Breastfeeding your babys nutrition part 2
28 Apr 2010

Breastfeeding: Your baby’s nutrition. Part 2

2 mins to read
In Part 2 of our series about breastfeeding and nutrition, Naturopath Stephanie Hamilton offers some dietary and practical advice on staying healthy during breastfeeding.


Are you getting enough?


Requirements for most nutrients are much higher in breastfeeding than normal and this therefore increases the risk of deficiency. Eating a balanced diet as well as supplementation are the best ways to ensure you and your baby are meeting your daily needs.

The table below shows the nutrient recommendations for the breastfeeding mum.

Nutrient Breast-feeding nutrient
recommendations
Iodine 270 mg/day
Calcium 1000mg - 1300 mg/day
Vitamin C 85 mg/day 
Vitamin D 5 mg/day
Folate 500 mg/day
DHA 200 mg/day
Total omega 3 fatty acids 2.7 g/day

Eating right and making sure you are getting your daily requirements of the essential nutrients is not only important for your baby, but it is also important to keep you, the source of your baby’s nutrition, healthy.

Your own energy reserves are reliant on the food you eat and the level of nutrients available. Remember that nutrients will go preferentially to your breast milk and then to your baby, so even if you are just meeting your daily requirements, deficiencies can still occur.

Dietary suggestions for the breast-feeding mum

  • Continue to be just as conscious with your diet as you were when you were pregnant. Consider breastfeeding like the 4th trimester!
  • Eat oily fish three times a week to provide the essential omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure you are getting ample nutrients such as vitamin C and B vitamins.
  • Add seaweed to your diet for extra iodine.
  • Enjoy raw nuts such as Brazil nuts (for selenium), almonds (for calcium) and pepitas (for zinc).
  • Drink at least 2.5L of water every day to ensure a good quantity of milk production.
  • Drinking herbal teas like fennel and chamomile will assist milk production and will be beneficial for baby colic.
  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and processed, nutrient-poor foods which can deplete you of important nutrients, reduce the quality and quantity of your milk and can irritate the baby.

Don’t forget to rest!


It may seem like you barely have time to rest during the day, but it is well-known that adequate sleep and reducing stress levels will have a beneficial impact on breast milk production. The easiest way to find the time to sleep is to sleep when baby sleeps. Your baby and your health will thank you for it! The washing and the dishes can wait.

Breast milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs for at least the first six months of your baby’s life. Breast-feeding your infant is the most effective way of giving your baby the best start in life and is a beautiful way to promote a loving bond with the newest addition to your family.

For more information on breastfeeding or if you would like to speak to a breast-feeding consultant, visit the Australian Breast-feeding Association’s website: www.breast-feeding.asn.au



Blackmores Logo

We accept

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Paypal
  • Alipay
  • Wechat Pay
  • UnionPay
  • Afterpay
  • Facebook
  • Blackmores Instagram
  • Blackmores LinkedIn