World Breastfeeding Week: Foods to eat & avoid for breastfeeding mothers

The body of a breastfeeding mother toils to produce milk each moment of the day. It takes every ounce of energy that they have; that is why lactating mothers feel hungry all the time. The solution to this might seem like eating a lot of food. But the key to healthy eating while breastfeeding lies in ‘what’ instead of ‘how much’. Hence, fueling the body with nutrient-rich foods is recommended while lactating. However, there are also a set of foods that new moms should not eat.

Experienced dietician Sandhya Gugnani says, “Lactating mothers pass on the nutrients to their baby, to promote his or her growth and health through breast milk. Thus, it is important to focus on making healthy choices to stimulate an increase in milk production.” On the event of World Breastfeeding Week 2020, here are five foods that a lactating mother should eat and five she should avoid.

Legumes are loaded with protein, minerals, vitamins and phytoestrogens. They are not just rich in nutrients but also help with milk production. For example, red lentils (masoor dal) and yellow lentils (moong dal) have been considered as a ‘galactagogue’ or a milk secretion agent. Although beans like chickpeas, kidney beans, peas etc. are healthy and are consumed by lactating women around the world, they expose the baby to the risk of colic and are generally not recommended by doctors in India.

Common green vegetables like ridge gourd (torai), pointed gourd (parwal), lauki (calabash) and others that are light on digestion support the health of breastfeeding mothers and help in building good eating habits for the baby when she begins consuming solids. They also contain phytoestrogens, that are credited for helping with milk production. Avoid having cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli that can cause gastric and pose the risk of colic to the baby.

Seeds are another nutritionally rich foods that breastfeeding mothers should add to their diet. They are the beginning of life and contains all the nutrients essential to growing out into a mature plant. They are a powerhouse of nutrition such as proteins, zinc, iron, calcium as well as lots of healthy fats. For example, chia seeds, hemp seeds and flaxseeds.

Even though there is no scientific evidence to support this, turmeric has long been used across the globe by new mothers as a lactogen. It has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties that are important to support the nourishment and health of breastfeeding mothers. It also helps prevent metastasis and breast engorgement and boost the immunity of both the mom and the baby.

Nuts are another excellent source of a plethora of nutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin K and B vitamins. They are also packed with protein and essential fatty acids. Apart from their impressive nutritional profile, they have been used throughout the world as lactogenic foods. For example, almonds have been utilised as a galactagogue in the Ayurveda medicinal culture.

Breastfeeding mothers crave a hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning after spending a sleepless night feeding their baby. However, they should be careful while consuming caffeine-rich foods as it ends up in breast milk. This makes it challenging to have a restful sleep for both the mother and the baby. Their underdeveloped system also cannot process caffeine effectively.

Chocolate is another caffeine-rich food that can throw the little off their sleep schedule. It is essential to indulge in chocolates in moderation because it can also have a laxative effect on the baby’s system. Runny stools and disrupted sleeping patterns will cause problems to the mom and the baby.

Breast milk can adopt the flavours from the type of food mothers eat. While babies usually relish this variety, garlic flavoured breast milk is something they will not enjoy. So if a breastfeeding mother has had a dish heavy in garlic recently and the baby is refusing to drink the milk, it is because of the garlic flavour.

Although fish is an impressive source of omega 3 fatty acids and protein, it is recommended that breastfeeding mothers should only consume it in moderation. Some varieties of fish like king mackerel and swordfish holds a lot of mercury, which can get into breast milk and enter the baby’s body. If you must have fish, choose varieties with low levels of mercury and low risks of bacteria and parasites.

Alcohol should generally be avoided by lactating mothers to keep their baby safe. If you must have alcohol, moderation and timing are crucial. Have a controlled amount of drink right after nursing your little one. Since alcohol will take anywhere between one to two hours to metabolise, it will be out of the system and the breast milk before its time to nurse again.

Breastfeeding mothers should test and try the foods in moderate amounts to check if it suits them and their babies. Dt. Sandhya says, “Eating a variety of nutritive foods while lactating will change the flavour of your breast milk which would expose your baby to different tastes. This might later help him or her to accept solid foods more easily.”

One of the best foods for lactating mothers is the traditional homemade laddoos that are prepared in the majority of homes across India. They are made with healthful ingredients such as panjiri, edible gum (gondh), dry fruits, clarified butter (ghee), dry ginger powder (sonth), haldi (turmeric) etc. These ingredients combine to help breastfeeding women regain their strength.

By: Shikha Prasoon