Lactation is the secretion of milk from mammary glands of a woman who has delivered an infant. This is the period of time in which the mother lactates to feed her child. In humans, it is commonly called as breastfeeding or nursing.1
This is a very important phase in the life of a woman where she needs to take care of her nutrition to keep the baby healthy, in short term as well as long term. The nutritional demands of lactating period are greater than the pregnancy period. In the first 4 to 6 months of life, infants double their weight they had acquired during the 9 months of pregnancy. To achieve this, lactation has to be successful. A successful lactation means the fully breast-fed infant is growing well which is evident on the growth chart.2
For an infant up to 6 months of age, mother’s milk is the most adequate source of nutrition provided the maternal diet is adequate and sufficient nutrition is transferred to the infant. Ideally, the recommended energy intake for the mother should be an additional 500kcal during the first 6 months of life. If the energy intake is less than recommended, the maternal intake of minerals like calcium, vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and folate will also be low. It is not known yet if low intake of these and many other nutrients will affect the success of lactation and long-term health of the infant, but certain nutritional deficiencies are evident in the nursing infant like Vitamin D deficiency or Vitamin B12 deficiency. The lactating consultant may prescribe a supplement of Vitamin D to lactating mothers who do not drink milk while a supplement of Vitamin B12 to lactating mothers who are completely vegetarian.2
There is no special diet that a mother can have during her lactation period, but healthy choice of food is a must to enhance milk production. The mother must have a diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, but one should make sure to wash fruits thoroughly under running tap water by rubbing it with hand to get rid of pesticide residue. The additional 500kcal/day should consist of whole-grain breads, peanut butter, fruits like bananas and apple, and fat-free yoghurt. Also, eating variety of different kinds of foods while breast feeding will change the flavour of breast milk. It is also important for breast feeding mothers to stay hydrated.3
Iron is a very important nutrient during this stage. Iron may be found in abundance in beans, peas, lentils, cereals, dark leafy vegetables, dried fruits, and whole grains. To help your iron absorption into the body, iron-rich foods should be consumed with Vitamin C- rich foods like citrus fruits, tomatoes, and strawberries etc. Calcium-rich foods should also be included in the daily diet like dairy products, dark leafy vegetables, soy milk, and tofu etc. for proteins, One must consider eggs, meat, nuts, or seeds etc.3
However, certain foods are an absolute no during this period. Under no circumstances can one have alcohol during lactation. If at all one chooses to drink, breast-feeding should be avoided till the alcohol has completely cleared the breast milk. Depending on the body weight, this typically takes two to three hours for 12 ounces of 5% beer, 5 ounces of 11% wine or 1.5 ounce of 40 % liquor. Excess intake of caffeine should be avoided like drinking more than 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated drinks can agitate the baby or interfere with the baby’s sleep. Seafood, especially fish, is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acid. Unfortunately, most of the seafood contains mercury. Exposure to excessive amount of mercury through breast milk may harm the baby’s developing nervous system.
Therefore, sea foods should be chosen that are low in mercury like shrimp, salmon, and catfish. Excessive consumption of seafish which is high in mercury like shark, king mackerel, and swordfish should be best avoided. If the fish available is from a local pond or lake, look for local fish advisories. If advice is not available, limit your fish intake. Certain foods can cause the infant to have an allergic reaction. If infant is fussy or irritable or has diarrhea or constipation just after a feed, it could be a sign of food allergy. In such a case, consider eliminating cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, fish etc from the mother’s diet.3
References:
- Breast Feeding. Medline Plus. Retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastfeeding.html
- Picciano MF. Dietary supplement use in women: Current status and future directions. J Nutr. 2003; 133: 19975- 20025. Retrieve from:
- Infant and Toddler Health. Mayo clinic. Retrieved from:
