A lactating mother should monitor the intake of citrus fruit as it can affect the baby's digestion through breast milk. So, consult with your doctor before consuming fruits like kiwi, pineapples, oranges, and grapes.
To get the nutrients you need while breastfeeding, follow a healthy eating routine [PDF - 1.9 MB]. Choose a mix of healthy foods you enjoy from each food group, including: Whole fruits — like apples, berries, oranges, mango, and bananas.
However, not all fruits are suitable to consume during this time as they might adversely affect the baby. Thus, it is better to exercise caution while taking citrus fruits, cherries, and prunes. A baby's digestive system may not tolerate these fruits well when they pass through the breast milk.
Pumpkin, Pear, or Prune purees can be extremely effective in combating baby's tummy issues due to their high natural water content. These simple foods are filled with natural laxatives to help encourage the passage of air in your little one's belly.
Breastfeeding can make you feel thirsty, so it's important to keep well hydrated. Everyone should be aiming for six to eight glasses of fluid a day – even more when breastfeeding. As a rule, sip a glass of water, milk or unsweetened fruit juice whenever you're feeding your baby.
* Consumption of protein increases, so foods like moong dal, toor dal, masoor dal, soya, rajma, chole and sprouts should be added to the diet. * Dairy products, like milk, organic/low fat cheese, paneer, buttermilk, curds should be consumed in regular amounts.
Apples are a rich source of many nutrients and help maintain an adequate milk supply. Apples give nursing mothers the energy they need to heal and provide the ideal development environment for their newborns. Check out the infographic below to uncover ways to include apples in your nursing diet.
Dried Fruits And Nuts
The caloric needs of a lactating mother are slightly greater than those of a pregnant woman. Dried fruits and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, raisins, dates, figs, and cashews are calorie-dense foods that will provide the energy and nutrients required for optimum milk production to new mothers.
Eating bananas while breastfeeding is safe and can be a healthy addition to a mother's diet. Bananas are a good source of nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber, which are all beneficial to both the mother and baby.
Some of the fruits that can be good sources of potassium and Vitamin A are bananas, mangoes, apricots, muskmelon, oranges and grapefruit. Other than fruits, vegetables can also help in boosting the process as they are known to be rich in antioxidants that further help the growth of certain nutrients that make milk.
Acidic foods (like citrus fruit and tomatoes), spicy or strong-flavored foods (like garlic or hot sauce), and “gassy foods” (like broccoli and cauliflower) are often associated with baby gassiness and fussiness, but they are no more likely than other foods to bother babies.
Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:
An incorrect latch while nursing leads your baby to swallow too much air. Excessive crying fills your baby's belly with air. Strong let-down or oversupply, causing baby to gulp quickly and swallow air. Constipation.
Eating chocolate while breastfeeding should be done in moderation. Recommended serving sizes for nursing mothers are 1 ounce of dark chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of raw cacao nibs per day.
They are not just rich in nutrients but also help with milk production. For example, red lentils (masoor dal) and yellow lentils (moong dal) have been considered as a 'galactagogue' or a milk secretion agent.
Pulses, especially red lentils or masoor dal are not only believed to improve milk supply but are also a source of protein, and are high in iron and fibre. Almonds (badaam) and cashews (kaju) are believed to boost breastmilk production.
Position your baby upright and burp if needed.
It's possible that the hiccup functions to remove swallowed gas from the stomach—essentially “an evolved burping reflex.” Gently patting your baby's back while they're held upright may ease the presence of an air bubble in the stomach.
If the baby does not burp, he or she may get gassy. The best part is that correct breastfeeding positions, such as upright or semi-upright positions like the laid-back position, will help to solve this issue.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit also serve as a natural galactagogue. Dried apricots also contain phytoestrogens which help to steady the hormones involved in lactation. Calcium-rich dried fruits like figs, apricots, and dates are also thought to help with milk production.