Why Mom Should Eat a Healthy Diet

When a woman is preparing to have a baby, she will take good care of herself and fuss about eating the right food. Many of us forget the importance of a good diet after birth. And yet, every new mum needs to pay close attention to what she eats and drinks. The simple reason for this is that a newborn is totally dependant on the mother for food and basic care. In order to fully give yourself to another life, you need to be in tiptop shape.

Did you know that a nursing mum usually produces about 25 ounces of milk per day? This milk contains mostly calcium and the process itself requires an energy consumption of about 500 calories, each day. Like you did before giving birth, add dairy products to your diet on a regular basis. Milk, yoghurt and curd will do nicely and give you the calcium you need. If there is any calcium deficiency, your bones will slowly wear off..

When it comes to the quality of breast milk, what you eat will not have a great effect. But make no mistake, the diet will determine the quantity of milk. If a mother who is not eating properly has a healthy baby, then whatever nutrients are missing in the food will be donated by the nursing mother’s tissues. This is a call of nature- milk production will be given priority above your needs, by your own body. You won’t realize the damage you are bringing upon yourself, until it’s too late.

You have to also keep in mind that delivery does not mean that you are back to your pre-pregnancy days. Your body has undergone tremendous change and difficulties. So, cutting back on food to get a trim figure is not healthy at all. In fact, you will find that your appetite is as big as it was during pregnancy, if not bigger. Some experts compare a nursing mum to a marathon runner who is running a full-day race. Now you realize how important it is for mums to eat right!

What you drink matters too. Stay away from alcohol and limit your caffeine intake. Alcohol enters the baby through breast milk and can retard growth and development. Any wine should be taken after a feeding session. Drink more water, so that you take in about 3 quarts per day. Anything above that is not really necessary-it is not going to have a directly proportional effect on milk production.

You need to eat food rich in proteins and maintain a daily intake of about 2,500 calories. If you want to breastfeed for over three months, the caloric requirement will be higher. Doctors advise nursing mums to keep using their prenatal vitamins.

A mum should also be wary of pollutants. Fruits and vegetables are highly recommended but if they contain pesticide residue, it will do more bad than good. Remember that chemicals in pesticides can easily pass to the baby through milk. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water.