110. Feeding Baby

Eating a variety of food from Canada’s Food Guide will help you stay healthy and meet the nutrient needs of your baby. Healthy eating will also give you the energy needed to care for yourself and your new baby. The following are some guidelines to consider while you are breastfeeding your baby.

Eating well and being physically active, along with breastfeeding, may help you return to the weight you were before you were pregnant. Be patient – returning to a healthy body weight can take time. Don’t follow strict weight loss diets while breastfeeding. Some of the energy used to make breastmilk comes from weight gained during pregnancy.

Being at a healthy weight before your next pregnancy will help increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby the next time too.

You may feel more hungry while breastfeeding than you did when you were pregnant. This is normal and you will need more food than if you werent breastfeeding.

While breastfeeding, choose an extra 2-3 servings from Canada’s Food Guide each day. Each of the four food groups are important and provides a variety of nutrients. If you aren’t able to eat foods from an entire food group (e.g. you have taken all foods from the milk and alternatives group out of your diet) speak with a registered dietitian or your healthcare provider.

If you’re vegan, you or your baby may need other supplements. Talk to a registered dietitian about the nutrition needs of both you and your baby.

You’ll probably find that you’re more thirsty than usual while breastfeeding. Drink water throughout the day, and drink milk with meals.

Breastfeeding mothers need about 12 cups (3 litres) of fluids each day. Keep a glass of water close to where you breastfeed.

Healthy fats (omega-3 fats from your breastmilk) are important for your baby’s growth and development. You can increase the omega-3 fats in your breastmilk by eating fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, pollock (Boston bluefish), char, sole, canned light tuna, cod, herring and sardines. Smaller amounts of omega-3 fats are found in vegetable oil, nuts and seeds, and eggs enriched with omega-3 fats.

Most foods can be eaten while you are breastfeeding. However, some fish are high in mercury which can harm the developing nervous system of infants and young children. While breastfeeding follow similar nutrition guidelines as the section within nutrition for pregnancy.

• Caffeine: If your baby wakes often, or is fussy, try cutting back your caffeine intake. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate. Limit caffeine intake to 300 mg a day or less (500 ml or 2 cups of coffee has aproximately 300 mg of caffeine)
• The only foods you need to avoid are the foods that you or your baby are allergic to. For more information, talk to your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian.

It is normal for a baby to have gas, regardless of what mothers eat. If you believe your diet is causing your baby distress, speak to a healthcare professional.