is important to note that vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common after delivery, and certain diets may not provide adequate nutrition. Breastfeeding mothers may benefit from taking a daily multivitamin or specific supplements like vitamin B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats, in consultation with a healthcare provider.
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Supplements
While a balanced diet is the foundation of good health, many breastfeeding mothers find it challenging to meet their nutritional needs through food alone. This is where supplements can help. They are not a magic fix, but they can provide gentle support to help you stay well after giving birth.
The recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) are the average amount of a vitamin or mineral that meets the daily nutrient needs of nearly all healthy people. The RDA for some nutrients, such as iodine and choline, increases while breastfeeding. Therefore, diet alone may not ensure adequate nutrition for breastfeeding women. In such cases, breastfeeding mothers may benefit from taking a multivitamin supplement.
Breastfeeding mothers generally need more calories to meet their nutritional needs. To be well-nourished, breastfeeding mothers need 340 to 400 more kilocalories (kcal) per day than the amount they consumed before pregnancy. This means approximately 2,000 to 2,800 kcal per day for breastfeeding women. The number of additional calories needed for a breastfeeding woman is influenced by her age, body mass index, activity level, and whether she is exclusively breastfeeding or also formula feeding.
Certain nutrients like iron, vitamin D, calcium, omega-3s, and B vitamins may be needed during this stage, especially if you are feeling depleted or struggling to keep on top of your meal plans. Research has shown that taking iron supplements while breastfeeding can gently improve your iron levels. Even if you feel okay, your body might still benefit.
It is recommended that breastfeeding mothers take a daily vitamin D supplement of around 10 micrograms. This supports the mother's health and, if the baby is exclusively breastfed, aids the baby's bone development and overall growth.
Some supplements should be avoided while breastfeeding, including medicinal herbs, soy, and flaxseed. Black cohosh, for example, should be avoided while nursing due to its potential hormonal effects. Licorice, sometimes promoted to help with milk production, may instead decrease prolactin, reducing milk production.
It is important to consult a healthcare provider or qualified nutritionist to tailor advice on breastfeeding nutrition and postnatal vitamins to your specific situation.
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Allergies and intolerances
Breastfeeding lessens a baby's chance of becoming sensitive to an allergen, and babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop allergies later in life. However, babies can still develop allergies to foods that their mothers eat while breastfeeding.
If you suspect your baby is allergic to something you are eating, you can try cutting out potential allergens from your diet one at a time and see if your baby's health improves. It may take up to ten days for the allergen to clear from your baby's system. If you are taking a vitamin or mineral supplement, your baby may be sensitive to the vitamin/mineral, preservatives, or coloring in it.
If your baby has a family history of eczema, asthma, hay fever, or food allergies, exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months may help lower their risk. However, if your baby is already showing signs of food allergies, such as diarrhea, bloody stools, vomiting, colic, eczema, constipation, or poor growth, you should consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
A dietitian who deals with food allergies and intolerances would be the best type of health professional to guide you. They can help you identify whether your baby is experiencing a food allergy or intolerance and recommend appropriate dietary changes.
It is important to note that there are no recommendations to avoid any specific foods while breastfeeding to prevent allergies. However, it is generally recommended to limit caffeine and certain types of seafood, especially those high in mercury, such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, and marlin.
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Frequently asked questions
No, you do not need to follow a special diet while breastfeeding. However, it is recommended to eat a healthy and diverse diet with a variety of foods. It is important to stay hydrated and eat a nutrient-dense diet.
Certain types of seafood should be consumed in limited amounts. Most fish contain mercury that can pass from mother to infant through breast milk. It is also recommended to limit caffeine intake as it passes into your milk. Alcohol does not stay in your milk, but if you are feeling the effects of alcohol, you may need to "pump and dump".
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common after delivery, so it may be beneficial to take a daily multivitamin. The recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) are the average amount of a vitamin or mineral that meets daily nutrient needs. The RDA for some nutrients, such as iodine and choline, increases while breastfeeding. Health care providers should be consulted to determine appropriate dietary supplements.
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