The birth of a child radically changes the life of a young mother. A different daily routine, a curvaceous figure, new circumstances - all this comes with the appearance of a little man in the house. What can we say about nutrition while breastfeeding? This question becomes one of the main ones for new mothers.
Diet after childbirth
Nutrition in the first months of breastfeeding plays an important role in establishing lactation. Of course, there are many restrictions, but at the same time, the diet should be varied.
The nutrition menu for breastfeeding should include the following products:
- light cereal porridges with water or milk;
- light boiled vegetables;
- boiled dietary meat (chicken, rabbit and beef);
- vegetable soups with vegetable broth or water;
- dairy products;
- bran bread or biscuits.
The diet of a nursing mother should exclude chocolate, citrus fruits and red foods. They can become allergenic for the child.
A young mother should be attentive and extremely careful with seafood, nuts and honey. They can be consumed only if the baby has tolerance, which can be checked by gradually adding one or another product to the diet (we are talking about half a teaspoon with a gradual increase).
After the birth of a child, all mothers want to quickly lose excess weight. They often resort to low-calorie diets and limit their food intake. But doing this is strictly prohibited. The baby should receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals through mother's milk. In addition, if the fat content of the milk is very low, the child will not be able to eat enough and will be capricious. That is why calorie content and balance are important in the diet.
Allergenic products: what to do
Mom should give up allergenic foods, because taking them can have a detrimental effect on the baby’s condition. Therefore, if you are allergic to chicken protein, you can replace it with quail eggs. Seafood delicacies and exotic fruits should be left aside, because they are strictly prohibited. If we talk about sweet confectionery products, then you should give preference to natural delicacies without cocoa (marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade). Some types of nuts can cause allergies and bloating in a child.
Separately, it is worth highlighting whole milk. If we talk about the first six months of a baby’s life, well-known children’s pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky throughout the CIS advises completely excluding it from the diet of the mother, and, accordingly, the child.
During the breastfeeding diet, it is worth limiting the intake of chemical products and providing the young mother with safe, environmentally friendly food.
Hypoallergenic nutrition during breastfeeding should continue at least until the baby’s third month. You should try a new product for breakfast after the first morning feeding. By evening, allergies (if any) should appear. In this case, it is worth waiting two days, since there is a delayed-action allergy that manifests itself after 48 hours. Thus, the mother will definitely be able to find out which products are suitable for the baby, and which ones will have to wait about 1.5 months.
The first time you should try no more than half a teaspoon of a new product. If the baby feels well, then you can gradually increase the dose to acceptable portions.
Mandatory menu
The one-component diet of a nursing mother in the first month needs to be diversified over time.
Diet while breastfeeding:
When consuming meat products, it is important to maintain variety. They should be consumed boiled or stewed; fried ones should be avoided. The presence of fish dishes in the diet: no more than two days a week.
Protein and calcium in the body can be increased with fermented milk products. They must be heat treated.
It is very important that the mother’s diet during breastfeeding includes drinking plenty of fluids. In addition to water, it is worth adding healthy compotes and teas for nursing to the menu. Dairy products are also allowed, for example, boiled milk, fermented baked milk, kefir.
For the entire time you are feeding your baby, you should exclude alcohol, carbonated drinks, store-bought yoghurts, compotes and juices from a number of liquids. Everything should be homemade or as close to it as possible. Various fillers can cause allergies in the baby, and strong tea will increase his excitability.
Truth or Myth
No. 1 Eat for two
It is a myth. The fact is that during pregnancy, nothing increases in a woman except her uterus. Therefore, portions should remain the same, just increase the number of meals. 
#2 Drink plenty of fluids
This is both truth and myth. You should not force water into your body, as this can lead to swelling and other kidney problems. About 2 liters per day is the norm for a nursing mother in the first six months after childbirth. Soups, compotes, juices, teas and even fermented milk drinks are also taken into account here. Another thing is that if the body requires it, then you can drink as much as you want.
No. 3 Strict diet.
What for? Of course this is a myth. During pregnancy, the mother ate whatever she wanted, and immediately after the birth of the baby she stops doing this. You shouldn't do that. The child was fed the same vitamins and microelements in utero. Therefore, nothing will happen if mom eats a square of chocolate or a slice of tangerine.
In fact, the body of each person (including a newborn) is unique and the ability to perceive a particular product is individual. One mother may not change her usual lifestyle and diet, but her baby will feel great. At the same time, another woman may adhere to a strict diet throughout the entire period of breastfeeding, and her baby will constantly suffer from various types of rashes and other allergic reactions.
The main rule that mom should remember is variety, safety and proper drinking regimen. If a woman does not fall from one extreme to another, then the baby will grow up healthy and the mother will feel good. If you are reasonable and eat a little of everything, then over time the newborn’s body will get used to the changes in milk and the likelihood of allergies will significantly decrease.
In any case, inexperienced mothers should consult with more experienced women, with breastfeeding consultants and always with pediatricians. These people certainly know a lot about their business and will be able to give advice on various issues for young mothers
The ideal food for a newborn baby is breast milk. A worthy substitute for human milk has not yet been invented. After all, it contains the most important substances for a child in the most precise proportions, prescribed by nature itself. Breast milk is easily digested and contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals and special proteins (lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, lysozyme, nucleotides).
These proteins perform a protective function in the fight against pathogenic microorganisms and form the baby’s immunity. Mother's milk reduces the risk of infection, allergies, diabetes in a child by 2 to 4 times, and prevents obesity in children. Breastfeeding has a beneficial effect on the physiological, emotional and mental development of children, the formation of their behavior, and resistance to adverse external factors. Breastfeeding also benefits the mother. The body's recovery after childbirth occurs much faster. During feeding, a woman’s body produces a special hormone, oxytocin, which promotes better blood supply and restoration of uterine tone. Inability to lactation is extremely rare, occurring in only 2% of women. Mothers can be sure that the size and shape of the breasts do not affect the quality of lactation: the baby will receive the amount of milk he needs, regardless of whether the mother’s breasts are large or small. At the same time, even touching the baby or the sound of his cry affects milk production, and when the baby suckles at the breast, it naturally stimulates the production of more milk.
Mom's diet. Harmful products
The benefits of breast milk for a baby directly depend on its quantity and quality. The protein content of breast milk is practically independent of the amount of protein the mother eats, but the content of fat, vitamins and minerals can indeed fluctuate depending on the mother's diet. That is why the nutrition of a nursing mother should be complete and healthy.
During lactation, a nursing mother’s need for all nutrients increases, especially vitamins and minerals, and for a child, mother’s milk is the only food, so the calorie content of a nursing mother’s diet, especially in the first half of the year, should be 500-600 calories more than during the period pregnancy.
It is necessary that the diet be varied and include all main food groups: meat and fish, milk and dairy products; eggs; bread, cereals, pasta; vegetable and butter; vegetables, fruits, berries, fruit and vegetable juices; sugar and confectionery. However, everything should be in moderation and the diet of a nursing woman should ensure the absolute safety of milk and the absence of a number of substances that can have an adverse effect on the baby’s body. The mother needs to understand that the products she consumes enter the baby’s body with milk. Some foods increase flatulence and colic in the baby, while others can cause allergies.
In order not to provoke allergic reactions, you should immediately exclude chocolate, honey, citrus fruits, smoked, dried foods, very spicy and hot dishes, canned food, pickles, marinades, and sausages from your diet. It is undesirable to consume food that causes fermentation in the intestines and thereby disrupts the function of the gastrointestinal tract: grapes, large amounts of sugar and confectionery, sweet curd spreads and cheesecakes, sweet soft drinks, sweet cereals and other foods containing large amounts of sugar. Some foods, such as cabbage, garlic, asparagus, onions, can change the taste of milk, and the baby may refuse to breastfeed due to the unpleasant taste of the milk.
Mom's diet. Healthy foods
Now a few words about what you can still eat. As a source of protein, the diet must include meat: beef, turkey, lean pork, rabbit, and fish. Dairy products will provide the body with calcium. Among fats, preference should be given to vegetable fats (olive, corn, sunflower oil) and a small amount of butter. Fruits and vegetables must be included in the diet of a nursing mother. It is recommended to start with apples; you can use baked apples. Then it is possible to gradually expand the diet by introducing other types of fruits, preferably with a minimum acid content. It is better to eat green vegetables, and use “colored” ones in soups or vegetable stews. Many mothers focus on the fact that they want sweets. As for sweets, it is better to consume those types that contain only natural products and a small amount of fat and sugar. Such sweets include marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade, dried fruits, and jam. From flour products, you can occasionally eat shortbread cookies or dry biscuits. But it is better to avoid cakes and puff pastry products altogether, as their fat content is too high. Excess fat in a nursing woman's diet can increase the fat content of milk, which contributes to the development of constipation in babies.
Mom's diet. Beverages
It is advisable for a nursing mother to eat 5-6 times a day, about 30 minutes before feeding the baby (the baby's milk will come just in time). The quantity of breast milk is determined more by genetic predisposition than by diet. However, if there is a lack of breast milk, you should first of all pay attention to the amount of fluid consumed. The drinking regime of a nursing mother is extremely important for maintaining full lactation. Mom should drink at least 1 liter of liquid in addition to the usual volume (in the form of tea, milk, juices, drinks, etc.). Thus, you need to drink at least 1.5-2 liters per day. It should be noted that large amounts of liquid should not be introduced into the diet immediately after childbirth. So, before the start of lactation, during the period of colostrum production, the amount of liquid consumed (including first courses, fruits and vegetables) should be limited to 1 liter. Otherwise, with the onset of lactation, which occurs on average 2-4 days after birth, the amount of milk may be excessive, which will complicate its separation, and as a result, lactostasis may develop.
To increase lactation, you can consume specialized products. They are recommended for inclusion in the diet during breastfeeding and help fill the need for the most important vitamins and microelements: iron, folic acid, iodine, vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin, zinc. To increase lactation, teas with extracts of medicinal plants that are natural stimulants of lactation are also recommended: anise, nettle, fennel, cumin, lemon balm. If you drink industrially produced teas, make sure that the BIO symbol is on the packaging, which guarantees that all herbs are grown in environmentally friendly conditions without artificial fertilizers and collected by hand. Thanks to this, they have a comprehensive positive effect on the health of the baby and mother:
Fennel - improves digestion and stimulates milk flow in nursing mothers.
Cumin - has an antispasmodic effect and stimulates milk flow in nursing mothers.
Melissa - improves digestion and the functioning of the endocrine glands.
Lemon verbena - increases tone and improves skin elasticity.
Some types of such teas can increase the frequency of lactation up to 3.5 times. It is best to drink a cup of tea 10-15 minutes before feeding.
This is also important
The issue of regular bowel function is very important for a nursing mother. A nursing woman should have stool every day (ideally) or at least once every 48 hours. To prevent constipation, it is necessary to include in your diet enough vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products (natural yogurt without added sugar and fruit), oatmeal and buckwheat porridge, and also do not forget about juices, compotes and berries.
Breast milk contains:
Proteins ideal for baby, including all essential amino acids;
. fats that are well digestible by the child;
. vitamins and iron necessary for the child to fully develop;
. mineral salts and microelements (calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and others), which the child needs;
. sufficient amount of water, even in the hot season;
. special enzymes (lipase, amylase) that help break down the main ingredients of mother's milk;
. a special protein lactoferrin, which binds and retains iron, which inhibits the growth of pathogenic flora in the child’s intestines;
. the substance taurine, necessary for the normal construction of the retina, as well as for the optimal development and functioning of the child’s brain;
. protective cells (neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes) that kill pathogenic bacteria in the child’s body;
. antibodies that protect the child from many infectious diseases;
. substances that improve a child's sleep.
Eremeeva Alina Vladimirovna
pediatrician, gastroenterologist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of MMA named after. Sechenova, HiPP expert.
Everyone knows how many nutrients are contained in breast milk: among them are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and microelements... Of course, all this abundance is achieved at the expense of the mother’s body. In order to regularly make up for “losses”, a nursing woman needs to properly formulate her diet. This is especially important in the first months, when the volume of milk can reach one liter or more. As the proportion in the baby’s diet increases (which happens at 5-6 months of life and later), the volume of human milk he needs decreases and, accordingly, the mother’s need for additional amounts of energy and nutrients decreases.
The first principle is diversity.
The nutrition of a nursing woman should be complete and varied. It is necessary that her diet include all major food groups: meat and fish, milk and dairy products; eggs; bread and bakery products, cereals, pasta; vegetable oils; butter; vegetables, fruits, berries, fruit and vegetable juices; sugar and confectionery.
Meat it is preferable to use different types: lean pork, tongue, white poultry (preferably boiled or in the form of meatballs and meatballs).
You can increase the amount of protein in your diet with: cottage cheese and cheese. Milk and dairy products should be consumed in heat-treated form: cheesecakes, cottage cheese casserole, condensed concentrated milk without sugar. It is advisable to partially replace whole cow's milk, an excess of which in the mother's diet can cause allergic reactions in infants, with various fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, etc.). It is better to alternate milk and fermented milk products.
It is very important that the diet of a nursing mother contains enough dietary fiber to stimulate intestinal motility. For this purpose, the daily menu should include a significant amount (at least 400 g) fresh or cooked vegetables(carrots, beets, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.), about 300 g fruits and berries(for example, apples, pears, plums, currants, gooseberries, cherries), juices(200-300 ml), especially with pulp - both freshly prepared and canned (preferably intended for). However, it is not recommended to eat tropical fruits (with the exception of bananas) and fruits colored orange and red. Millet, buckwheat and oatmeal cereals (it is better to alternate porridges), wholemeal bread and especially dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots) are also rich in dietary fiber.
The daily diet of lactating women should contain 25 g butter, 15 g vegetable oils(sunflower, corn, soybean, olive).
Sugar and confectionery products (preferably marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade, low-fat cakes and pastries) should be eaten in limited quantities, as they have an allergenic effect and contribute to the deposition of fat in the body.
Principle two - safety
The diet of a nursing woman must ensure the absolute safety of milk and the absence of a number of substances that can have an adverse effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as on other organs and systems of infants. Thus, food should not contain ingredients that can cause allergies or increase fermentation processes in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. In this regard, it is necessary to limit the consumption of products containing significant amounts of extractives, essential oils and salt: meat and fish broths, onions, garlic, canned snack foods, pickles, marinades, salted and smoked fish, sausages.
It is undesirable to consume food that causes fermentation in the intestines and thereby disrupts the function of the gastrointestinal tract: grapes, large amounts of sugar and confectionery, sweet curd spreads and cheesecakes, sweet soft drinks, sweet cereals and other foods containing large amounts of sugar. It is also necessary to remove from the diet foods with high sensitizing (allergenic) activity: chocolate, cocoa, peanuts, crabs, shrimp, crayfish, as well as any products that in the past caused food intolerance in women. You should avoid eating meat from young animals and birds, because their protein, like the substances used to prepare smoked meats, has an increased allergenic potential. For the same reasons, you should limit or even eliminate the consumption of eggs, citrus fruits, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Specialized food products (Femilak, Olympic, Enfamama, Dumil Mama Plus) will help provide nursing women with all the necessary nutrients, and first of all, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are made on the basis of milk, to which vegetable oils, essential vitamins, mineral salts and microelements are added. For women with hypogalactia (insufficient milk production), it is advisable to include in the diet a specialized food product for nursing mothers "Milky Way", containing a specialized additive that stimulates lactation (galega herb extract).
Principle three - proper drinking regime
The drinking regime of a nursing mother is extremely important for maintaining full lactation. She should drink at least 1000 ml of liquid in addition to the usual volume (in the form of tea, milk, juices, drinks, etc.). It should be noted that large amounts of liquid should not be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother immediately after birth. So, before the start of lactation, during the production period, the amount of liquid consumed (including first courses, fruits and vegetables) should be limited to 1000 ml. Otherwise, with the onset of lactation, which occurs on average 2-4 days after birth, the amount of milk may be excessive, which will complicate its separation; may develop as a result.
Based on these recommendations, employees of medical institutions compile a list of products that can be brought to the postpartum ward for the postpartum woman. So you should not be hostile to any prohibitions that a young father may encounter when trying to give his wife a bunch of grapes or a cake with cream, because a prerequisite for a young mother’s diet is the safety of products for the baby.
It should be mentioned that the quality of breast milk only partly depends on the composition of the food consumed. For example, the amount of protein in breast milk does not depend on the amount of protein in a woman's diet, but the amount of fats, vitamins and minerals is directly related to the amount of these substances in the diet. However, the necessary substances, even in case of their deficiency, enter the milk, while their reserves in the mother’s body are depleted.
Valentina Belina, Obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of the highest category,
head consultation "Family and Marriage" of the maternity hospital at City Clinical Hospital No. 8
Discussion
The article is very useful.
Personally, when I arrived from the maternity hospital, I didn’t know what was what. And now at least I have an idea how to eat.
For Tanks:
I understand very much!!! My baby and I have already passed this stage. You can eat beef, pork, turkey stewed or cooked in the oven, rabbit (the legs are especially tasty) with vegetables: cauliflower, potatoes, zucchini. We had no liver allergies. You can eat homemade dumplings (if you have time to prepare them), dumplings with potatoes and cottage cheese, pasta or rice with baby meat puree (cooking time - 5 minutes!), children's juices, children's fruit purees, baked apples and pears (all ingredients are lost). properties), quail eggs, all kinds of fermented milk products 0.1% fat. Also black bread, cheese, butter. Cookies "Maria", crackers, crackers with tea. Tea - without aromatic additives. Instead of sugar - fructose. Berries: blueberries, gooseberries, plums, cherries. There was no allergy to pancakes with kefir either. We were on this diet for six months, and with the introduction of complementary foods it immediately became much easier. Now I eat almost everything. Bon appetit and speedy recovery!
Well, what should we eat anyway? My son is allergic to nuts, ice cream, apples. I haven’t liked porridge since childhood. I want to eat!!! very much!!!
08.12.2008 13:10:50, TANKI think that the article is quite sensible. The black list included products that are indeed strong allergens or can cause fermentation in the intestines of a small child. Why do you need unnecessary discomfort, and for your baby!!! At least listen and try to introduce these products gradually, to identify allergies, it is necessary! But fatty, salty, chocolate and cakes are harmful for your mother too! You yourself will feel the difference first of all in yourself! Your skin will become better, your digestion will improve! I tried it on myself!!! I advise you to take note! And don’t be too indignant that you can’t eat anything! You shouldn’t think about yourself, but about the baby! Your child’s crying is not worth a handful of grapes!!!
07/16/2008 21:19:23, YanaGreetings, dear blog readers! It is known that doctors strictly prohibit switching to a strict diet for weight loss immediately after childbirth. Then all that remains is to choose the right diet while breastfeeding and get your body in shape.
The expression “a nursing mother must eat for two” is somewhat incorrect. Yes, food needs to be more carefully selected, but not too high in calories. And is the nutrition of a baby comparable to the nutrition of an adult?
The menu may be quite similar to what it was during the period of bearing a child.
Optimal – 2000-2500 kcal per day. This is on average. And for a nursing mother, an increase of 500-700 kcal is necessary. It follows from this that what matters is not how much a nursing mother eats, but what she eats.
What can you eat
After giving birth, starting to eat right becomes even more important. These are healthy and conscious food choices. There is a huge advantage in following such a “diet”. During breastfeeding, you will teach yourself and the whole family to always eat right.
In the first month, you need to select products especially carefully. They must be free of “chemistry”, pesticides, nitrates and other “advances of science”.
There is such a simple sign of what you can and cannot eat from foods:
| Products | Can | Prohibited/allowed in small doses |
| Vegetables | Heat-treated - stewed, boiled, baked. Freshly squeezed juices after 1 month, fresh after 3 months. Carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, zucchini. Vegetable broths | Fresh, fried, overseas vegetables. Garlic, onion, white cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, radish |
| Fruits | Bananas, apples and pears, baked without skin, peaches, plums. Freshly squeezed juices after 1 month | Exotic fruits, any berries (especially raspberries, strawberries), grapes, citrus fruits, mango, papaya |
| Meat | Eat without combining it with anything. No side dish. Low-fat varieties - turkey, rabbit, beef, lean pork, skinless chicken. | Smoked, fried, dried, fatty broths |
| Fish | Sea, river. Low-fat. Cooking: steam, boil, stew, bake | Red fish, shrimp, crayfish, caviar. Sun-dried, smoked, salted fish |
| Cereals | Any, especially: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal. Cook: with milk, water | Semolina, instant porridge. |
| Dairy products | Milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cottage cheese. Everything is not too greasy | Fatty or low-fat products, sour cream in large quantities |
| Pasta | Better from corn, buckwheat or rice flour | With cheese and lots of butter |
| Eggs | Boiled quail, chicken 1 pc. in a day | |
| Bread | Rye-wheat with yesterday's in small quantities, dry cracker | Fresh, hot |
| Fats | Cold pressed vegetable oils, butter | Refractory fats |
| Sweet | Cookies, marmalade, marshmallows, marshmallows, dried fruits, biscuits. After 1 month - jam | Honey, chocolate, large quantities of confectionery fat (creams, whipped cream) |
| Beverages | Dried fruit compote, herbal teas (with mint, thyme, oregano), green tea, still mineral water | Black tea, coffee, soda, packaged juices, berry and fruit juice |
Based on the table, after the first month you can slowly add prohibited foods. Observe the child's reaction. Add lean borscht and low-fat sour cream to your diet. Slowly add nuts other than peanuts. Carefully monitor the newborn's reaction: for colic, rashes and other negative symptoms. To understand which product may cause a negative reaction, you need to introduce them one at a time and gradually.
You can start eating some forbidden food once every two days and watch the baby’s reaction. Although this is all individual. Some people start eating strawberries or coffee a little from the first days. But again, I repeat, in small quantities.
All the following foods should be excluded from the first days of pregnancy. Maybe I’ll repeat myself somewhere, but it’s strictly forbidden:
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Semi-finished products
- Sausages, ham, sausage
- Spicy, fried, salted, pickled, canned
- Fatty fish, meat, lard
- Sulguni cheese
- Legumes
- Sauerkraut
- Peanut
- Products with flavoring additives, dyes, preservatives
- Hot, hot spices and seasonings
- Large amounts of salt and sugar
- Unnatural sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup
Safe weight loss while breastfeeding
Most women are overweight at the end of pregnancy. These kilograms will be gradually used up during the month of breastfeeding. And to get your figure in order, it’s good to create a daily routine. It's a little difficult with a baby. You need to at least adjust your food intake. Proper nutrition for a mother is:
- Fractionality. Eat 5-6 times a day, in small portions (200-300 g): breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, second dinner.
- The menu should be: nutritious, varied and with plenty of water.
- No crash diets, drinks or diet pills!
- Add more fresh produce when in season. They taste better, contain more vitamins and are less susceptible to oxidation or damage during long-term storage.
Training for breastfeeding
It has been proven that during lactation, the metabolic process of the mother's body becomes higher. But nutrition alone is not enough to lose weight. Gradually begin physical exercise.
Start training only after consulting a doctor. Choose a more convenient option for yourself:
- Aerobic and cardio exercises (swimming, fitball, long walks)
- Home exercise equipment. I plan to write a comparison of their effectiveness in a separate article.
Doctors allow any sports while breastfeeding (restrictions in individual cases). Avoid sports that can injure your chest. So take up boxing, wrestling and karate later. Active workouts will require you to wear a special form - a bra that will support your breasts.
Remember: during lactation you should not lose weight quickly. This is extremely harmful for a nursing mother. When playing sports, drink more water. Train 2-3 times a week, be more outdoors.
Komarovsky's diet
Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky is a pediatric doctor, a doctor of the highest category, and runs the “School of Doctor Komarovsky.” A doctor with extensive experience in pediatrics, maternal and child health, author of many books and articles on medicine and health.
What does Komarovsky say about nutrition during breastfeeding:
The daily menu should consist of the following basic elements. They should be consumed even if the young mother does not want to increase her weight. On his website I found an approximate diet for a mother about breastfeeding:
If you are prone to obesity, then reduce your consumption of bread and fatty meats. Strictly limit, or better yet eliminate, high-calorie foods. Such as pies, pies, cakes and other confectionery sweets. But don't cut back on dairy products, vegetables and meat.
Watch the video where Komarovsky discusses the topic of breastfeeding in detail:
Mother and child form a single whole not only during the nine months of pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding. Therefore, the baby’s nutrition in the first year of his life completely depends on how his mother eats.
For natural feeding
Gynecologists have concluded that the risk of breast cancer is higher in those women who refuse breastfeeding. In addition, the body’s recovery after childbirth occurs much faster if the mother feeds her baby with her milk, because during feeding, a special hormone oxytocin is produced in the woman’s body, which promotes better blood supply and tone of the uterus.
But no matter how important breastfeeding is for a mother, it cannot be compared with the benefits that mother’s milk brings to the baby. Breastfeeding has a multifaceted impact on the physiological, emotional and mental development of children, the formation of their behavior, and resistance to adverse external factors.
A worthy substitute for human milk has not yet been invented. After all, it contains the most important substances for a little person in the most precise proportions, given by nature itself.
Breast milk contains::
- squirrels, ideal for the child, including serum albumin and globulins;
- fats, well digestible by the child;
- vitamins and iron necessary for a child to develop fully;
- mineral salts and trace elements(calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and others), which the child needs;
- sufficient quantity water, even in the hot season;
- special enzymes(lipase, amylase), which contribute to the breakdown of the main ingredients of mother's milk;
- special protein lactoferrin, which binds and retains iron, which inhibits the growth of pathogenic flora in the child’s intestines;
- substance taurine, necessary for the normal construction of the retina, as well as for the optimal development and functioning of the child’s brain;
- living blood cells(neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes), which kill pathogenic bacteria in the child’s body;
- antibodies, protecting the child from many infectious diseases;
- opioid substances that improve a child's sleep.
Experts are convinced that there is nothing better than mother's milk for a baby in the first year of his life. Nature itself decided the issue of human nutrition from the moment of his birth.
Lactation
Lactation- This is the process of milk production by the mammary gland. The first drops of milk in the mother's mammary gland appear in the first minutes after birth. Over two weeks, mother's milk will change significantly. In the first 5 days after birth, breast milk is transitional milk, and only from the 15th day of lactation does mature milk appear.
Dynamics of the chemical composition of human milk during its maturation
(per 100 ml)
| Nutrients of milk | Colostrum (1-5 days) | Transitional milk (6-14 days) | Mature milk (more than 15 days) | Content of nutrients in mature milk (% of content in colostrum) |
| Protein, g | 2,3 | 1,6 | 1,1 | 47 |
| Fat, g | 2,9 | 3,5 | 4,5 | 155 |
| Lactose, g | 5,7 | 6,4 | 6,8 | 119 |
| Energy value, kcal | 67 | 73 | 75 | 112 |
| Vitamin A, mg | 0,16 | 0,09 | 0,06 | 37 |
| Carotenoids, mg | 0,14 | 0,04 | 0,02 | 14 |
| Vitamin E, mg | 1,5 | 0,9 | 0,2 | 13 |
| Sodium, mg | 50 | 30 | 17 | 34 |
| Potassium, mg | 74 | 64 | 50 | 68 |
| Calcium, mg | 48 | 46 | 34 | 71 |
| Zinc, mg | 5,5 | 3,8 | 1,2 | 21,8 |
| Selenium, mcg | 42 | - | 15 | 35 |
Early breastfeeding
For subsequent successful breastfeeding, it is advisable to carry out the first attachment in the first 30 minutes after birth, when the baby’s reflexes and the sensitivity of the nipple-areola complex are the highest. In these first minutes of his life, the baby receives only a few drops of colostrum, which contains valuable nutrients and protective factors.
The first application to the breast does not perform any significant nutritional function. The average amount of colostrum supplied to the baby is about 2 ml. At the same time, even this droplet plays an important role in the development of the protective functions of the little person’s body, and in addition, it is an important point in stimulating lactation and ensuring its success and duration.
During the first 0.5-2 hours after birth, most newborns are able to independently find and grasp the areola of the mother's breast without the help of the mother.
Early latching of a baby to the breast not only stimulates the formation and secretion of milk, but also contributes to a faster passage of the placenta, the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in women in labor, as well as the formation of normal intestinal microflora, an adequate immune response and the acceleration of the discharge of waste accumulated during the period in the womb in newborns .
There are a number of contraindications to early breastfeeding on the part of the mother and on the part of the child. Recently, delivery by caesarean section with a successful outcome has been excluded from these lists. The baby is put to the breast within a few hours after the anesthesia wears off. During the first day this is done several times.
The regime is important for complete lactation. free feeding from the first day of a child's life. Free feeding means putting the baby to the breast as many times and at such times as the baby requires, including at night. Night feedings are an excellent means of maintaining lactation, since it is at night that the pituitary gland produces more prolactin, the main hormone that stimulates lactation, than during the day.
Pumping Breast milk may be advisable only in the early period of establishing lactation, in the absence of the possibility of “free feeding” of the child or if the baby is unable, for one reason or another, to effectively suck colostrum or milk. Indications for expressing breast milk also include illness of the mother, temporary separation of mother and child, study or work of the mother. In other cases, there is no need to express milk or colostrum.
Feeding the baby
It is important to remember that breastfeeding is also communication between mother and baby. Therefore, it has long been noted that children who grew up on breast milk are healthier, more sociable, active and even more talented than their peers who grew up on artificial formula.
For the first six months of life, a baby can only eat mother’s milk; his digestive system is not yet adapted to process any other food. Only in the second half of the year does it come time for additional complementary feeding.
For feeding children in the first months of life, a free feeding regime is recommended. The child himself determines the frequency of breastfeeding, and the number of feedings can be up to 12 or more times a day! The baby sucks out 80% of the required milk in 8 minutes, but the total duration of feeding can be 20 minutes.
How can you tell if your baby is getting enough food? Experts recommend paying attention to the following criteria:
- in the first month the child should gain 600 - 800 grams in weight;
- frequency of urination at least 6 times a day;
- stool frequency corresponds to the number of feedings (6-10 times) in the first month of life;
- the child is calm, maintains intervals between feedings of 2 or more hours.
The only element that would be a good idea to add to your baby’s diet is vitamin D. Unfortunately, there is not enough of it in human milk, and a lack of this vitamin can lead to the development. But it should be remembered that any innovations in the baby’s diet should first be discussed with a doctor.
Additional soldering
For successful breastfeeding, especially in the first days, it is extremely important to avoid supplementing the baby with water, glucose, etc. Breast milk contains up to 80-90% water, and with a sufficient level of lactation, it fully meets the baby’s fluid needs. Supplementing a baby with milk can create a false sense of satiety and cause him to refuse to breastfeed.
"Foremilk" and "hind" milk
In the first days after birth, the mother feeds the baby in one feeding with one breast. After the “arrival” of milk, you can feed the baby each feeding from both breasts, so that feeding is pumped from the breast from which it began, and the baby receives not only “front” milk, but also “hind” milk, which has twice the fat content .
Feeding technique
The effectiveness of the entire feeding procedure for both mother and baby depends on how exactly the mother gives breast to the baby. The necessary conditions for correct feeding technique are the correct position of the baby at the breast, the correct grasp of the breast by the baby, a comfortable position for the mother, and skin-to-skin contact during feeding.
The correct position of the baby at the breast is characterized by the following signs:
- the child’s head and body are in the same plane;
- the child is in an elevated position (to prevent swallowing air along with milk);
- the baby's chin touches the mother's chest;
- the mouth is wide open, the lower lip is turned outward.
The child must grasp not only the nipple, but also the areola. The nipple and areola should actually fill the entire oral cavity of the child. A good deep grip provides the baby with sufficient ease of sucking, and for a nursing woman it is the main guarantee of the safety of the nipple and areola.
Lure
No matter how beneficial mother's milk is, the need gradually arises to expand the baby's diet. Growing by leaps and bounds, the body requires more and more energy, nutrients and microelements (protein, iron, zinc, etc.). In addition, the baby’s digestive system and chewing apparatus must gradually prepare for “adult” food.
Most researchers agree that complementary feeding should be introduced no earlier than 4-6 months. Although a baby can only feed on mother's milk up to 6 months.
| Age (months of life) | Note | ||||||||
| 0-3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9-12 | ||
| Fruit juices (ml) | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | from 3 months | |
| Fruit puree (ml) | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | from 3.5 months | |
| Cottage cheese (g) | 10-30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | from 5 months | |||
| Yolk (pcs) | 0,25 | 0,50 | 0,50 | 0,50 | from 6 months | ||||
| Vegetable puree (g) | 10-100 | 150 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 200 | from 4.5 - 5.5 months. | ||
| Milk porridge (g) | 50-100 | 150 | 150 | 180 | 200 | from 5.5 - 6.5 months. | |||
| Meat puree (g) | 5-30 | 50 | 60-70 | from 7 months | |||||
| Kefir and other fermented milk products or whole milk (ml) | 100 | 200 | 400-600 | from 7.5 - 8 months. | |||||
| Wheat bread, premium (g) | 5 | 5 | 10 | from 7 months | |||||
| Rusks, cookies | 3-5 | 5 | 5 | 10-15 | from 6 months | ||||
| 1-3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | from 4.5 - 5 months. | |||
| Butter | 1-4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | from 5 months | |||
The food given to the baby as complementary foods should contain enough iron. Iron, which is contained in ordinary foods, is absorbed much worse than that contained in breast milk. Lack of iron can lead to the development of anemia.
Gradually, the range of “allowed” foods increases, and by the 8th month, complementary feeding can be done twice a day. The more solid food there is, the less the baby receives easily digestible substances contained in mother’s milk.
Expanding the diet requires a lot of attention and patience from the baby’s parents. After all, day after day the digestive system is being prepared so that the baby can eat “like an adult.” Some children already by the 9th month switch to independent, “adult” nutrition, others will complete their transition only at the beginning of the second year of their life.
Artificial nutrition
Artificial feeding is used in cases where the mother's milk is completely absent or insufficient. When artificially feeding a child in the first months of life, one cannot suddenly or too quickly switch to a qualitatively new diet, since adaptation of the digestive system and metabolic processes occurs under great stress.
It is best to replace breast milk with adapted formulas (i.e., formulas that are as close in composition to human milk as possible). These formulas are intended for feeding a child from the first days of life until one year.
The use in recent years of a new generation of adapted milk formulas, which are as close as possible to the composition of human milk, has made it possible to significantly reduce adverse effects, in particular those related to the physical development and morbidity of infants.
When choosing the most appropriate formula for feeding a particular child, you should consider:
- Child's age. In the first 2-3 weeks of a child’s life, it is preferable to prescribe unleavened formulas, and then combine fresh and fermented milk formulas. The most appropriate is their equal ratio in the diet. An excess of fermented milk mixtures in the diet can cause (or intensify) disruption of the acid-base balance in the body.
- The degree of adaptation of the mixture. The younger the child is, the more he needs the most adapted mixtures. In no case should a child under 5-6 months be prescribed “follow-up formulas,” kefir and other unadapted fermented milk mixtures, or whole cow’s milk.
- Individual tolerance of the mixture.
One of the conditions that ensures the normal development of a child with artificial feeding is feeding according to appetite. At the same time, feeding hours are observed, and the amount of food at each feeding is given to the child as needed. Do not force the entire prescribed amount of formula or withhold a small additional amount.
Depending on appetite, the child may eat more than the norm at one feeding, and less at another, but he must receive the daily norm. The child's weight should be checked every month.
| Name of products and dishes | Age (months of life) | |||||||||
| 0-1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9-12 | |
| Adapted milk formula (ml) | 700-800 | 800-900 | 800-900 | 800-900 | 700 | 400 | 300-400 | 300-350 | 200 | 200 |
| Fruit juices (ml)* | according to indications | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | ||
| Fruit puree (ml)** | according to indications | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | ||
| Cottage cheese (g)* | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | |||||
| Yolk (pcs) | 0,25 | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,5 | ||||||
| Vegetable puree (g)** | 10-150 | 150 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 200 | ||||
| Porridge (g) | 50-150 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 200 | |||||
| Meat puree (g) | 5-30 | 50 | 50 | 60-70 | ||||||
| Kefir and other fermented milk products or whole milk (ml)*** | 200 | 200 | 400 | 400 | ||||||
| Bread (g) | 5 | 5 | 10 | |||||||
| Rusks, cookies (g) | 3-5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10-15 | |||||
| Vegetable oil (sunflower, corn) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Butter | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||||
*Depending on the child’s health condition and the degree of adaptation of the human milk substitute used in his diet.
Therefore, the diet of a nursing mother is not much different from the diet of a pregnant woman. The diet of both should include all the main food groups - meat and meat products; milk and dairy products; bread, cereals, pasta; vegetable oils; vegetables, fruits, juices; sugar and confectionery.
It is preferable to use various types of meat (beef, lean pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, rabbit), but not sausages, frankfurters or wieners. Low-fat varieties of fish (pike perch, cod, carp, hake, etc.) are very desirable. Cottage cheese and cheese should be widely used, due to which it is most advisable to increase the amount of protein in the diet.
An excess of whole cow's milk in the diet can cause allergic reactions in children, so it is recommended to replace it with various fermented milk products (kefir, yoghurt, fermented baked milk, etc.).
Since many nutrients penetrate through the intestinal mucosa of women into the bloodstream, and from there into human milk, it is necessary to avoid large amounts of salt, essential oils, and foods containing obligate allergens in the diet of women. The diets of nursing mothers should not include onions, garlic, canned snack foods, chocolate, nuts, honey, eggs, shrimp, large amounts of citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries. It is especially important to avoid drinking alcohol even in the smallest doses and smoking.
Reference. Obligate allergens include the following products:
- Nuts
- Citrus
- Strawberry
- Chocolate and chocolate products
- Red apple varieties
- Tomatoes, pineapples
- Smoked meats, caviar
- Canned food
- Fish, eggs
- Fresh milk
With the help of diet, nursing mothers can regulate the amount of milk. To stimulate lactation, specialists from the Danone Institute recommend making and drinking drinks yourself from carrots, lettuce seeds, caraway seeds, anise, dill, and dandelion leaves.
The mother's drinking regime is extremely important for maintaining full lactation. She should drink at least 1000 ml of liquid in addition to the usual volume in the form of tea, juices, drinks, etc.
When to wean
If both mother and baby want to continue breastfeeding, then in combination with complementary feeding this can last up to 1.5-2 years. However, often children themselves begin to refuse the breast when their own “I” begins to form. In the third year of life, continued breastfeeding would already interfere with the normal development of the baby’s personality, so further feeding is no longer advisable.
By the beginning of the second year of life, the baby had done a lot of work: he learned to eat. After all, for 9 whole months before his birth he did not have to put so much effort into being well-fed. Moreover, some children have already taken their first serious steps towards feeding on their own by 12 months - just like adults!
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