Diet While Breastfeeding: Myth or Necessity?

Myths about postpartum diet for nursing mothers

For a long time, there has been a somewhat irrational approach to diet after childbirth and during breastfeeding in our domestic tradition. Poor new mothers were first severely restricted, kept almost starving, and then convinced to eat for two, allegedly to increase milk supply, through dubious combinations, “so it isn’t empty.” “Empty milk” is yet another harmful myth: milk is always as needed for the baby, but that’s not the focus here. So, what thoughts drive those who choose strict postpartum diets for breastfeeding mothers?

1. Some foods can cause colic and/or allergies in the baby.
2. Foods with a strong smell eaten by the mother may cause the baby to refuse to breastfeed.
3. If the diet is not increased, there will be little milk, and its fat content will decrease.

All these myths have very little basis.

How is food turned into milk?

A simple analogy: it doesn’t matter whether the log burned in the stove is birch or spruce, the heat from it will be the same. The milk produced by a breastfeeding mother is derived not directly from the foods she eats but from her lymph and blood. Yes, the food, after being processed in the stomach and intestines, is absorbed into the blood as nutrients. But this is already processed energy, exactly the same way it was delivered to the child in the womb through umbilical blood.

Only preservatives, dyes, and other artificial food additives, as well as a number of medications contraindicated for breastfeeding, directly enter the milk from maternal blood. It’s clear that all of this should be avoided.

IMPORTANT! There is a connection between products and milk affecting the baby if these products impact the mother’s well-being. This happens because it changes the composition of her blood. For example, if cabbage causes fermentation in the mother, the baby might, though not necessarily, feel colic. The same situation applies to potential allergens.

So, no dietary rules are needed?

Modern research and global experience show that there is no need for special postpartum diets for breastfeeding mothers after childbirth. However, do not go to the other extreme. Dietary rules are important for everyone, and during such a significant period – especially. They should be followed:

• for the good well-being of the mother and infant;
• to provide the mother with the necessary energy during lactation;
• for the optimal development of the child’s gastrointestinal tract;
• for the mother’s faster return to excellent shape and maintaining a comfortable weight;
• to establish healthy eating habits in the family.

The main rule for a postpartum diet while breastfeeding is a normal, varied, healthy diet with a calorie increase of 15-20% (an additional 300-500 calories “for milk”).

How to properly organize a postpartum diet for nursing mothers?

All mothers and children are unique. Therefore, a few nuances should be added to the general rules recommended for everyone.

1. In the first few days after childbirth, it is advisable to limit binding and gas-forming foods, not because of lactation, but due to postpartum difficulties with establishing natural bowel movements. Especially if stitches were applied or a cesarean was performed.
2. Introduce familiar foods gradually, in small portions, in the first half of the day. It’s important to monitor how you feel and any potential reaction from your child. If any issues arise, they will occur during the day rather than at night. If everything goes well, you can gradually increase the amount to a full portion and then consume it without concern.
3. It is not recommended to start eating several potentially risky foods at once, as it will be difficult to identify the source of a reaction if it occurs. Try one product every three days.

Some foods are categorically contraindicated in a postnatal diet while breastfeeding, and you can read about their dangers in another blog post. If you want to organize truly effective nutrition, taking care of the postpartum diet for a nursing mother, including for weight loss, you can contact our specialists.