What to Eat When You Breastfeed

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Lionel Hancock
6 years ago
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1 Child Care/Health Promotion Si usted desea esta información en español, por favor pídasela a su enfermero o doctor. #490 Name of Child: Date: What to Eat When You Breastfeed When you breastfeed, the food you eat also feeds your baby. You are still eating for two! What to eat: Every day, make sure you eat a variety of foods from every food group. Eat many different foods so you get all the nutrients you need. Eat food that is as close to the natural state as possible. Eat whole grain bread instead of white bread. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen food is healthier than canned food. Every day while you are breastfeeding, continue to take the vitamins you took while you were pregnant. Avoid eating snacks and desserts that have a lot of sugar and fat. These will fill you up so you don t have room for healthy foods. Eat many different foods so you get all the nutrients you need. 1 of 7

2 Foods shown to help support lactation include: carrots fennel beets yams dark green leafy vegetables oats chickpeas/garbanzo beans lentils mung beans raw almonds cashews macadamia nuts garlic ginger sesame seeds nutritional yeast Foods that can sometimes decrease supply include sage, cilantro, parsley, and mint. How much to eat: Foods that support lactation include beets, dark green, leafy vegetables, and carrots. Eat 3 meals a day and snacks in between. Eat when you are hungry. Most mothers who breastfeed are more hungry than usual. If you usually count calories, eat an extra 500 calories every day you breastfeed. If you are feeding twins, eat an extra 1000 calories each day. Be sure to eat plenty of green vegetables, such as spinach and kale. Try to eat these 2 to 3 times a day. You can make smoothies, such as green drinks to help you increase the amount you eat every day. 2 of 7

3 How much to drink: The best drinks when you are breastfeeding are water, milk, fruit juices, and vegetable juices. Drink enough fluids so that you do not feel thirsty. For many women, this can be about eight 8-ounce glasses of water, milk, fruit juices, and vegetable juices a day. You need to drink more if: you don t need to go to the toilet often your urine is dark yellow your stool is dry When you are pumping milk or feeding your baby, have a glass of water or other beverage nearby so you can drink before you get thirsty. You will not make more breastmilk if you drink more than your body needs. What to watch for: Your baby will probably do fine with all the foods you usually eat. If a certain food or drink seems to bother your baby, do not eat it for a week or two. If your baby seems better, try a small amount again. If your baby seems fussy again, do not eat or drink it until you have stopped breastfeeding. Some babies are allergic to some foods that you eat. This happens most often when other people in the family have food allergies. When you eat well, your body will do all it can to make milk for your baby. If you think your baby might be allergic to the milk, cheese, or yogurt in your diet, ask your nurse, doctor, or lactation specialist to give you a copy of: r Breastfeeding and Special Diets #491 (Check when done.) 3 of 7

4 Your baby may get loose stools if you drink too much fruit juice. It is usually fine to have one or two caffeine drinks a day. These may be coffee, tea, or soda. If your baby is irritable after you drink caffeine, drink less. Caffeine can also cause you to make less breastmilk. There is something in chocolate that acts like caffeine. Do not eat too much chocolate at one time when you are breastfeeding. How to lose weight: This special time with your new baby is not the best time to think about losing weight. However, if you must lose weight, lose it slowly. Don t lose more than one pound a week. Do not take diet pills or lose weight quickly. You can lose weight by: being more active eating foods low in fat eating fewer sweets breastfeeding often Why eat well? Be more active. When you eat well, your body will do all it can to make milk for your baby. If you eat well, you will feel better. So take good care of yourself. Remember you are giving your baby the most perfect food. Enjoy eating! Now that you ve read this r Tell your nurse or doctor how you might change what you eat, so you will eat well while you breastfeed. (Check when done.) 4 of 7

5 If you have any questions or concerns, r call your child s doctor or r call If you want to know more about child health and illness, visit our library at The Emily Center at Phoenix Children s Hospital 1919 East Thomas Road Phoenix, AZ Facebook: facebook.com/theemilycenter Pinterest: pinterest.com/emilycenter Disclaimer The information provided at this site is intended to be general information, and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to take the place of examination, treatment, or consultation with a physician. Phoenix Children s Hospital urges you to contact your physician with any questions you may have about a medical condition. May 26, 2016 DRAFT to family review #490 Written by Jenny Bowen, RN, IBCLC Illustrated by Dennis Swain 5 of 7

6 Child Care/Health Promotion Si usted desea esta información en español, por favor pídasela a su enfermero o doctor. Name of Health Care Provider: Number: 490 For office use: Date returned: r db r nb Family Review of Handout Health care providers: Please teach families with this handout. Families: Please let us know what you think of this handout. Would you say this handout is hard to read? r Yes r No easy to read? r Yes r No Please circle the parts of the handout that were hard to understand. Would you say this handout is interesting to read? r Yes r No Why or why not? Would you do anything differently after reading this handout? r Yes r No If yes, what? After reading this handout, do you have any questions about the subject? r Yes r No If yes, what? 6 of 7

7 Is there anything you don t like about the drawings? r Yes r No If yes, what? What changes would you make in this handout to make it better or easier to understand? Please return your review of this handout to your nurse or doctor or send it to the address below. The Emily Center Health Education Specialist Phoenix Children s Hospital 1919 East Thomas Road Phoenix, AZ Thank you for helping us! 7 of 7

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Procedure/Treatment/Home Care Si usted desea esta información en español, por favor pídasela a su enfermero o doctor. Name of Child: Date: #193 Whether or Not to Circumcise If you have a boy, the American