A balanced diet of a nursing mother is the basis for the harmonious growth and development of the child, as well as maintaining the health of the mother herself.

Compliance with a rational diet, favorable living conditions, combined with sufficient rest and walks, will help maintain the health of the mother and thus provide the baby in the first months of life with high-quality wholesome food, such as breast milk, which is so necessary for children of this age.

Nursing food should be as complete and varied as possible in terms of quantity and quality of nutrients, contain a sufficient amount of various mineral salts and vitamins. Qualitatively defective, monotonous nutrition affects the composition of milk, and consequently – on the development of the child. The amount of breast milk and its quality depend on many factors, the main of which is the nutrition of a nursing mother.

Dieting during breastfeeding is not recommended.

The calorie content of the daily diet compared to the second half of pregnancy should be increased by 700-1000 kcal, since the mother spends additional nutrients on the formation of milk.

The average daily secretion of milk in the vast majority of women ranges from 850 to 1200 ml. Taking into account the protein content in milk, we can assume that the wet nurse excretes about 15.0 g of proteins daily. For the production of 1.0 g of breast milk protein, about 2.0 g of dietary protein is required. Therefore, the protein content in the diet of a nursing breast should be increased by about 30-40 g and be at least 110-120 g. The daily requirement of a nursing breast for fats (up to 120 g), carbohydrates (up to 500-520 g) also slightly increases..

Overeating adversely affects lactation.

A breastfeeding woman is advised to eat several times a day, but in small portions. It is advisable to eat a little and drink some liquid just before feeding the baby – it is believed that from such a meal the amount of milk produced will increase.

Recommended diet for a breastfeeding mother
Food should be complete in quantity and quality of nutrients, contain a sufficient amount of various mineral salts and vitamins. The need of mothers for vitamins significantly exceeds the usual physiological norm, therefore, the imbalance in the nutrition of the nursing mother can lead to beriberi in her and in the child. The daily requirement of a nursing mother in vitamins and microelements averages: 2.5 mg of vitamin A, 2.5 mg of vitamin B1, 3.5 mg of vitamin B6, 120 mg of vitamin C, 25 mg of vitamin PP, 4 mg of vitamin B, 500 M.ABOUT. vitamin D, 1.8-2.0 g calcium, 3.8 g phosphorus, 1.25 g magnesium.

Approximately one third of the required daily amount of vitamin A is provided by foods containing the vitamin itself, and the remaining two thirds are carotene. In the winter-spring season, when there are few fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, there is often a lack of vitamins C, A and E. At present, it is advisable to take special vitamin preparations as prescribed by a doctor (especially in spring). Ascorbic acid preparations should be especially widely used.

Vitamin C is found in black currants, rose hips, peppers, cabbage, potatoes, etc. There is no need to fear hypervitaminization of the child through mother’s milk due to the intake of vitamins, since the transfer of most vitamins into milk is limited.

At the moment, the practice of additional administration of vitamins to a child through mother’s milk seems to be even more physiologically justified than the correction of vitamin deficiency by early introduction of various juices to the child.

The nursing menu should not be monotonous, because, as mentioned above, qualitatively malnutrition affects the composition of milk, and therefore the development of the child. Mothers are also discouraged from following a mono-diet (a diet that requires the mother to eat only one food), even for a short period of time. This can lead to a decrease in the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins in the woman’s body and in breast milk. As a result, the child refuses to breastfeed and has to switch to artificial feeding, which can lead to problems in the gastrointestinal tract in the child.

An obligatory part of the diet of a nursing breast should be milk or dairy products, which are the main sources of calcium and phosphorus salts. Calcium is necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular and other body systems. You can not do without calcium and the bone system. It is because of the lack of calcium in young children that a dangerous disease such as rickets occurs. For supporting balance of minerals you need to consume daily about 600 ml of milk or dairy products and 50 g of cheese. In addition to the 4 main meals, two additional milk intakes before feeding are desirable.

Sour-milk products – kefir, fermented baked milk – help the intestines “work” better, improve digestion. In a nursing mother whose diet includes fermented milk products, the child is less likely to suffer from constipation. However, in the use of sour-milk and dairy products, you also need to know when to stop.

Normally, a nursing mother should receive a mixed diet containing sufficient fresh vegetables and fruits necessary for the good functioning of the digestive and intestinal systems of the body. In addition, vegetables and fruits are a source of vitamins and minerals.

It is also obligatory to eat meat, fish and eggs. It is advisable to choose meat that is not fatty – veal, white poultry meat. It is also desirable to choose non-greasy fish – hake, pike perch, pollock, etc. The preferred method of cooking meat and fish is boiling and over steam, but in no case frying.

Speaking about the proper nutrition of nursing mothers, one cannot fail to mention the role of fluids in general. The amount of milk produced directly depends on the amount of liquid consumed. A nursing woman in general needs up to 2-2.5 liters of liquid per day, including consumed milk and dairy products, the liquid part of first courses, compotes, jelly, juices, and the like.

The use of natural juices when feeding a child
Usually, experts recommend that lactating women introduce apple juice into the diet, and only green apple juice. You should refrain from drinking grape, tomato, citrus juices.

One of the basic principles of breastfeeding is the gradual introduction into the diet of foods that, on the one hand, the body needs, on the other hand, can cause trouble for the baby. Especially this principle applies to the nutrition of a nursing mother who has a child under the age of 3-4 months, during childhood colic and other intestinal disorders in a baby.

Foods that should not be consumed by a breastfeeding mother
In order not to accidentally harm your baby while breastfeeding, it is recommended to develop your own menu, taking into account all potentially dangerous products.

You should limit the number of products that can cause fermentation processes in the intestines: grapes, sugar, confectionery and sweets.

In the menu, it is advisable to exclude salty, smoked and fatty dishes, canned food, pickles, marinades, dishes with a lot of spices, do not often eat onions, garlic (this can spoil the taste and reduce the amount of milk), coffee (if you, of course, want the baby was calm and slept well), chocolate (it is very allergic and invigorates excessively, and also reduces immunity), cucumbers, cheese and sauerkraut (it “kills” milk), tomatoes, grapes, mint (reduces milk production), whole milk, mushrooms, legumes, watermelons, melons, canned food (except fruit), oranges, tangerines.

Strong food allergens are peanuts, strawberries, crayfish, shrimp, chocolate.

Even domestic apples, if they are present in large quantities in the diet of a nursing mother, can cause severe allergies in a child.

To ensure normal breastfeeding, it is necessary to categorically prohibit the use of: carbonated drinks, especially those containing dyes and preservatives, any drinks containing alcohol, including low alcohol ones.