Healthy breastfeeding diet, exercise and lifestyle

A healthy breastfeeding diet includes a wide variety of foods from the five main food groups. It is also important to look after yourself by getting enough physical activity and avoiding certain foods and other substances.

    Breastfeeding diet: what your body needs

    Despite the fact that breastfeeding increases the need for energy and some nutrients, human milk is made from maternal nutrient stores, so well-nourished mothers need not worry that the quality of their breastmilk will suffer from an imperfect diet. Breastmilk remains perfect for the infant even in cases of hardship and famine. Only in rare cases when mothers experience long-term, severe nutritional deficiency is their breastmilk affected. An excuse to not choose breastfeeding based on the fact that a woman enjoys drinking coffee or tea, or an occasional alcoholic beverage, is unwarranted.

    Unless a vitamin-mineral deficiency is identified, or the mother has a restricted diet, dietary supplements are not necessary. A diet including a variety of foods, adequate in calories, should provide the woman with all the nutrients she needs. Despite this fact, many clinicians recommend the continued use of a prenatal vitamin/ mineral supplement for the duration of lactation (AAP, 2012).

    When you are breastfeeding, your body needs extra nutrients. That is because your body is working harder to make breastmilk full of nutrients for your baby. But you don’t need a lot of extra energy. So it is really important to eat a wide variety of foods every day from the five main food groups:

    • vegetables – 7½ servings a day
    • fruit – 2 servings a day
    • grain foods – 9 servings a day
    • protein – 2½ servings a day
    • dairy or calcium-enriched products – 2½ servings a day.

    If you are eating a healthy diet, you will be getting enough of most nutrients. But there are a few nutrients you need to be aware of – calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, Vitamin A and vitamin D. It is also important to make sure you are drinking enough healthy fluids and you use iodized salt.

    Calcium
    Calcium makes up an important part of breastmilk and is very important for your baby’s bone development.

    You get calcium from:

    • dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt
    • calcium-enriched products like some brands of soy milk
    • fish with edible bones, like sardines and salmon
    • tofu
    • some green leafy vegetables like spinach.

    Iodine
    Your baby depends on your breastmilk as a source of iodine, which keeps his brain and nervous system developing.

    The best source of Iodine is Iodized salt, in small amounts Iodine is also found is some sea food and bread and foods made with Iodized salt.

    Zinc. The requirements for zinc during lactation are greater than those during pregnancy. Breastmilk provides the only dietary source of zinc for exclusively breastfed infants, and it remains a potentially important source of zinc for children beyond infancy who continue to breastfeed. Zinc supplementation has not been found to affect concentrations in the breast- milk of women with normal zinc levels, but it may increase the zinc content of the milk of women with suboptimal zinc status (Sazawal et al, 2013).

     

    Vitamin B12
    Your baby gets vitamin B12 from your breastmilk. Vitamin B12 is very important for your baby’s developing nervous system.

    You get vitamin B12 from meat, fish, eggs, milk and fortified breakfast cereals.

    If you follow a restricted diet, particularly a vegan diet, a vitamin B12 supplement is recommended strongly. The milk of a vegan mother can be severely deficient in vitamin B12, leading to a deficiency in her infant which, if not treated, hence the nursing mothers who follow a strict vegetarian diet should have their own and their infant’s B12 monitored.

    Vitamin D
    Your baby depends on your breastmilk as a source of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your baby absorb calcium, which she needs for bone growth and development.

    Your body makes most of the vitamin D you need when you get enough direct sunlight on your skin. There are small amounts in oily fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and butter.

    The AAP recommends that all breastfed infants receive 400 IU (10 mcg) of vitamin D as a daily supplement starting at birth, allowing him or her to easily achieve vitamin D sufficiency.

    You might be at risk of vitamin D deficiency if you are dark-skinned, if you keep all of your skin covered or if you rarely go outdoors. If you are deficient, you and your baby might need to take a vitamin D supplement. Your doctor or a dietitian can help you work out what you need to do.

    Fluids
    Your body needs slightly more water when you are breastfeeding. You should aim to have around nine glasses of fluids a day. But you might need more on hot or humid days or if you are very active.

    If you are not sure whether you are getting enough fluids, have a look at your urine. It should be pale yellow. Dark yellow urine is a sign that you need to drink more fluids.

    Water is the cheapest and healthiest drink. Avoid soft drinks, fruit juices, flavoured milk, flavoured water, sports drinks and energy drinks.

    Some women worry about losing the weight they gained during the pregnancy. The best way to get back to a healthy weight after pregnancy is by breastfeeding, eating healthy food and doing gentle exercise. Crash or fad diets are not good ways to lose weight, because you will miss out on important nutrients.

    Foods to limit in a breastfeeding diet

    Caffeine
    Caffeine transfers into breastmilk, so avoid drinking large amounts of caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee. Newborns are especially sensitive to caffeine.

    A moderate amount of caffeine is usually fine – about two cups of coffee or three cups of tea a day. You could also try things like non-caffeinated and herbal teas or decaffeinated coffee instead.

    If your baby is restless or has difficulty sleeping, you could try limiting how much caffeine you have and see whether this helps.

    Processed snack foods and fast food
    Keep these kinds of foods to a minimum. These foods are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar, and low in fibre and nutrients.

    Excluding potential allergy-causing foods while you are breastfeeding will not reduce the risk of your baby developing allergies. In fact, avoiding too many foods can be dangerous, because your baby will not get important nutrients.

    Alcohol, smoking, medication and breastfeeding

    A lot of what you eat, drink or smoke is passed through your breastmilk to your baby and can affect your baby’s brain development.

    If you are breastfeeding, it is best not to drink alcohol, smoke or use drugs.

    But if you plan to have an alcoholic drink, it is best to limit the amount to one drink. And wait 2-3 hours (per drink) before breastfeeding again.

    It is best for you and your baby if you do not smoke.  But even if you do smoke, breastfeeding is still the best option for your baby. You can protect your baby by always smoking outside, and not smoking for an hour before feeding.

    Smoke gets trapped on your hair, clothing and skin. So when you are smoking, cover your hair and clothes with something your baby will not come into contact with. And you should also wash your hands and brush your teeth after each time you smoke.

    Make sure other people smoke well away from you and your baby too.

    If you need to take drugs or medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist about what medications are safe while breastfeeding, and about the timing of medications around breastfeeds.

    Exercise and breastfeeding

    It is important to allow your body to recover after birth, but when you are ready, some regular exercise will boost your health and wellbeing.

    Being active every day:

    • strengthens your bones
    • reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes
    • controls your weight
    • improves your sleep
    • reduces your stress levels
    • improves your mental wellbeing.

    You can begin with gentle exercise like walking, and then try activities like swimming, yoga or Pilates.

    Moderate exercise will not affect your breastmilk, your supply, the amount of nutrients in your breastmilk or your baby’s growth.

    Some women worry that exercising will lead to too much lactic acid in their breastmilk. But this happens only after exercising at a very high intensity, and extra lactic acid in your breastmilk will not harm your baby anyway.

    Talk with your doctor or physiotherapist about the right exercise for you.

    It can be hard to find the time to fit exercise in, but you can try making it part of everyday activities – for example, pushing your baby’s pram to the shops to pick up some things for dinner gets you out of the house and keeps you active too. You could learn a few exercises to do from home, or use exercise apps or YouTube videos.