The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely
soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will
need to maintain a healthy diet. If the baby is
large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the
mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly,
meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough
to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.
This type of diet normally involves a high calorie,
high nutrition diet which follows on from that in
pregnancy. Even though mothers in famine conditions
can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother
that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking
levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.
If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use
extreme caution. More than 20 cigarettes a day has
been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting,
diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in
the infants. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is
more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.
Heavy drinking is also known to harm the imfant, as
well as yourself. If you are breast feeding, you
should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at
a time.
The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can
result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased
feeding in the infant. Moderate use, normally 1 – 2
cups a day normally produces no effect. Therefore,
mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid
caffeine or restrict intake of it.
By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake
of the above, you’ll ensure that your baby gets the
right nutrients during your time of breast feeding.
This stage of life is very important – as you don’t
want anything to happen to your baby.