What should mom eat while breastfeeding

After your baby starts eating other foods at 6 months, you will be making less milk and you can cut back on your calorie intake. Alcohol and caffeine If you wish to drink alcohol, wait hours after each serving 12 oz.

Alcohol does not stay in your milk. It is removed as your blood alcohol levels go down. When you are sober, the alcohol is gone from your milk. Newborns may be more sensitive to caffeine than older babies. Sharing with baby through milk DocasaHexanenoic Acid DHA is an important omega 3 fatty acid needed by babies for brain development.

You can boost the DHA in your milk by eating fish times per week. The best sources of DHA are: salmon, bluefish, bass, trout, flounder and tuna. Do not eat tile fish, swordfish, shark and king mackerel. They contain high levels of mercury. The colors of the foods you eat, including naturally occurring pigments in vegetables and herbal supplements or food dyes added to foods, may change the color of your milk.

The varied flavors in your diet will appear in your milk. Your baby will even enjoy milk flavored with garlic! Spicy and gas-producing foods are normally tolerated by most babies.

If you find your baby is often gassy or colicky and has increased diarrhea after you eat a particular food, try avoiding that food for several weeks and see if the symptoms go away. Then try the food again to see if you still need to avoid it. Allergies in baby In rare cases a breastfeeding baby may develop a food allergy to foods the mother is eating. Breast-feeding nutrition can be confusing.

How much should you eat? What should you avoid? How might your diet affect your baby? Follow these important nutrition tips. If you're breast-feeding, you're giving your baby nutrients that will promote his or her growth and health. You might have questions, however, about what foods and drinks are best for you — and how your diet might affect your breast milk and your baby.

Yes, you might need to eat a little more — about an additional to calories a day — to give you the energy and nutrition to produce milk. To get these extra calories, opt for nutrient-rich choices, such as a slice of whole-grain bread with a tablespoon about 16 grams of peanut butter, a medium banana or apple, and 8 ounces about grams of yogurt. Focus on making healthy choices to help fuel your milk production.

Opt for protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury. Choose a variety of whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of foods while breast-feeding will change the flavor of your breast milk.

This will expose your baby to different tastes, which might help him or her more easily accept solid foods down the road. To make sure you and your baby are getting all of the vitamins you need, your health care provider might recommend continuing to take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement until you wean your baby. Drink when you are thirsty, and drink more if your urine appears dark yellow.

You might drink a glass of water or another beverage every time you breastfeed. Be wary of juices and sugary drinks, however. Too much sugar can contribute to weight gain — or sabotage your efforts to lose pregnancy weight.

Too much caffeine can be troublesome, too. Limit yourself to no more than 2 to 3 cups 16 to 24 ounces of caffeinated drinks a day. Caffeine in your breast milk might agitate your baby or interfere with your baby's sleep. If you follow a vegetarian diet, it's especially important to choose foods that'll give you the nutrients you need. For example:. Choose foods rich in iron, protein and calcium. Good sources of iron include lentils, enriched cereals, leafy green vegetables, peas, and dried fruit, such as raisins.

To help your body absorb iron, eat iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits. For protein, consider plant sources, such as soy products and meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Eggs and dairy are other options. Good sources of calcium include dairy products and dark green vegetables.

Other options include calcium-enriched and -fortified products, such as juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu. Calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation: effects on the mother and the fetus.

Am J Obstet Gynecol. Reduced risk of peanut sensitization following exposure through breast-feeding and early peanut introduction. J Allergy Clin Immunol.

Energy and protein requirements during lactation. Annu Rev Nutr. London, UK:Crown copyright Alcohol and breastfeeding. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. Prenatal and postnatal flavor learning by human infants. ABM clinical protocol allergic proctocolitis in the exclusively breastfed infant.

Breastfeed Med. The convenient way to store, carry and warm expressed breast milk, Medela breast milk storage bags are easy to use and hygienic.

Discover our new range of pacifiers — made in Switzerland. Choose a location. Your breastfeeding journey. What to eat while breastfeeding You know breast milk is the best food for your baby, but what about your own nutrition during breastfeeding?

Share this content. Priya Tew, UK-based registered dietitian : An award-winning nutrition professional with a degree in nutritional sciences and a Masters in dietetics, Priya is registered with the British Dietetic Association and the Health and Care Professions Council.

A mum of three, she breastfed each of her children until they were around 18 months old. Do I need to take any breastfeeding vitamins?

Which foods should I avoid while breastfeeding?