Lactation: myths, facts & diet

As soon as you know you are going to be a mother soon, you are showered with lots of advices about what to eat what not to eat. What is good for you and your baby.

Often new mother get confused what is right or wrong for her and baby.

Let’s have some points on this topic what is good for a new mom and her baby.

Your health depends on what you eat and drink and your child’s nutrition starts right from the womb!! So it’s really important for any pregnant woman to EAT RIGHT and HEALTHY, to avoid maternal and child complications during and post delivery.

Let me clear one most prevailing myth i.e. “you should eat for two now!!!”

No that’s not needed, you should eat how much you want to less or more, it’s your body you knows how much food you and your baby need.

Important point to remember are:

• Balanced healthy diet is most important, especially the micro nutrients like fiber, fluids, vitamins and minerals
• Regular exercise (as per your doctor’s suggestion)
• Physical active lifestyle
• Stress free mind

All these points keeps you healthy and helps you in prevention of pregnancy disorders like:

• High maternal weight gain
• Gestational diabetes
• Pre-term delivery
• Big baby and many such complications that can affect lactation part a big way

To avoid all such complications it’s important that pregnant woman and her family understand how much the DIET is equally important as any medications and supplements.

Good quality antenatal diet helps in production of good quality breast milk post delivery!!

Diet post delivery:

First it’s most important to know-

“Exclusive Breastfeeding is not a choice, it’s a responsibility!!”

Exclusive Breastfeeding is mandatory for new born, irrespective of the mode of delivery and the post delivery diet. What is lagging today’s scenario is women’s self determination and busy life to do exclusive breastfeeding.

Diet during Lactation, common facts and myths.

Myths–

• A LSCS mother would not be able to breastfeed because she was nil stomach
• Water intake should be strictly restricted for the mother
• Mother should not eat pulses, certain veggies and fruits which may affect the baby’s health and digestion
• Certain food indulge in LSCS suture healing
• Plenty of ghee based and dry fruits desserts will enhance milk production

Facts:

• Any new mother can do exclusive breastfeeding irrespective of her mode of delivery and her diet status
• Plenty of fluids is mandatory for the mother to enough hydrated to do feeding 24/7
• Balanced diet of all food groups is mandatory to keep the mother away from constipation, to cope up with blood loss, to be nutritionally healthy enough to nurture one more life

Lactation Foods :

• Plenty of protein based foods like pulses, legumes
• 4-5 liter of fluids per day excluding juices
• Iron rich foods like GLV, ragi, soya, pomegranate, watermelon, poha etc.
• Milk and milk products, 1ltr / day
• It’s important to avoid more of simple carbs to avoid mother taking additional calories
• No dieting till the mother completes 6 months of exclusive  breastfeeding

( you can find good organic products here )

Lactation Golden Rules :

• Exclusive breast feeding till 6 months of age and continue till one year minimum and if possible 2-2.5 years
• No formula milk or cow’s milk till one year of baby’s age
• Never use feeding bottle

These were some really good and important points get to know in the discussion with doctors at  Apollo Cradle

Hope this helps all new mothers. Coming soon with breast feeding positions for new moms.