Breastfeeding and healthy eating
Breastfeeding is a great for bonding with your baby and also a good way to make sure you’re giving them all the nutrients they need. But in order to do the latter properly you need to make sure you’re looking after yourself too. And one of those ways is to ensure you’re eating healthily.
It’s worth remembering that your body will have laid down fat stores during pregnancy to support breastfeeding. So sorry – no eating for two again!
Some mums often report feeling cravings for sweet, high-carbohydrate foods like cake and biscuits, which is probably due to the tiredness all new mums feel. However, the best way to make sure you keep your energy levels up is through a balanced healthy diet.
This means five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, carbohydrates like rice, bread, pasta (wholegrain will keep you fuller for longer and contains good fibre), 2-3 portions of protein (meat, eggs, fish, beans/pulses) and low fat dairy.
We know it’s nigh on impossible to think about menu planning with a newborn, but having a few healthy snacks handy at all times will help give you the energy you require.
Some great ones are hummus, yoghurt and ready-made soups.
If you have a sweeter tooth then avoid the biscuit tin and consider dried foods such as apricots, raisins and figs to satisfy those cravings.
Nuts are also great for slowly releasing energy and keeping that tiredness at bay so it’s also worth keeping a few bags of these handy little snacks with you at all times!