Educating Breastfeeding Mothers on Proper Diet and Fluid Intake

Fluid, diet and rest will help you build and maintain a good milk supply. You will find you are thirstier when you are breastfeeding/bodyfeeding (also called chestfeeding). Increase your fluid intake enough to quench your thirst. Try to include three or more servings of milk products daily. If you can’t drink milk; eat or drink other dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, buttermilk and yogurt. If you choose not to eat dairy products consider non-dairy sources of calcium such as broccoli, spinach, almonds, and oranges.

It is helpful to drink an 8-ounce glass of water, juice, or milk at each meal and every time you feed your baby. Some people find that having something warm to drink helps them relax and triggers the letdown reflex. Some mineral waters are high in calcium and will quench your thirst as well as contribute to your daily calcium intake.

Avoid drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate milk), or at least limit yourself to no more than two 8-ounce glasses or cups per day. Avoid alcohol as well.

A balanced diet is also important to provide nutrients for you and the baby. Increase the amount you eat and drink by 500 calories a day to produce good milk supply and keep you healthy. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and cheese. It is healthy to eat seafood, but limit seafood high in mercury such as mackerel, swordfish, tile fish, shark, or certain types of tuna. Learn more about which choices are healthiest at https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish.

If you find that certain foods don’t agree with you, like vegetables that give you gas (broccoli, cabbage, onions and garlic), avoid them. If you can’t or don’t eat or drink dairy products, talk to your doctor about whether taking a calcium supplement is needed.

It is not necessary for the lactating parent to stick to a rigid diet of “the right foods” in order to breastfeed/bodyfeed. Achieving and maintaining a good diet is more important. The breastfeeding parent can breastfeed even if their diet is not optimal. All foods can be taken in moderation including ethnic and family favorites. Most babies go to family foods easier in the second half of the first year, because they have already experienced these tastes in the milk.

What Should I Eat?

Dietary recommendations for pregnancy and lactation can be found on the United States Department of Agriculture website. Select Life Stages and then choose Pregnancy and Breastfeeding to find the recommendations for these times. You can find out more information about particular food groups and explore customized information at https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan.

Works Cited

Lawrence, Ruth A. & Lawrence, Robert M. “Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Professional”, Ninth edition, ELSEVIER, 2022.

Wambach, Karen and Spencer, Becky “Breastfeeding and Human Lactation,” Sixth edition, Jones & Bartlett, 2021.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, https://www.myplate.gov/life-stages/pregnancy-and-breastfeeding. Retrieved 06/01/24