Tips on Diet When Breastfeeding

When breastfeeding babies, women can breastfeed their worry about diets. Can they drink coffee or alcohol, for example ? Should they avoid certain foods ? Because there are a lot of conflicting advice, it is important to know the facts.

No single lactation diet while breastfeeding the baby needed. You should eat a balanced and varied diet healthy overall. Importantly, there are several essential nutrients that the baby needs, and which may be affected if their mother's food intake is too low. These include iodine, vitamin B12, iron and calcium.

The best food sources of iodine include kelp, dairy products, eggs, onions, all seafood, and salt. Remember that eating large amounts of raw cabbage can cause iodine deficiency. Iodine is very important, since deficiencies can cause mental retardation and stunted growth in children.

Part of the diet of breastfeeding is to keep well hydrated. When breastfeeding, your body releases oxytocin. It can make you thirsty, so remember to drink plenty of water when you are breastfeeding. There is no requirement to drink more than usual, and as usual you can keep an eye on the color of your urine to measure your hydration level. Aside from first thing in the morning, if your urine is dark yellow or strong odors, you may be dehydrated and need to drink more.

A strict diet to lose weight while breastfeeding is not recommended. So eat well and enjoy the closeness of breastfeeding your baby.