What you and your baby need during breastfeeding
Some of the calories required for breastmilk production are supplied by body fat reserves laid down during pregnancy. However, additional calories are needed over and above your pre-pregnancy intake to provide enough energy to supply the needs of your growing baby. As you start to wean your baby, your calorie needs will gradually return to pre-pregnancy levels.
Department of Health guidelines suggest the following amounts of extra calories during the first three months of breastfeeding:
Up to one month - 450 calories
Up to two months - 530 calories
Up to three months - 570 calories
However, recent research suggests that these figures are too high and that an extra 300-400 calories per day is enough for fully breastfeeding mothers during the first three months.
There are two sets of figures for the additional calorie intake required after three months.
Group 1 mothers are those whose breastmilk no longer supplies all or most of their baby's food after the first three months.
Group 2 mothers are those who supply all or nearly all their baby's energy and nutrient needs for six months or more.
3-6 months:
Group 1 - 480 calories
Group 2 - 570 calories
More than 6 months:
Group 1 - 240 calories
Group 2 - 550 calories
What should I be eating?
Think of breastfeeding as continued motivation to follow the healthy diet you followed during pregnancy. Focus on eating whole grains and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, and foods that provide plenty of protein, calcium, and iron (and, as always, an occasional treat is fine).
Opt for nutritious snacks like yoghurt, sandwiches made with wholemeal bread filled with leafy greens and canned salmon, tuna, cheese or hummous, a jacket potato with baked beans, or fruit.
Drink plenty of water to help maintain your milk supply
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids - as much as eight to 12 glasses of water a day is about right. This will help your body to produce the milk you need for your baby.
Watch what you eat and drink
Substances like caffeine, alcohol, and other toxins can pass from your blood into your breast milk, so excessive amounts should be avoided. Nicotine from cigarettes and drugs also pass into your breast milk and should be avoided (your doctor can advise you on the suitability of prescribed medications). You'll be able to work out if your child is sensitive to something you eat or drink, because she'll show her discomfort by being unsettled after feeds, crying inconsolably, or sleeping badly.
"If I drank caffeinated coffee I found I couldn't calm my daughter down," says new mum Kim McCarthy. "When I went back to decaf, she was fine." If a baby is allergic to something you've eaten, you may see a reaction on her skin (rash or hives), in her breathing (wheezing or congestion), or in her stools (green or mucousy). Ask your health visitor for more advice.
While some women swear that hot or spicy dishes upset their babies, trial and error may be your best guide, as food-induced irritability differs markedly from one baby to the next. If you find you can eat garlic chicken or a fiery vegetable curry without making your baby unhappy, then dig in. One note of caution, though - some common colic offenders include broccoli, cabbage, onions and Brussels sprouts.
Get plenty of iron
If you took a vitamin supplement when you were pregnant, you might not need one now that you've had your baby. You may very well need an iron supplement, however. Many women have depleted iron stores during a good chunk of their childbearing years. Check with your doctor, midwife, or health visitor to see what she recommends. And if you do continue with a general vitamin supplement, remember that it can't make up for poor eating habits. Strive to eat a well-balanced, varied diet.
What about dieting during breastfeeding?
Lose weight gradually by combining a healthy, low-fat diet with moderate exercise. Rapid weight loss may pose a danger to your baby because it possibly releases toxins - normally stored in your body fat - into the bloodstream, increasing the amount of these contaminants that wind up in your milk.
Plus, breastfeeding helps to burn up the fat deposited during pregnancy and uses it for producing milk. A mum who breastfeeds burns a lot more calories than one who doesn't, which means most breastfeeding mothers can lose around 0.5 kg / 1 pound a month, simply because of the energy demands of producing milk.
Do still count on taking 10 months to a year to return to your pre-pregnancy weight, though. If you do decide to cut down slightly on your food intake, wait until at least six weeks after your baby is born. Limiting what you eat in the early weeks of lactation may reduce your milk supply.
The Food Standards Agency has the latest information on food safety, including nutrition during pregnancy, breastfeeding and policy on baby foods, including infant and follow-on formula and weaning.
Reviewed March 2006
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