Breastfeeding diet is something you don’t really think about for most of the pregnancy. All the focus goes to the pregnancy diet probably. Luckily - breastfeeding diet is not much different! Although there are some primary rules that you should know.

Fluids (water)

Water is the most healthy drink you can imagine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you’ve always had a problem with drinking a proper amount of water, now it is more important than ever.

I have this trick - put water bottles right next to every resting point in your house; also at breastfeeding station. Really helpful.

Fats

Breastfeeding diet should be fat, but I am talking about healthy fats! Walnuts, almonds, and avocados contain essential vitamins, like E, omega-3, omega-6, and antioxidants. Include these healthy fats in your breastfeeding diet but don’t go overboard.

You should not overdose the fats, because it may cause gas, bloating, or at least stomach discomfort. And you won’t have time for feeling sick!

Veggies

Breastfeeding diet should be full of fruits and vegetables! Especially if you don’t care about it usually.

The suggested intake is 3 to 5 portions a day to get the proper balance. Red fruits provide vitamins like B1, B2, B6, and C, which help to keep you healthy and are necessary for milk production.

You can read about it online.

Alcohol

The best way is avoiding alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding period. Although, if planned, a small amount of alcohol may be not-harmful while breastfeeding. The amount of alcohol contained in a small glass of wine disappears from the body of an average size woman within two hours, and this gap between alcohol intake and feeding is acceptable - that is the big secret revealed!

If you want to be well-prepared for breastfeeding - I highly recommend reading my guide: How to make breastfeeding pleasant and easy. It is a complete guide, teaching these tricks from the first moment at the hospital, until the very end of breastfeeding. What is best - motherhood brings a lot of changes in your life, and some of those are pretty healthy!

Susan Urban