Breastfeeding: a wonderful invention of Mother Nature
Breastfeeding is simply the best for your baby, a wonderful gift from Mother Nature. The loving physical contact during breastfeeding creates a bond that bottle feeding cannot match..
Breast milk contains valuable nutrients and antibodies essential for your baby’s growth and development. Your child benefits most from these advantages when breastfeeding is provided, ideally for at least six months.
Breastfeeding is also practical. You always have milk with you, at the right temperature. And when things go well, there’s always enough—because the more your baby drinks, the more milk your body produces.
What should you eat while breastfeeding?
When you’re breastfeeding, you can eat normally. There are no “forbidden” foods. However, drinking alcohol is strongly discouraged, and caffeine consumption is best kept in moderation. It’s especially important to eat a varied and healthy diet. Most mothers need a bit of extra energy, on average, about 500 extra calories per day when exclusively breastfeeding.
It’s not necessary to avoid specific foods. If you feed your baby on demand, your milk supply will stay well regulated and contain everything your baby needs during the first six months and even beyond, up to the age of two. However, it’s important to follow a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And don’t forget to drink enough fluids, that’s very important.
Following a vegetarian diet while breastfeeding
A vegetarian diet also provides all the necessary nutrients during the breastfeeding period. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, dairy, and eggs.
Weaning
Sooner or later, every mother stops breastfeeding, sometimes during the postpartum period, sometimes not until the child is a toddler. From six months onward, you can offer solid foods alongside full milk feeds, as your baby’s energy and nutritional needs increase. From eight months, solid foods gradually begin to replace milk. Breastfeeding then becomes part of a more varied diet.
Consult the website of Voedingscentrum for recommended quantities.
