The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan by Aimee Aristotelous

Author:Aimee Aristotelous
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510770553
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: 2022-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Everyone is different, so you may drop your baby weight in a few weeks, a few months, or maybe not for a year—just stick to the plan, be consistent, and be patient! Keep in mind, if you are nursing, you will need a few hundred (give or take) extra calories per day as opposed to someone who is not nursing. In the following chapter, we will provide nursing mothers with tips to help increase milk supply while safely losing the baby weight.

Chapter 14

Dietary Recommendations for Nursing

Those who are nursing may be wondering if you can lose the baby weight while still maintaining your milk supply. Everyone is different but yes, it is most definitely possible if you eat enough (but not too many) calories from nutrient-dense foods. There are many theories about how to maintain a milk supply; I will go over these alternatives and I’ll tell you the ones I employed that may have worked for me. I exclusively breast-fed my son until he was eight months old and continued until he was a toddler, all while maintaining my milk supply as well as my pre-pregnancy weight. The strategies I used to build and uphold my milk supply may have been beneficial, but a lot of evidence regarding these tactics are anecdotal without any conclusive research. The one strategy that I positively swear by for exceptional milk production is proper nutrition; however, I will go over additional options as well since they may help you!

Since you are nursing, you are probably getting a lot of conflicting nutrition advice just like you did during pregnancy. The good news is that nutrition for nursing is not that complicated—you don’t need to spend lots of time seeking out special groceries or preparing certain meals. Of course, I recommend balanced nutrition like the information you have found in this book; however, your diet does not have to be perfect to provide and maintain nutritious breast milk. Regardless of the mother’s diet, many components of the breast milk will stay consistent as whatever you are lacking in your diet, tends to be made up for via the stores in your body. I still recommend eating nutrient-dense foods as you will need your energy while taking care of your new baby and you do not want all of your own nutrition stores stripped from your body, so it is best to replenish it with beneficial macro- and micro-nutrients. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, it is imperative to speak to your doctor or lactation consultant about possibly supplementing vitamin B12 since that is found in animal products and the levels found in your breast milk can be altered by your diet.

I’m not a certified lactation consultant but I will pass on the most important piece of advice from my own lactation consultant, which helped me greatly. To produce milk, nurse your baby (or pump) frequently. Your baby’s sucking and the emptying of your breasts will prompt them to refill.

In addition to eating nutrient-dense foods, I recommend staying hydrated, with water as your primary beverage.

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