When mums begin to breastfeed their baby there are several concerns that arise like – Am I eating the right food? Will the intake of certain food items increase my breast milk, etc? There is also a lot of myth that surrounds these topics too. Let’s look at a few things that a new mom can do while breastfeeding her baby.
Moms do not need to eat a whole lot more while nursing. They do need about 500 extra calories just the same like the third trimester of pregnancy. Make sure you have healthy snacks and water at your bedside since you will be hungry as well as thirsty and since you may be feeding at all hours and for long hours getting up to get your meals may not be possible. Avoid eating a lot of junk food. Contrary to popular belief, eating a lot of ghee and sugar does not lead to more production of milk and it also does not make you stronger. So just eat a healthy balanced diet.
Make sure all food groups are consumed in moderation. Eating cold foods does not mean you would produce cold breast milk or eating foods which are deemed gassy will not cause the baby to have colic. However, if you eat too much of any one food or do not balance your meals then digestion may be a concern. There are no magic foods which produce more milk but there are some traditional foods which have been known to have galactagogue properties. These include fenugreek leaves and seeds, cumin seeds, papaya, oats and edible gum. Do not go overboard but you can include some of these in moderation in your diet. The most important thing to remember is that the more you feed the more milk you will make.