What foods should a nursing mother of a newborn not eat? What can a nursing mother eat while breastfeeding? What foods can be included in the mother's diet during breastfeeding?

Has happiness appeared in your home? The tiny miracle needs you like no one else, and his little body needs your breast milk, especially during the first months of his life. In the article we will tell you what a nursing mother can eat so as not to harm the baby, and his stomach can adapt more easily, as well as how to improve the quality of lactation.

Newborns need nutrients and lactobacilli. Once born, it is difficult for a baby to immediately get used to a new way of life, including a different diet. The digestive system suffers especially during the first 3–6 months, because the baby’s stomach is sterile at birth.

The faster the body receives a sufficient amount of microelements, the faster the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract will improve. Mother's breast milk can help a newborn during this difficult period.

From the first day, receiving colostrum, the stomach little man begins to be enriched with the necessary bacteria.

Breast milk contains a unique composition that cannot be found in any artificial substitute.

It not only helps the digestive system get comfortable, but also has a number of positive properties:

increases immunity;
improves the functioning of the endocrine system;
promotes mental and physical development.

At the same time, a natural product can harm the baby if the mother does not monitor her diet. Therefore, it is very important for breastfeeding women to eat properly.

The baby will receive the same food as the mother. In this regard, there are menu recommendations for nursing mothers.

By following them, you:

reduce the risk of gastrointestinal diseases in your baby;
accelerate the restoration of the newborn's intestinal microflora;
reduce the period of occurrence of colic;
improve your health and that of your baby;
improve your child's metabolism.

Colic in a newborn is a very common phenomenon. They do not depend on the type of feeding (artificial or natural). However, thanks to breastfeeding, spasms bother the baby much less often and are eliminated faster than in those who have been fed dry formula since birth.

Diet for the first month after childbirth

The first month after childbirth is the most demanding in terms of diet for nursing mothers. This is due to the fact that the newborn’s stomach has not yet been saturated with the necessary microelements.

The baby needs to gradually get used to the new product. In the first month it is better to abandon innovations and stick to a strict menu(see table 1).

The child's well-being is breastfeeding directly depends on the mother's diet.

Foods that should be excluded in the first month of feeding:

Dairy products, including condensed milk. They will make the baby swell. There is a stereotype that this product helps to increase breast milk. In fact, the hot flash has nothing to do with drinking milk.
Fatty, salty, smoked food. It will be difficult for the baby’s sterile stomach to digest such food.
Fresh fruits (especially citrus) and vegetables. Fruits during lactation in the first weeks after birth provoke fermentation in the body.
Juices. They contain a lot of sugar, which promotes fermentation.
Legumes.
Flour products.
White cabbage in any form.
Puddings, yoghurts, cottage cheese and other fermented milk products.
Berries, honey, nuts. An allergic reaction is possible from consuming these products. It is better to introduce them with caution after two to three months.
Coffee, strong tea.
Chocolate.

You should also refrain from adding seasonings to food and be careful when consuming foods that can cause allergies. For example, cheese, chicken, etc.

Table 1 Sample menu for a nursing mother

Times of Day	Dish	Recommendations
Morning	Porridge without milk, tea (preferably herbal, minimal sugar)	Try to use different cereals, without overusing semolina and oatmeal, as they interfere with the absorption of calcium
Lunch 1	Soup, croutons	Try to give preference to vegetable broths and turkey meat. Chicken soups are possible if no allergies are detected. Avoid eating bread, replace it with bread and crackers
Lunch 2	Boiled turkey fillet, white fish and chicken (if there are no allergies), side dish with buckwheat or rice, drink (dried fruit compote, tea)	Beef and pork should be introduced later, vegetable puree with caution
Afternoon snack	Tea, biscuits, crackers, oatmeal cookies	In the first month of feeding, take cookies without additives, you can try a baby product.
Dinner	Steamed chicken or turkey cutlets and buckwheat (rice). Any permitted drink	You can try vegetable and fish cutlets, only at least in the second or third week and with caution

Turn your baby onto his stomach every day 10 minutes before feeding. This will help him digest food better.

Green tea and coffee affect the nervous system and heart. Keep this in mind during the first month of breastfeeding. For prevention, it is advisable to give the child drops based on simethicone, dill water and regularly massage the tummy.

Nutrition rules by month - table

Starting from the second month, nursing mothers are allowed to slowly introduce new foods into the diet (see Table 2). Every baby's body is different. Some people start to feel bad even after eating buckwheat. Take this into account. Observe your baby's reaction to each dish.

Table 2 Approximate input of products by month, starting from the 2nd

Month	Product	Recommendations
2-3	Apples, pears, fresh and boiled vegetables; Meat broths (beef, pork); Pasta, greens, eggs; Bread, cottage cheese, milk porridge	On at this stage Red fruits and vegetables should be excluded. This also applies to fish. For the first six months, it is better to refrain from fatty and red fish.
4-7	Onions, garlic, spices; Other fruits; Baking, sweets; Yogurt, kefir, sour cream	Use hot spices, including garlic, with caution. For sweets, give preference to marshmallows, marshmallows, meringue cakes and halva
8-12	Other products, excluding junk food	Habitual foods that were consumed before birth should be introduced gradually and in moderation.

Many mothers worry where to get calcium if dairy products are not desirable, especially in the first stages of feeding? In fact, there is much more calcium in other foods. For example, the food richest in calcium is sesame. It is not prohibited for nursing mothers. You can sprinkle the seeds on any dish. It will become both tastier and healthier.

Greens also have a lot of calcium. Add spinach leaves everywhere and you will replenish your body's calcium reserves.

A poor diet can cause vitamin deficiency, so take care of yourself and purchase it at the pharmacy vitamin complex. Don't forget about vitamins to stay beautiful and feel good.

Diet restrictions

First of all, limit yourself to those foods to which your baby has an unhealthy reaction. If your body needs such a product or you just really want it, there is a way out. Firstly, you can drink a little of everything, unless of course the baby has a severe allergy, and we are not talking about alcohol. Secondly, milk that arrived after consuming an unwanted product can be expressed.

If the product is healthy, but the baby does not accept it, use it once a week. For example, cottage cheese strengthens, but it is very healthy. Therefore, it can be eaten by a nursing mother periodically and in small portions.

There is a list of foods that should be excluded throughout feeding:

alcohol;
soy sauce, mustard (affect the taste of milk);
food enriched with harmful components;
too fatty and spicy food.

Complementary foods are also introduced gradually to the baby. Breastfed infants begin to feed the baby food from 5–6 months.

When should you go on a strict diet?

A strict diet during lactation is necessary in the following cases:

The first month after birth.
Allergy in a child.
The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in the baby or the mother herself is disrupted.

The list of permitted products in such cases is prescribed by the pediatrician.

Drinking regime during lactation

The more fluid you drink, the more breast milk you will produce. This is true. Young mothers are recommended to drink a lot of tea while still in the maternity hospital. This is not without reason; warm, abundant drinking increases lactation.

During lactation you should not drink soda.

The rate of fluid intake during lactation increases by 1–1.5 liters. If before childbirth, the female body needed one to two liters, then after childbirth this figure will already reach 2 to 3.5 liters. The fact is that a nursing mother produces approximately 1 liter of fluid per day, so she needs to replenish it from somewhere.

In the first months after childbirth, all the benefits of breast milk directly depend on how well and balanced the mother eats. And during lactation, the female body needs higher doses of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In order for the baby to develop properly and gain weight well, the calorie content of the mother’s diet increases by approximately 500 Kcal or more. And it is very important that the diet be as varied as possible, but that the foods consumed do not cause diathesis and colic in the child.

During the first week after childbirth, the female body goes through a series of changes and begins to recover, because stress and medications have weakened the body. And in order not to waste extra energy on digesting food that is difficult for the gastrointestinal tract, nutrition should be special. For example, in the first week, mom’s menu looks like this:

Dietary soups;
Whole grain porridge with water or milk;
Low-fat protein products - boiled beef, chicken breast;
Baked apples.

In order for the gastrointestinal tract to function properly, fiber is needed, and it is obtained from fruits and vegetables. Therefore, to prevent the baby from having problems with the tummy, they must be thermally treated.

What foods should you avoid?

What can a nursing mother eat in the first month after giving birth? From plasma components after childbirth, a woman produces up to one liter of breast milk within a day. The body spends approximately 850 Kcal on this process. And the loss of energy reserves in the body must be restored not by the amount of food consumed, but by healthy food, which contains many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It is advisable that the dishes are steamed or cooked in the oven. Mom should eat 5-6 times a day, approximately 30-45 minutes before feeding the baby. The daily calorie intake is 3000-3200 Kcal.

During the period of breastfeeding a baby, a mother needs to eat with caution or even completely exclude from her diet such foods as:

Chocolate and peanuts;
Chicken eggs;
Grapes, citrus fruits, red fruits and berries;
Spicy food, various sauces and spices;
Seafood – shrimp, crayfish;
Semi-finished products – sausages, sausages, sausages, etc.;
Chips and carbonated drinks, especially sweet ones;
All types of cabbage;
Kvass, coffee, cocoa;
Products containing dyes, flavor enhancers, preservatives;
Canned food and pickles;
Pearl barley;
Mushrooms and legume products.

Fermented foods can be included in the diet, but with great caution. These include kefir and fermented baked milk, yeast baked goods, etc. You should not consume large amounts of salt, and sugar should be completely excluded from the menu. For example, it is recommended to drink green or weakly brewed black tea with marshmallows or natural marmalade. Due to the high fat content in the composition, you should completely avoid pastries and cakes; they directly affect the fat content of breast milk, which can cause constipation in the baby.

Even though chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are rich in plant protein, you should not eat these foods while breastfeeding. The lack of vitamin B12 must be compensated by including lean beef in the menu.

As for milk, a lot of controversy arises here - some believe that it has a good effect on lactation, while for others milk causes increased gas formation in babies. Therefore, it is recommended to consume milk in small quantities, and it is advisable to add it directly to tea.

Fish, both red and white varieties, can cause an allergic reaction in a child, so it should be included very carefully in the mother’s diet, and consumed no more than 2-3 times a week. And of course, completely salted and smoked fish are excluded.

What foods should you eat?

The first month after birth, it is recommended to introduce new products into the mother’s menu gradually, one component every 2-3 days. This time should be enough to assess how the baby will tolerate the introduction and whether intolerance will appear. But it is worth considering that allergens tend to accumulate, and a reaction to a particular product may appear later.

A new mother will benefit from products such as:

Cottage cheese – dumplings and casseroles, oven-baked cheesecakes;
Adyghe cheese;
Quail eggs in small quantities;
Natural yogurt without additives;
Stewed vegetables except cabbage;
Currants and gooseberries, apples (green), bananas and pears;
Oatmeal and buckwheat, unpolished and brown rice;
Yeast-free whole grain gray or black bread;
Prunes and dried apricots.

In the first month after birth, you should not eat onions and garlic; the milk may acquire a characteristic taste and the baby may refuse to breastfeed. These products can be introduced into the diet a little later.

But fresh juices will be very useful for a young mother, they contain a lot of pectin (fiber), vitamins and minerals. For example, it is recommended not to peel apples and pears or remove seeds, which contain a lot of iron, before squeezing the juice out of them. And to prevent childhood rickets, it will be useful for the mother to take additional fish oil.

But you shouldn’t forget about nuts (except peanuts) and seeds - they contain polyunsaturated fatty acid, lots of protein, vitamins and minerals. But they are high in calories, so no more than 50-60 grams are allowed per day.

You should definitely include as much dill in your diet as possible - firstly, it will prevent gas formation in the baby, and secondly, it contains a lot folic acid necessary for proper lactation.

How much should you drink

After the mother has fed the baby, she begins to feel thirsty, so you should not limit the amount of liquid, especially in the first month. The only exception is the first few days, when the breasts contain colostrum instead of milk, the mammary glands may swell, and lactostasis will develop. Daily fluid intake, preferably clean drinking water should be 2.5-3 liters.

Optimal drinks for breastfeeding

If you drink a cup of tea with milk 15-20 minutes before feeding, it will be easier for your baby to breastfeed, and this is very important in the first month after birth.

Nutrition for a nursing mother: Dr. Komarovsky

What a nursing mother should not eat

A sufficient number of foods in our diet, which we normally perceive, may be completely unsuitable for the baby; constipation or diarrhea, rashes, colic and increased gas formation, and even spasms of the respiratory tract may appear, which pose an immediate threat to the baby’s life.

Some of the products consumed by the mother in the first month may have negative impact on the development of the baby, the state of his nervous system. Well, don’t forget that a number of products can give breast milk an unpleasant taste. What should a nursing mother not eat in the first month after the birth of her baby?

The first and most important taboo is alcohol; even in microscopic doses it will be contained in milk. If a mother regularly drinks alcohol, children, as a rule, grow up drowsy and lethargic, develop poorly and are underweight, and often suffer from delayed mental and physical development.

You should also not overuse strong tea and coffee, as they stimulate the central nervous system, stimulating it, and the baby may be restless. If you cannot give up these drinks, it is recommended to drink them in a highly diluted form, preferably with the addition of milk of normal fat content. It is best to give preference to special herbal teas that improve the quality of breast milk and increase lactation.

For mothers whose children suffer from lactose intolerance, the first thing to do is to exclude from the diet foods high in animal protein and lactose, namely cottage cheese and milk, yoghurts and cheeses. butter.

You should also remember that most baked goods may contain residual traces of lactose, so you should be very careful when including dough products in your menu.

Undesirable products:

Pickles and canned food;
Any dishes with seasonings, hot and spicy;
Anything that contains caffeine - carbonated drinks, cocoa, chocolate and various desserts;
The entire category of fruits and vegetables is red;
Products containing dyes, including marmalade and candies;
Store-bought sauces;
Any types of alcohol, fruit and vegetable juices.

If the baby has constant colic, the mother should review her menu and exclude or limit the consumption of foods such as:

Milk, but you can continue to cook your morning porridge with it, but dilute it in half with water;
Coffee, carbonated drinks (including mineral water);
Spices, seasonings, spicy and salty foods;
Some vegetables - onion and garlic, White cabbage(including pickled), radish, radish, fresh and pickled cucumbers, bell pepper;
All types of legumes;
Raw grapes and raisins, apples and pears;
All types of sweets and confectionery, baked goods.

With physiological jaundice in newborns, there are no special restrictions on the mother’s menu. It is enough just to adhere to a proper and balanced diet and exclude all harmful foods from your diet.

What can a nursing mother eat in the first month after giving birth? The menu of a nursing mother in the first month after giving birth should not only be balanced, but also tasty. And also simple, because you need to rest more and take care of the baby, and not spend time in the kitchen creating culinary masterpieces. But there are dishes that will be useful to both and do not require much time to prepare. Weekly menu looks something like this:

Monday

For breakfast - rice porridge with dried fruits, green tea with cookies.
For lunch - soup with meatballs and vegetables, vegetable stew, compote
For afternoon snack – cheesecakes and tea.
For dinner – baked fish with potatoes, kefir.

Tuesday

For breakfast - cottage cheese casserole, tea with milk.
For lunch – pureed vegetable soup, buckwheat porridge with minced meat, fruit juice.
For an afternoon snack - a handful of dried fruits.
For dinner - macaroni and cheese, vegetable salad, fermented baked milk.

Wednesday

For breakfast - corn porridge, toast with melted cheese, green tea.
For lunch - fish soup with rice, turkey with stewed zucchini, compote.
For an afternoon snack - pancakes with sour cream, tea.
For dinner - homemade dumplings with sour cream, plain yogurt.

Thursday

For breakfast – macaroni and cheese, a cup of green tea with mint.
For lunch - cabbage soup with herbs, meatballs and rice, compote.
For an afternoon snack - cheesecakes with jam, tea.
For dinner - fish cutlets with mashed potatoes, kefir.

Friday

For breakfast – buckwheat porridge with milk, rosehip infusion.
For lunch - cabbage soup, chicken with vegetables, tea with mint.
For afternoon snack – two bananas.
For dinner - cottage cheese with dried fruits, baked apple, herbal tea.

Saturday

For breakfast - barley porridge, toast with melted cheese, tea with milk.
For lunch - chicken noodles, pollock with boiled potatoes, compote.
For an afternoon snack - yogurt without additives.
For dinner - stewed veal with vegetables, fermented baked milk.

Sunday

For breakfast – millet porridge with butter, green tea.
For lunch - soup with meatballs, cutlet with pasta, juice.
For afternoon tea - tea with cookies.
For dinner - casserole with apples, rosehip infusion.

Recipes

A nursing mother should eat right, but she shouldn’t forget that the food should be tasty. What can a nursing mother eat in the first month after giving birth? By spending just a little time in the kitchen you can prepare very delicious dishes, which are suitable for the rest of the family.

Flavorful soup with meatballs and noodles

450 gr. homemade ground beef;
4-5 potatoes;
1 onion;
1 egg;
1 small carrot;
A handful of Gossamer noodles;
A bunch of fresh herbs;
Salt - to taste.

Preparation:

If necessary, defrost the minced meat, add salt and add an egg. If desired, you can add very finely chopped greens to the minced meat.
Mix everything well, form meatballs and lower them to boil in boiling salted water.
Peel and cut vegetables, potatoes into cubes or strips, carrots and onions into half rings.
As soon as the meatballs float, add vegetables to the broth and cook until soft.
Add vermicelli to the soup, stir, and a couple of minutes before it’s ready, add fresh herbs.
Let the soup boil and remove from heat.

Fish must be included in the diet of a nursing mother, but no more than 2-3 times a week, otherwise the baby may have an allergic reaction.

To prepare you will need:

700 gr. any white fish (fillet);
150 gr. white bread;
1-2 onions;
2-3 sprigs of dill;
1 egg;
100 gr. breadcrumbs (homemade);
125 ml milk;
Salt;
A little vegetable oil.

Preparation:

Pass the fish and onions through a meat grinder. If the fish is bony, then it is recommended to repeat the procedure twice.
Add an egg and white bread soaked in milk to the fish. Chop fresh herbs and also put them in the minced meat, add salt and knead the minced meat well.
Form meatballs and place them on a greased baking sheet.
Place in an oven preheated to 180C and bake for about half an hour until golden brown.
These meatballs are best served with mashed potatoes.

Healthy dried fruit compote

To prepare 500 ml of compote, you will need a handful of the mixture (approximately 50 grams). It is advisable that these be dried apples and pears and prunes.

To prepare you will need:

500 ml of clean water;
50 gr. compote mixture;
1 tbsp. spoon of brown sugar.

Preparation:

The compote mixture must be thoroughly rinsed under running water.
Fill hot water, cover the container with a lid and leave to infuse overnight in a cool place.
In the morning, add sugar to the water and bring to a boil. Compote berries can be added to your morning portion of porridge.

Oksana, 26:

Immediately after birth, the baby requires a lot of attention and effort from the mother, but this does not mean that she and her family members should eat semi-finished foods at this time. You definitely need to find time and prepare healthy food, because a mother’s health, first of all, depends on her mother’s nutrition. How beneficial will breast milk be if the mother does not have time to eat properly? That’s why you need to cook, at least the simplest dishes.

Christina, 32:

A good option for a nursing mother would be the principle of freezing dishes - just cook a couple more servings and freeze the excess. Then, in case of emergency, you can always take out a portion of food and heat it in the microwave to have a full lunch or dinner.

Veronica, 30:

A nursing mother needs to include as much fresh dill in her diet as possible - it not only contains useful fiber and vitamins, it penetrates well into milk and the baby will have less tummy ache from colic.

Finally, I would like to say that you should not completely give up everything that supposedly could have a negative impact on the child. Otherwise, you simply will have nothing to eat and your diet will be so meager that the quality of your milk will change for the worse. You just need to try new dishes and ingredients in small portions, monitor the reaction and watch the baby. If you introduce new products gradually, it will not be difficult to track the reaction.
Health to you and your children! Natalya Belokopytova.

In contact with

First of all, I would like to understand why a woman who is breastfeeding should pay special attention to her own nutrition. Let's start with the obvious reasons.

Firstly, pregnancy and childbirth are a serious test for a woman’s body, therefore, in the postpartum period, her body needs to be restored, replenishing those substances that were used to bear and give birth to a child.

Secondly, the child, although he is no longer directly connected to the mother’s body, continues to feed on what her body produces - breast milk. The elements that make up breast milk are produced by breast cells. In this case, nutrients that are present in the mother’s blood are used. They enter the blood from the intestines. Accordingly, we can say that all the products that make up the mother’s menu are present in breast milk in one form or another. This means that these products must be in sufficient quantity and of the required quality to ensure the normal growth and development of the baby.

Thirdly, in our time, mothers very often suffer from various kinds of allergic diseases, dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract, including those arising in connection with gestosis of pregnancy, and all these conditions lead to the fact that the normal barrier function of the intestine changes, and some antigens (substances that cause an allergic reaction), which are normally excreted from the body, are absorbed into the blood and, accordingly, penetrate into breast milk.

Taking into account all the above considerations, nutritional recommendations for nursing mothers are drawn up.

What should a nursing mother not do?

All women breastfeeding, regardless of health status, allergies, etc., Not recommended:

drink alcohol (including beer), smoke (alcohol and nicotine have a toxic effect on the child);
there are foods with a “notorious reputation” for allergens, and these include: chocolate, crabs, crayfish, mackerel;
drink strong tea and coffee, which have a stimulating effect on the child’s nervous system;
eat onions and garlic (the child may not like the strong specific smell of these products).

Besides, healthy women should limit , and for women suffering from allergic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and those who have suffered late gestosis - exclude from your diet while breastfeeding the following products:

citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries, tropical fruits (mango, avocado, papaya, etc.), milk, eggs, honey, nuts and sugar, delicacy fish (these products, consumed in large quantities, can cause allergies in a child);
products containing significant amounts of artificial preservatives and colors (for example, soft drinks, confectionery, etc.);
smoked meats, canned snack foods, mayonnaise;
brown bread, legumes and grapes (can lead to increased gas formation in a child’s intestines, especially in the first three months of his life);
lard and fatty meats (these products contain large amounts of so-called saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to health and are poorly digested in the gastrointestinal tract).

What can a nursing mother do?

We hasten to reassure those who are frightened by the “severe” restrictions listed above: despite all these prohibitions, there remains a fairly large selection of products that a nursing mother can and should include in her diet. Nursing mothers can eat:

Dairy products:
- fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, bifidokefir, yoghurts without fruit additives) - up to 600-800 ml per day;
- milk - no more than 200 ml per day (it is better to use it for preparing various dishes - porridge, puree, etc.);
- cottage cheese and mild cheese.

Meat and fish:
- lean beef varieties;
- lean pork;
- rabbit;
- bird;
- fish - any types of river and sea fish, except those mentioned in the first list
Fats:
- butter;
- creamy varieties of margarine (limited);
- vegetable oils(all types)
Any cereals, bread - better with bran.
Confectionery products - dry cookies, crackers, marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade.
Vegetables and fruits, with the exception of those mentioned in the first list.
Beverages:
- tea (weak black and green)
- herbal teas with oregano, mint, thyme (these herbs stimulate milk production);
- weak coffee;
- compotes;
- fruit drinks;
- table still mineral water.
- The total amount of fluid drunk should be 1.5-2 liters per day (in the first three days after birth - the period of lactation - it is recommended to limit the amount of fluid drunk to 1 liter per day).

What should a nursing mother add to her diet?

Exist specialized products for nursing mothers . These include:

Drinks and juices for pregnant women and nursing mothers;

Teas for pregnant and lactating women;

Instant porridges for pregnant and lactating women;

Dry protein-vitamin-mineral complexes for nursing mothers;

Vitamins for pregnant and lactating women.

All these products increase lactation, replenish the deficiency of vitamins and minerals, and some - protein.

The baby is growing

Should a nursing mother's diet change depending on the age of the child? We have already mentioned that in the first three days after birth it is advisable to limit the amount of fluid consumed. At the same time, a dairy-vegetable diet is recommended. Then, until three months, while the baby is especially susceptible to colic, you should abstain from foods that cause flatulence (see above).

Quality and quantity of breast milk

The question often arises about quality breast milk. It must be said that it is unambiguous to decide whether mother’s milk contains enough necessary for the child basic nutrients, vitamins and microelements can only be obtained by chemical analysis of milk. Content squirrel in breast milk practically does not depend on the amount of protein eaten by the mother, but the content fat, vitamins and minerals may indeed fluctuate depending on maternal diet. That is why you should avoid low-fat and especially fatty foods and be sure to take multivitamin-mineral complexes.

Quantity breast milk is determined more by genetic predisposition than by diet. However, if there is a shortage of breast milk, you should first of all pay attention to the amount of fluid consumed (it may simply not be enough), and also include in your diet specialized products for nursing mothers that increase lactation. They are quite effective and help cope with hypogalactia (lack of milk). At excess quantity It is recommended to limit liquid intake of milk, and if this does not help and there is too much milk, it is best to consult a doctor.

How to avoid trouble?

While breastfeeding, especially if the mother suffers from allergies or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is useful to keep a “food diary”, noting the appearance of new foods in the diet. New products should be introduced one at a time and in small quantities. If the child does not appear within three days skin rashes, not noted disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, does not change sleep and behavior(that is, the baby does not have a tummy ache), which means that the child normally tolerates the innovation in the mother’s diet. And vice versa: if a child has rash, bowel movements, anxiety(usually associated with intestinal colic), you should think about whether any of the foods that the nursing mother ate in the last three days could be allergens.

Nowadays, many courses on preparation for childbirth, “traditional healers”, and even, alas, some “smart” books advise completely avoiding eating meat during pregnancy and breastfeeding. We would like to emphasize that this can lead to the development of anemia in the child - that is, his organs and tissues begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen, which means that he grows worse and lags behind in development. Refusal of meat - one of the staple foods and the main sources of protein, iron and vitamin B 12 - will negatively affect the health of a nursing (and pregnant!) woman, and therefore, the health of the child. Therefore, blindly following such recommendations is unacceptable. If vegetarianism is a life principle for you that you do not want to compromise under any circumstances, then during breastfeeding you need to very carefully monitor the intake of iron and vitamin B12. Be sure to consult your doctor - he will recommend a suitable diet and the necessary vitamin complexes.

In conclusion, I would like to say: constant nervousness and increased suspiciousness of a nursing mother can be a factor much more harmful than “wrong” food. If your baby is not yet a month old, the problems that arise during breastfeeding are most likely associated not so much with the gastronomic “crimes” of the mother, but with the objective difficulties of the adaptation period. Up to three months, babies are often tormented by intestinal colic, which is also most often a consequence of the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, and not an incorrectly selected menu. Listen to the advice of specialists and... to your “inner voice” - a mother’s instinct rarely fails.

How to eat in the first months after childbirth? What should it be nutrition during breastfeeding ?

Today we will discuss this topic and try to bring order to such a variety of conflicting information.

Perhaps, if you are still expecting a baby, this issue is not so pressing, but I assure you that on the very first day after the birth of your long-awaited baby, the issue of feeding a nursing mother will appear before you in all its glory.

In maternity hospitals they often give you what they prepare for everyone, so you shouldn’t hope that you will be fed in accordance with all the recommendations for a nursing mother.

It’s better to plan your meal options after childbirth in advance and immediately write a list of products that you can bring after childbirth, and you will eat with peace of mind.

I recently received this letter from a subscriber:

“Lyudmila, good afternoon!
Regarding questions about the topic of nutrition, I want to know a lot, because the available information is contradictory and I still haven’t developed a clear understanding, although my son is already 1.7.

And I’m planning my next pregnancy, I understand that there is no more clarity, but I really want to feel like a confident and calm mother!

He is more interested in the nutrition of a nursing mother during the first months of breastfeeding and during the period when the child is older. Catherine"

Let's look at her question in detail.

Nutrition while breastfeeding

There are 2 approaches to organizing nutrition after childbirth:

The first approach suggests that after childbirth you can, with a clear conscience, eatthe same as during pregnancy.

Of course, I am writing this in the hope that you ate properly and nutritiously. Lemonades, fast food, semi-finished products, canned food were excluded. If you have not thought about this topic, then I recommend moving straight to the second approach.

On the one hand, everything is logical - during pregnancy, when you ate, nutrients passed through the bloodstream to the baby and, we can say that he is already familiar with your diet.

After birth, he will receive nutrients through breast milk. No products reach the child directly, which means there is no need to withstand strict diet No.

We can also draw an analogy with the animal world, and we will see that all animals after giving birth continue to eat the same as before, no one is looking for new food, no one stops eating what they ate before the birth of the baby.

The very fact of birth is compared to what it would be like if you, an adult, completely changed your living environment and had to adapt to new conditions.

The nervous, immune, digestive and other systems are immature and are still capable of malfunctioning.

Also great importance will have the very fact of how the pregnancy, childbirth and how the first feeding went - did the child receive colostrum, was it possible to protect the immature intestines and populate the mother's microflora there?

If at some stage there was a failure, then most likely this will be reflected on the baby’s skin. Pimples, redness, peeling - you can now see and track all this.

Of course, there is a greater sense of responsibility towards the child - “I ate it, but now he feels bad, all his cheeks are red...”

Therefore, the second approach to feeding a nursing mother is closer to me:

He's different more careful introduction of foods into your diet.

It is understood that after giving birth we follow a diet for 2-3 weeks.

Not hard: water and bread, but quite nutritious and sufficient to satisfy the increased need for nutrients for you, as a nursing mother, but at the same time gentle and not burdensome immune system child.

Also a very significant point is that in the first days after childbirth, and in principle in the first month after childbirth, you, as a nursing mother, often have problems with your intestines.

During pregnancy, it was compressed, during childbirth, especially if you had an enema, it was subjected to severe stress and microflora disturbance, so phenomena such as hemorrhoids and constipation often accompany a nursing mother. A gentle diet helps you normalize intestinal function.

What foods can you eat while breastfeeding?

Alternatively, you can use this sign.

Excluded

Highly allergenic products:

seafood,
chocolate, cocoa.

Vegetables, fruits and berries are bright red and orange, as well as kiwi, pineapples, avocados, cucumbers.
Broths, marinades, salty and spicy dishes, canned food, smoked meat and fish, spices.
Products containing dyes and preservatives.
Carbonated drinks, kvass.
Sauerkraut, radish, radish, fermented cheeses (brynza, suluguni, Adyghe), ham, sausages.
Legumes (peas, beans, lentils).

Limited

Whole milk (only in porridge), sour cream - in dishes.
Bakery and pasta products made from premium flour, semolina.
Confectionery, sweets.
Sugar.
Salt.

Allowed

Fermented milk products (kefir, bifidokefir, bifidok, yoghurts without fruit additives, etc.).
Cereals (buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc.).
Vegetables and fruits (green, white).
Soups are vegetarian.
Meat – lean varieties of beef, pork, turkey fillet, boiled and stewed chicken, as well as in the form of steamed cutlets.
Bread – 2nd grade wheat, rye, Darnitsky.
Drinks – tea, compotes, fruit drinks.

And towards the end of the second or third month after birth, you can introduce new products. You can get a nutrition table for a nursing mother on this page.

Watch also a short video tutorial about vegetables for a nursing mother:

How is a new product introduced into the diet of a nursing mother?

Better once every 3 days. Take your time. For example, you want to try chicken. Stick to the following plan:

On the first day we ate a small piece.
On the morning of the second day we looked at the child - if the skin is clean, it means you are eating chicken again that day.
In the morning of the third day, look, and if everything is in order, then on the 3rd day you also eat chicken.

Such introduction of new products is of course time-consuming and inconvenient, but you will know for sure that the product is safe for your baby, there is no reaction. Sometimes allergies do not appear immediately, but are cumulative in nature, so we introduce the product for several days in a row.

In fact, reading these lines, you may be afraid that everything is very difficult, but everything will be depend on the child.

If you eat in moderation and without obvious allergens and you see that the skin is clean, the child has no pimples, no redness - perhaps you don’t need to follow the diet, expand the diet without waiting for 2 months.

However, if the skin is red, there are pimples, their number increases, it is better to play it safe and limit the range of foods you eat.

It is possible to accurately assess whether an allergy is present or not after 1.5-3 months, when the phenomenon of “blooming” of newborns ends and the skin of most babies becomes smooth and clean.

Diet of a nursing mother

I believe that you should eat as you wish. A nursing mother eats a lot, because energy costs increase, and keep in mind that the baby nurses day and night, so 3 meals a day are canceled.

Try to eat 4-5 times a day and be sure to drink clean water!

Pure water, drunk 10-15 minutes before meals, works wonders for your skin, provides water balance, is well absorbed by cells, and reduces thirst. Tea, fruit drinks, compotes are additional liquids that you can drink as you wish.

So, let's summarize our big conversation about how to eat for a nursing mother in the first month after giving birth. And even in the first months of a child’s life.

7 Top Postpartum Nutrition Tips from a Lactation Consultant

There is no need to deny yourself everything.

A woman’s diet during the first month of breastfeeding is no different from the diet of people who are healthy image life. Trust your intuition, listen to your body and your child - this way you yourself will learn to determine the consumption of which product you need to reduce or add.

Try to eat only freshly prepared food, completely eliminate all canned or semi-finished products.
Introduce more calcium-containing dairy products into your diet.
Avoid fatty and fried foods.
When buying meat, give preference to low-fat varieties, such as veal, chicken breast, turkey, and rabbit.
Pollack, navaga, haddock, and blue whiting are good fish options. When choosing products at the market, pay attention to their freshness.
It is perfectly acceptable to include vegetables and fruits in your diet. Just try a little at first, and if everything is good, then you can safely eat whatever you want.

Please write in the comments:

What terrible thing can happen if you eat the same way you ate BEFORE the birth of your child?
What manifestations in your child make you choose foods? (maybe he screams at you at night, or his cheeks are all red, or he can’t poop for 10 days)

In general, write what worries you.

Let's have a little chat in the comments.

If a woman is breastfeeding, this imposes certain restrictions on her, primarily regarding nutrition. A nursing mother, like a pregnant woman, should not eat for two: overeating will not bring anything good to either mother or baby.

Now let's look at this in more detail.

But this is not the time to go on a diet to lose weight; food should be higher in calories than usual. It is necessary to be as attentive as possible to your diet, not only including the necessary products, but also excluding unacceptable ones that can harm the baby.

The need for a proper diet during breastfeeding

There is a relationship between a woman's diet and the quality of breast milk. Beneficial and harmful substances from foods that a woman eats during lactation pass into breast milk, which serves as the main food for the baby.

The chain is as follows: eaten foods are digested in the stomach and intestines, nutrients enter the woman’s blood and with it to all organs, including the cells of the mammary gland, and from there they enter the milk. To a certain extent, the mammary glands are a filter, and not all unwanted substances pass from the blood into the milk. And yet, the woman, to some extent, feeds the child with what she eats herself.

The child eats what his mother eats!

Good nutrition during lactation is important not only for the child, but also for the woman herself, because during this period the body recovers after pregnancy and childbirth, and its reserves are also spent on the formation of milk. During the postpartum period, a woman’s susceptibility to various diseases is increased, allergies may occur, intestinal microflora may be disrupted, and poor nutrition provokes such conditions.

Any illness of the mother affects both the quantity and quality of breast milk, and the mood and well-being of the child, who is very dependent on the mother. A strict diet followed by a nursing mother may result in the child being picky about food, so all restrictions should be reasonable and not excessive.

What a nursing mother should not eat - food list

Many foods that are normally accepted by the woman herself can cause allergic reactions in a breastfed baby in the form of rashes, diarrhea, and also spasms of the respiratory tract, which pose a threat to life.

A number of foods cause stomach upset, gas, and colic.

Some have adverse effects on the nervous system.

Finally, there are products that simply give milk an unpleasant taste.

Therefore, any mother is interested in such questions as what a nursing mother should absolutely not eat, what she should not eat in the first month after giving birth, and what to eat to avoid colic. Consider the list of prohibited foods when breastfeeding:

Alcohol- the first taboo for a nursing mother. It contains dangerous toxins that cause the death of brain cells and is very dangerous for the immature liver of a newborn, and for all other organs. Children of drinking mothers may experience drowsiness, lethargy, slow weight gain, and delayed mental and motor development. How younger child and the lower his weight, the slower alcohol is removed from the body, and a dose that is harmless for an adult for an infant may be excessive.
Strong tea and coffee- have a stimulating effect and adversely affect the nervous system. If it is difficult to give up these tonic drinks, drink only weak ones, preferably with the addition of milk. It’s better to switch to herbal teas that promote lactation and do not have an stimulating effect.
Onion garlic, richly seasoned with spices, spicy dishes - affect the taste of milk. The main danger is not even that the child will remain hungry, not wanting to drink milk with a specific taste, but that he may refuse to breastfeed. In addition, spices can cause stomach upset.
Chocolate, exotic fruits, especially citrus fruits, fruits with orange and red colors, crayfish and shrimp are the most famous allergenic foods. The dangers of allergens for a baby have already been discussed above. It is better to completely exclude foods that cause allergies in the vast majority of people from the diet so as not to provoke them. Highly allergenic products also include:
seafood delicacies, fatty fish, caviar;
fatty dairy and fermented milk products, cheeses, especially sharp ones;
pickles, marinades, canned food, sauces containing preservatives, spicy foods;
smoked meats, sausages, eggs;
wheat, semolina, oatmeal;
nuts, peanuts, exotic dried fruits, honey, caramel; products containing flavors and dyes.
Carbonated drinks, especially lemonade. Contained even in mineral water carbon dioxide causes fermentation processes, bloating, and can provoke gas colic. And all kinds of lemonades and sweet sodas are also allergens due to the high content of preservatives, flavors, and dyes. Juices should also be treated with caution, if possible, use homemade fresh juices rather than store-bought ones. Juices with bright colors - tomato, orange, red grapes, red apples - can also be allergens.
Sugar and sweets, legumes, black bread, grapes. Like carbonated drinks, they stimulate the processes of fermentation and gas formation. Cucumbers, white cabbage, and apple peels also have a bad reputation as foods that cause colic and indigestion. If the child reacts normally to their presence in the mother’s diet, they can be eaten, but in moderation.
Fatty foods. Fatty fish and dairy products have already been mentioned as allergens. Nursing mothers should also avoid fatty meat and lard; the saturated fatty acids they contain increase the fat content of milk and are poorly digested by the baby’s developing gastrointestinal tract.
Sweets, baked goods, baked goods, and fatty foods are also undesirable in a nursing mother’s diet because they do not bring benefits and can cause weight gain. After childbirth, when hormonal changes occur and there is not enough time to exercise, this can be a serious problem.
Medications. A few words should be said about products that are not food, but the use of which by a nursing mother is also subject to restrictions. These are medications. Pharmacological drugs should be taken only in cases of brief necessity; the instructions usually contain information about the admissibility of taking this drug during lactation. Sometimes it is recommended to take the drug only if the expected therapeutic effect exceeds possible harm body, and only a doctor can decide this.

Basic principles of nutrition during breastfeeding:

As few restrictions as possible! Most often, it is dietary restrictions, not its diversity, that are harmful to the health of mother and child.
The diet of a nursing mother in composition and quantity should be as close as possible to the diet of a normal healthy person leading a healthy lifestyle.
If you don’t know whether a particular product that you intend to eat can harm a child, think about whether it can harm an adult who is worried about his health? If you find that the product is safe, then most likely it will not harm the child in any way.

Rules for following a hypoallergenic diet

In addition to products that are highly likely to cause allergies, there are many less pronounced allergens.

This intermediate category between allergens and hypoallergenic products includes organ meats, potatoes and legumes, green bell peppers, apricots, watermelons, currants and cranberries, biscuits and grain breads.

They need to be introduced into the diet little by little at first, and the child’s reaction should be monitored.

Eat what grows in your area.

Until the baby is 3 months old, the mother should not consume even potential allergens of moderate activity. The rules for expanding the diet of a nursing mother are in many ways similar to the rules for introducing complementary foods. A good habit is to keep a food diary, which reflects the mother’s diet, especially innovations in it, and the baby’s reaction.

You should introduce no more than two new products that can cause allergies per month, waiting 2 weeks for a possible reaction. In terms of allergic reactions, the safest fruits are those growing in your area.

When not to breastfeed?
Doctors prohibit breastfeeding a child after drinking alcohol. You cannot feed until the mother is completely sober, although the critical concentration of alcohol in the milk will be 30 minutes after drinking.
Only after the liver has processed the alcohol, after about two hours, can the baby be put to the breast.

Video “Diet for a nursing mother”

Watch our video about proper nutrition for a breastfeeding mother and find out how to properly structure your diet so that it is complete and nutritious for your baby:

Diet of a nursing mother and the age of the baby

The first month of breastfeeding is especially important, and the nutrition of a nursing woman during this period deserves the closest monitoring. Whole cow's milk, sour cream, rich broths, raw vegetables and fruits, fresh white bread, raisins are undesirable to eat in the first month, and are prohibited in the first ten days after childbirth.

A hypoallergenic diet and minimizing foods that cause bloating (gas, flatulence, colic) are especially important during the first 3 months. Fried foods should not be introduced into a mother’s diet until the baby is six months old.

ABOUT correct use. Finish feeding painlessly and safely.
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Let's sum it up

The diet of a nursing mother is very important because it affects:

quantity and quality of milk;
recovery female body after pregnancy and childbirth;
disease resistance;
formation of the child’s eating habits.

The calorie content of food consumed by a woman during lactation must be increased by 300-500 calories, but not at the expense of sweets, baked goods, and fats.

A woman’s diet should be as complete and varied as possible, but some foods should be avoided.

The “black list” includes:

alcohol;
allergens;
products that cause gas formation, stomach upset;
tonic drinks containing caffeine;
products with a specific taste and smell, hot, spicy;
foods with high fat content.

The mother’s diet should be expanded gradually, monitoring the child’s reaction to new dishes; the first 3 months of restrictions are more strict, so you should carefully study the list of what a nursing mother should not eat. The diet of a nursing mother shapes the child’s food preferences, and by strictly limiting herself during breastfeeding, the mother risks growing up to be picky, so all prohibitions are good in moderation.