Breastfeeding: nutrition

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Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

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When it comes to breastfeeding, nutrition is an important issue for mothers.How many more calories are needed to ensure that both mother and child are adequately supplied? And which vitamins and minerals are particularly important? Read here what you should pay attention to when breastfeeding, which foods are suitable and what it is better to avoid if you are breastfeeding.

Diet and breastfeeding: what to eat while breastfeeding

What was right during pregnancy also applies to breastfeeding: the diet should be balanced and healthy. A lot of fruit and vegetables as well as dairy and whole grain products should still be on the menu, and meat and fish should not be missing either.

Specifically, the diet should consist of breastfeeding

• many plant foods,
• now and then animal products and
• rarely fatty and sweet foods.

While breastfeeding: more nutrients and calories

If you are poorly cared for yourself, the child will also lack important vital substances. So for the sake of yourself and your baby, do not neglect your diet and regular meals while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding costs energy. If the nutrient intake is poor, it goes to your reserves.

With an average daily requirement of 2000 calories, mothers need around 500 more calories a day when they are breastfeeding. The diet can therefore be a bit more extensive, but should mainly contain healthy foods. As in pregnancy, when breastfeeding you should prefer foods that are fresh and rich in vitamins and nutrients. Make sure that the quality is good, because harmful substances also reach the child through breast milk.

Breastfeeding: Diet Recommendations

The diet during breastfeeding largely corresponds to that during pregnancy: balanced, fresh and healthy. In addition to more calories, the following things are necessary so that milk production runs and breastfeeding does not affect the substance.

Breastfeeding: drink a lot

Much fluid is lost when breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mothers should therefore drink enough. We recommend three liters a day. It doesn't have to be more liquid - that doesn't increase the amount of milk.

Tap water, mineral water, juice spritzers as well as herbal and fruit teas are suitable. Special mixtures that stimulate milk production are considered good tea for breastfeeding. Their effect has not been scientifically proven, but they also do no harm. Sage and peppermint tea, on the other hand, are supposed to inhibit milk production.

Breastfeeding: nutrition with good sources of energy

About half of your energy should come from high-fiber foods. Good sources of dietary fiber are, for example:

• Whole grain bread
• Whole wheat pasta
• Brown rice
• potatoes
• legumes
• fruit and vegetables

Dietary fiber fills you up, stimulates digestion and prevents constipation. Not only breastfeeding mothers benefit from this.

Diet with a plus in protein

Women need around 15 grams more of protein per day when they are breastfeeding. The diet should therefore include dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk, cheese or fresh milk. Sea fish and whole grain products also contain protein. A slice of cheese or a glass of milk every day also covers the additional protein requirement when breastfeeding.

Vitamins and minerals

Women who eat a balanced and healthy diet while breastfeeding do not need to worry about vitamin and mineral deficiencies. However, it is important to keep an eye on nutrient intake. Breastfeeding mothers should pay more attention to folic acid, iodine, calcium and iron.

Folic acid

Mothers have an increased need for folic acid - not only during pregnancy, but also when breastfeeding. Diet alone, even when healthy and balanced, is not always enough to meet needs. Ask your doctor if you might need a folic acid supplement. Otherwise, you should often eat foods that are high in folic acid, such as:

• tomatoes
• Cabbage
• spinach
• Lamb's lettuce
• peas
• wheat
• Whole grain bread
• oranges
• grapes
• Strawberries

Iodine, iron and calcium

Although there is no additional requirement for iodine, iron and calcium during breastfeeding, you should still ensure that you have an adequate supply of these minerals.

For a good iodine supply, iodized table salt and fish twice a week are recommended. After consulting your doctor, you should also take tablets containing 100 micrograms of iodine per day.

Too much iodine is harmful to your health: you should therefore not eat dried seaweed with a high content of iodine - if you are breastfeeding!

The diet during breastfeeding should also include sufficient iron. The best source of iron is meat. But also in

• Grains (e.g. millet, green spelled and oats) and
• Vegetables (lamb's lettuce, fennel, black salsify, spinach and carrots)

contains a lot of iron. Nevertheless, meat should be on the menu three times a week if you are breastfeeding. A diet high in vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron - iron stores fill up faster.

There is a lot of calcium in kale, spinach, fennel and broccoli. If you are breastfeeding, there should be plenty of green vegetables on your plate. Cheese and buttermilk are other important sources of calcium.

Caffeine inhibits calcium absorption. So it is better to avoid coffee and cola as long as you are breastfeeding (or drink only small amounts of them and only after a meal). It is better to ensure that you are hydrated with calcium-rich mineral water when breastfeeding.

Diet during breastfeeding: no diet!

Under no circumstances should women who are breastfeeding restrict their diet or calories. Extreme weight loss is bad during breastfeeding, as otherwise the pollutants stored in fat will be released and collect in breast milk. In addition, milk production and the energy content in breast milk can decrease if you lose more weight.

About two kilograms of weight loss per month is okay. However, you should not achieve less kilos than before pregnancy while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding on a vegetarian or vegan diet

Diets that completely eliminate meat or animal products can cause a lack of important nutrients and harm the child's health. Vegetarian and especially vegan mothers who exclusively breastfeed must bear this in mind.

A largely vegetarian diet, supplemented by dairy products and eggs (ovolacto-vegetarian diet), is possible without any problems during breastfeeding. However, vegetarians must ensure that they have adequate iron and protein intake when breastfeeding.

A purely vegan (i.e. purely plant-based) diet can trigger a dangerous vitamin B12 deficiency in the breastfed child and leave permanent neurological damage. It is therefore imperative that you speak to a doctor if you are a vegan and breastfeeding your child.

Vegans who breastfeed must ensure their supply of vitamin B12, iron, calcium and zinc through dietary supplements!

Breastfeeding: what can I not eat?

Pregnant women have to give up some foods. This is why many mothers are unsettled when breastfeeding and are faced with the question: What shouldn't you eat while breastfeeding? The reassuring answer: During breastfeeding, the dietary restrictions are not that great. However, you should know the following points if you are breastfeeding:

• Coffee and caffeinated drinks as little as possible and only after breastfeeding: The stimulating substances get into the milk and make babies restless. The same goes for energy drinks and black tea.
• Breastfeeding requires abandonment: Avoid alcohol and nicotine when breastfeeding!

If certain foods were a serious problem during pregnancy due to possible pathogens, they are allowed again during breastfeeding. These include, for example, raw milk cheese and sushi.

Not everything ends up in the milk

Breastfeeding therefore means restrictions in moderation - because not everything that the mother eats or drinks ends up in the breast milk. Flatulent foods, for example, do not automatically lead to discomfort in the breastfed child and should therefore not be removed from the menu as a precaution. Only if you or your baby develops flatulence is it better to temporarily avoid flatulence such as legumes, onions and garlic.

If you are breastfeeding, you can in principle eat anything you like. This also applies to spicy foods as well as citrus fruits and other acidic fruits: During breastfeeding, these do not necessarily lead to a sore bottom in the child.

Diet affects milk taste

Another note for mothers who are breastfeeding: Food can affect the taste of breast milk in such a way that the breastfeeding child does not like it properly. This can happen, for example, if you are breastfeeding after eating asparagus. Conversely, a diet that is varied even while breastfeeding leads to the fact that the baby gets used to different flavors and is not bothered by them. So before you do without certain things in the first place, it is better to try them out.

Breastfeeding: Diet Against Allergies?

Foods that are more likely to cause allergic reactions include eggs, corn, soy, nuts, and strawberries. If you are breastfeeding, you should still eat these foods. Not doing this does not reduce the risk of allergies in the child. Rather, you run the risk of not providing yourself and your baby with everything they need.

However, a diet with regular fish meals can have a positive effect on breastfeeding: It can apparently protect against allergic asthma, neurodermatitis and hay fever. The omega-3 fatty acids it contains seem to be decisive for this. Around 200 mg of the polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid per day is considered sufficient. You can achieve this amount with two servings of sea fish per week, provided that at least one fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, sardine or salmon is on your plate - also in the form of sushi.

Breastfeeding and milk production

Special teas and malt are considered to be milk-promoting. Too little fluid and irregular, nutrient-poor meals and diets, on the other hand, are bad for milk production. Alcohol also lowers the amount of milk. Peppermint and sage also have an inhibiting effect.

Breastfeeding: don't neglect your diet!

So not neglecting your diet when breastfeeding is extremely important for both mother and child. So take the time to eat in peace. During the breastfeeding period, and especially in the first few weeks, it is pleasant to have someone who takes care of your physical well-being.

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