The feeding journey is different for every mom and every baby. Find what works for you with guidance from Gerber’s registered dietitians.
First, we’ll touch on the breastfeeding basics, before offering recommendations for foods that breastfeeding moms can turn to for the nutrients mom and baby need.
1. What Foods Should Breastfeeding Moms Eat?
Breastfeeding uses a lot of energy and nutrition! So, breastfeeding moms need to fuel not only the production of breast milk, but also themselves. Don’t feel the need to obsess over everything you eat- treat each meal and snack as the chance to eat healthy carbs, fats and protein. You can do this by choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and proteins.
Keep yourself nourished when breastfeeding by having easy snacks and foods on hand, like:
- Nuts
- Hardboiled eggs
- Whole grain crackers and hummus
- Low fat Greek yogurt
- Oatmeal with berries
- Apples with peanut butter
- And don’t forget to hydrate - water, fruits and veggies help meet your extra fluid needs while nursing.
Eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding will change the flavor of your breast milk. This will expose your baby to different tastes, which might help him or her more easily accept solid foods down the road.
Listen to your body and find the foods that make you and your baby feel good. Looking for other nutrition tips? We have you covered here.
2. How Often Should Breastfeeding Moms Eat?
Short answer: you may need to eat a little bit extra! Consuming an additional 500 calories a day is usually the typical amount needed to produce milk, while meeting your own nutrition needs. Those extra calories may not come through three full meals though! Depending on your baby’s schedule, 5-6 smaller meals and snacks may be your meal plan for a while. It’s also important to drink plenty of water!
3. What Foods Should Breastfeeding Moms Avoid?
While you don’t need to eat a specific diet while breastfeeding, there are some items to avoid:
- Alcohol: An occasional drink — think a standard glass of wine or beer, not a double martini — is safe during your breastfeeding season. Just carefully consider the timing, as one drink can stay in your system for 2-3 hours depending on body type.
- Caffeine: Caffeine can make baby irritable or restless. If you need a morning pick-me-up, consider using pumped breast milk from the night before for the morning feed.
- Spicy foods: If your little one has a sensitive stomach, it might be worth cutting back.
- “Gassy” foods: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, or beans can make your baby (or you) a bit gassy. See how you both respond before eating too much.
4. ….And How About Honey?
Honey is basically the one food that babies younger than 12 months can’t eat. That’s because it contains clostridium, a bacteria that can cause infant botulism. Fortunately, botulism is not transmitted through breast milk. That means it’s OK for you to have some honey for yourself.
5. What Nutrients Does My Baby Need?
Your baby is counting on you for a steady stream of calories to meet their nutritional needs. Nutrients like protein, calcium, choline docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and others found in a balanced diet are passed on through breastfeeding.But for certain nutrients - supplements and foods can help
- Vitamin D: Breast milk is naturally low in vitamin D The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies who are breastfed receive an oral Vitamin D supplement like Vitamin D and probiotic drops, which deliver 100% of your baby’s vitamin D needs.
- Vitamin B12 - Breast milk will have adequate vitamin B12, unless you are not getting enough which may occur if you are following a strict vegan diet. Talk to your doctor if you may need a vitamin supplement.
- Iron: Your baby is born with iron stores to support their iron needs until they are right around six months old. That is when a dietary source of iron is needed, such as infant cereal. Parents can introduce cereals for nutrients like iron (neurologic development and immune function), zinc (growth and immune function), calcium (growth and bone health), B vitamins (enzymic functions) and others.
Make sure to consult your doctor before using any lactation supplement. And if you have any questions about your baby’s nutritional needs, Gerber RDs are available for free virtual 1:1s.
