10 Best Foods During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding

Welcoming the special new member in the family is indeed the happiest moment for parents, but pregnancy is a big step for the mother where she is confronted with various physical, emotional and psychological changes.

After the birth of the baby, the mother remains pre-occupied with its feeding and sleeping paying limited attention to her nutritional requirements and list of food for breastfeeding mothers.

Sleepless nights, fatigue and back pain during and after pregnancy are things that cannot be avoided but a well-planned nutritious diet for the breast-feeding mother can help in improving and maintaining the health of both the mother and the baby.

Tips To Plan Your Postpartum Breastfeeding Diet

Becoming a mother is the most important episode of a woman’s life but life of a new mother is hectic and exhausting, and the first few months are the most demanding. But planning your diet in a proper way by following these simple tips can help in making life easier and some list of food for breastfeeding mothers

• Start your day with a breakfast rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates.
• Have 5 to 6 smaller meals instead of 3 big ones.
• Drink a lot of water and other fluids to prevent dehydration and fatigue.
• Limit the intake of caffeinated drinks and sugar-rich foods.
• Don’t restrict your diet in an urge to lose weight.

10 Foods That Are Essential For Breastfeeding Mothers

Foods play an important role during pregnancy but it plays an even more vital role after childbirth because mother’s milk is the only source of nutrients for the newborn and therefore the nursing mother’s diet should be well-planned and include all essential nutrients.

Berries

These tiny, juicy fruits make perfect snack that you can dig into whenever you crave for desserts. All kinds of berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are a rich source of antioxidants.

Being rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients, berries are an amazing inclusion to a new mother’s breast-feeding diet. Meals for new mums must include at least 2 servings of fruits, and fresh berries are an excellent choice that also helps in bone development of the baby and prevents bone loss in the mother.

Brown Rice

You might want to cut back on carbohydrates in a hurry to lose the baby weight, but sudden weight loss by reducing carbohydrates may affect milk production and make you feel tired and worn out.

Consume complex carbohydrates like brown rice that is one of the best breastfeeding foods which helps in improving the quality of milk for the baby. It also provides the necessary energy to a new mother to keep her up and running after almost sleepless nights.

Dairy Products

Low fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, curd, buttermilk and cheese are and important part of diet in pregnancy and vital for breast feeding because these foods help in boosting bone development by supplying calcium and vitamin D.

Increased consumption of dairy products helps in enriching the mother’s milk with calcium, vitamin D and essential B vitamins that also helps the mother in meeting the calcium requirements of her body. It is best to consume at least three servings of dairy products every day during breast feeding.

Oily Fish

Oily fishes are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and are an amazing food for new mothers who are breast-feeding.

DHA present in omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in development of the baby’s nervous system and although DHA is present in breast milk, its levels are higher in those mothers who get DHA through diets or supplements.

It also helps in boosting mood and preventing postnatal depression. But it is best to go for salmon because it has low mercury content compared to other cold water fishes.

Legumes

Lactating food for new mother require two times more protein compared to non-nursing women and protein is one of the most important components of breast milk that promotes the growth and development of the baby.

It is important to include at least 70 grams of protein to the diet during pregnancy and post-pregnancy as well.

Legumes such as beans like kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, peas and lentils are a great source of high-quality proteins and ideal for mothers who follow a vegetarian diet.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Vitamin A is vital for proper growth and development of the baby but in most cases the newborn suffers from deficiency of this vitamin and therefore it should be derived from the mother’s milk in order to increase the baby’s vitamin A reserve.

Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, and broccoli are the best foods for new moms, loaded with vitamin A. Leafy green vegetables are also rich source of vitamin C, calcium, iron and antioxidants that are essential for the lactating mother.

Avocados

The health benefits of avocados need no new emphasis. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals and most importantly folate that must be included in the list of best foods for new moms.

Folate is not only essential in the early stages of pregnancy for the development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord, but also for reducing the risk of birth defects.The food for new mother also helps in developing red blood cells, thus preventing anemia.

So, include slices of this creamy fruit in your salads and sandwiches to load up on folate along with B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber and potassium.

Whole Grains

Postnatal mother diet need more energy compared to non-pregnant women for keeping up with the needs of the baby and spending almost sleepless nights.

Therefore, whole grains such as oats are the ideal food for new mums that makes a healthy and hearty breakfast and aids in boosting energy. In addition, oats are a rich source of carbohydrates, folate, iron and potassium which are essential both during and after pregnancy.

So, start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and stay energized to keep up with your baby.

Oranges

Citrus fruits such as oranges are an important part of any post-partum diet because nursing postnatal mother diet  require greater amount of vitamin C compared to non-pregnant women and citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is essential for both the mother and the baby because it promotes collagen production – the structural protein for development of cartilage, tendons and bones of the baby. Vitamin C also helps in tissue repair after pregnancy and prevents postnatal depression by lifting up the mood.

Eggs

It is important to include eggs in the list of breastfeeding foods because it is one of the few food sources of vitamin D that is essential for calcium absorption and development of the baby’s bones.

Eggs are also an easy and cheap source of high-quality protein that helps in improving the quality of the breast milk. In addition, it is also a rich source of vitamin A, zinc, selenium and B vitamins that are important both during and after pregnancy for maintaining overall health of the mother and the baby.

Include these foods in your post-partum breastfeeding diet to provide all the necessary nutrients to your baby and for maintaining your own health as well.