Principle 1
Nutrition should be complete and varied.
Make sure that your menu contains all the main types of products:

grains and bread (high in healthy carbohydrates and dietary fiber, B vitamins and essential minerals)
meat, poultry, fish, eggs (they are the main source of proteins and iron well absorbed by our body)
dairy products (high in calcium)
vegetables and fruits (from which we get a wide variety of vitamins, folic acid, fiber and minerals)

Try to have on your menu daily:
100 – 150 grams of cottage cheese, 15 – 20 grams of creamy and 25 – 30 vegetable (sunflower, linseed, corn, olive) oils, 20 – 30 grams of cheese,
200 – 300 gr of porridge,
200 grams of meat, poultry or fish (all low-fat varieties),
500 – 600 grams of vegetables and 200 – 300 grams of fruit

Principle 2
No allergens
It is better to exclude products with an increased allergenic potential from the menu altogether or try a little, carefully monitoring the child’s condition for 12-18 hours after consuming the “suspicious” product. Among the “unreliable” are: peanuts, crabs, shrimp, honey, citrus fruits, chocolate.

With caution – no more than 2-3 pieces per week – eat eggs: they can also provoke allergic reactions.

Contrary to traditional attitudes, milk is another product that is not desirable on the menu of nursing mothers. The thing is that cow’s milk proteins are a strong allergen. In addition, it is dairy products that often cause colic in children due to intolerance to milk sugar – lactose. Therefore, it is better to prefer fermented milk to them: natural yoghurts without sugar and fruit additives, good old kefir and fermented baked milk.

Principle 3
Fewer “empty” calories
Yes, of course, sometimes you really want something “sweet and tasty”. But remember that sweets contain practically no useful nutrients, but they can seriously harm the baby. After all, sugar enhances the fermentation processes that are “guilty” of the appearance of colic. Therefore, nutritionists advise replacing it with fructose or (in small quantities and with caution!) Honey. Marshmallows and marshmallows are acceptable in the diet of mothers, but you should not abuse them.

Principle 4
Alcohol is not for breastfeeding moms
No matter what they say about the fact that a little alcohol is drunk occasionally, the child will not hurt, give it up completely. Loving mothers for their children are not capable of such feats, so it will not be difficult for them to live without alcohol for a couple of years. By the way, rumors that beer increases lactation is an empty and harmful myth. In addition, try to drink less coffee, tea and limit the use of other caffeinated drinks and foods so that the baby does not get overexcited.

Principle 5
Definitely drink more
Modern research shows that the old way to increase lactation with milk tea is not at all as effective as previously thought. Да и молоко не всегда полезно кормящим мамам и их малышам (см. Principle 2). Remember that in the first three to four days after childbirth, when lactation is established, you can’t drink a lot, otherwise the risk of mastitis increases.

But when lactation has already been established, you can and should drink a lot, because breast milk is approximately 87% water. Give preference to healthy drinks: freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks, compotes. Well, if you are worried about the figure, then drink plenty of water, so you will provide the body with the fluid it needs and do not get extra calories.

It is important in no case to endure thirst, during the feeding period, an increased need for fluid is the norm, and this must be taken into account. Make it a rule to drink a glass of water or juice (compote) immediately before feeding, and during the day drink 8-10 glasses of liquid (more if desired).

Principle 6
Better to steam and bake
Now, fortunately, you can buy inexpensive and at the same time good double boilers, in which you can cook several dishes at the same time. Be sure to get yourself one. By steaming, you can save the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients than, for example, when boiling, because this way they will not be washed into the water. Good for preparing food for nursing mothers and baking in the oven. But refrain from frying: this cooking method seriously increases the calorie content of dishes and contributes to the occurrence of carcinogens.

Principle 7
Don’t Forget About Vitamins
In order for the baby to receive all the necessary vitamins, they must be in the diet of a nursing mother. And if in ordinary life we ​​do not always think about whether we have enough vitamins, then when feeding a child, we are obliged to do this. Therefore, it is desirable continue taking special vitamin complexes and eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits every day (one serving means ½ banana or 1 apple, etc.)

Manufacturers of baby food also produce special products for nursing mothers, which are enriched with vitamins and minerals.

Principle 8
Take care of safety
Try to keep the content of pesticides, herbicides and other substances harmful to the body in your food to zero. To contribute to this, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, cut off the skins from purchased ones, remove fat from meat, fish and poultry (there is a particularly high concentration of toxic substances in it). Choose foods with the lowest content of preservatives, stabilizers and artificial colors: not only are they harmful, but they can also cause allergic reactions in both the child and you.

Principle 9
Make way for complex carbohydrates
Of the carbohydrates on your table, more often should be complex. Therefore, cook a variety of cereals more often and eat rolls less often.

Principle 10
Calcium is everything
Be sure to include foods high in calcium in the diet of a nursing mother. This is important not only for the baby, but also for the mother herself. Eat hard cheese, cottage cheese, fish (prefer salmon or sardines), yogurt, broccoli, dried figs, lettuce, almonds every day to help prevent osteoporosis and other health problems in your child.

Principle 11
Remember the development of the child’s brain
Since the baby grows and develops especially intensively in the first months of life, it is important to consume foods necessary for brain development, primarily those containing Omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to eat steamed, boiled or baked fish 1-2 times a week, add flaxseed to salads (you can buy it at the pharmacy) or fill them with linseed oil.

Principle 12
Avoid flatulence
Try as little as possible and only in small quantities to eat foods that cause bloating, which occurs due to increased gas formation (flatulence). With caution, enter watermelons, melons, grapes, peas, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, various seasonings and sauces into your menu.

Principle 13
Nursing mothers – the most useful
How would you like to eat something smoked, salted, spicy, fried, try to refrain from this. All these products are not useful not only for the baby, but also for you. It is better not to eat sausages, convenience foods, fast food, etc. for now.

Principle 14
The measure of everything is the head
You should not follow the common advice to eat “for two”, but it’s also impossible for a nursing mother to exhaust herself with restrictions. Make sure that the calorie content of your daily diet does not rise above 2500 kcal and does not fall below 1800. Most nursing mothers fill up and do not gain weight when eating 2000 – 2200 kcal per day.

Principle 15
by trial method
Even if you take into account all the previous tips, you will not insure yourself against mistakes. All children are different and require a different approach, including in food. Choose the right diet for you slowly, carefully watching the reaction of the baby. Expand your diet and introduce new foods no more than once every two days. Stick to the following scheme: ate something new – waited 18 hours. If the child does not have a reaction (allergies, colic, etc.), then the product has passed the test and has proven itself to be quite “reliable”.

In the first weeks, the following components of the mother’s menu are suitable for almost all babies:
low-fat kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream,
cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, corn, rice, from several cereals), whole grain bread,
beef, turkey meat, lean pork,
green apples.

Require careful gradual introduction into the diet of a nursing mother:
whole cow’s milk,
semolina porridge, white bread,
chicken meat,
berries (strawberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, etc.), pomegranates, pineapples, persimmons, nuts, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, beets and other fruits and vegetables.

Undesirable during feeding:
cabbage,
legumes
canned foods
smoked, fried, salty and fatty foods.

Even if at first your baby is extremely sensitive and your menu is not very diverse because of this, do not be discouraged. Repeat the “food experiment” a little later and it is likely that the child will react more favorably to him, and your diet will expand significantly.