Breastfeeding and Diet - What I Should (And Shouldn't) Be Eating

Hey there! If you are a new nursing mom or even if you've been down the nursing road before, breastfeeding can bring up a lot of questions especially when it comes to what you should or shouldn't be eating. So in today's video, we're going to chat about some of the most common concerns regarding diet during breastfeeding. But before we get into the video, welcome to Diana in the Pink. My name is Diana. I'm a physician assistant specializing in women's health and gynecology. I'm also a mom of two, four. I breastfed all four of my children. On this channel, I like to talk about breastfeeding, pregnancy, baby, women's health, and then just being a mama. So if that sounds like we are your people, make sure to hit subscribe and also comment down below. Let me know if you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, if you are pregnant now, or if you are just watching this video for the fun of it. This is actually the third time that I have filmed this exact video. For some reason, there was something really weird with my audio. For the first two times that I recorded it, it made it sound like this and also this. So hopefully this recording sounds good. I got my wireless mic on. Why am I talking about this? Let's talk about the video. So now let's jump into the video, starting with how breastfeeding affects your body. And make sure to stick to the end because I'm going to tell you the foods that you should avoid and also the foods that you were supposed to avoid when you were pregnant that you now get to enjoy. So to get started, I want to talk about how breastfeeding affects your body, starting off with weight changes because many of us are super excited to get back into our pre-pregnancy genes just as soon as we can. And if you ask your friends and family, some people will say that the pregnancy weight just melted off of them while they were nursing. And then other people will say that they didn't lose any weight or maybe even gain weight while they were breastfeeding. And it's times like these that we're really grateful that we can rely on science and what the statistics and data say to help you to know what the facts are. And when you look up this particular topic, it has a definitively resounding conclusion that some studies show that you will lose weight when you're nursing and other studies will show that you will not lose any weight and may even gain weight. So not a lot of help there. For me personally, it really depended on the pregnancy and my physical activity while I was nursing. But something cool about those that do lose weight during breastfeeding, their essential muscle mass stays pretty much the same for the first six months of feeding their little ones. And the reason is because our bodies are pretty clever and when there's not enough protein in our diet, our body adjusts to prioritize muscle preservation over breaking it down. Next, I want to talk about vitamin depletion. Both fat and water-soluble vitamins are secreted in breast milk, which means that the baby is getting the vitamins they need. But if you aren't replacing them, you can run into problems with vitamin deficiency. Now most women who are eating a balanced diet are most likely going to get the vitamins that they need for both them and the baby. But all the same, it's still recommended that you continue taking your prenatal vitamins while you are breastfeeding. Another effect breastfeeding has on the body, and this one is fascinating to me, is that you will probably experience a slight dip in your bone density. Don't stress about it because it's like nature's loaning system. Once you're done breastfeeding and your periods return, your bones recover and they get back to their original state. And when you hear this, if it makes you become worried about having a higher chance of breaking your bones, don't be worried. Studies, and we're talking like really large studies with over a hundred thousand women, have shown that while breastfeeding does temporarily lower your bone density, it doesn't actually put you at higher risk for bone fracture. Next let's move on to milk volume, which really can vary greatly. And believe it or not, milk volume doesn't correlate with the size of breasts. In other words, someone who is a double D doesn't necessarily make more milk than someone who is an A. But universally, most women, when their milk comes in, are going to notice an increase in size because their breasts are full of milk. We need to talk. But the average breastfeeding mama produces about 750 to 800 milliliters of milk a day, while some women can produce up to 2,000 milliliters a day. As for me, I produce just enough milk to keep my baby growing and not a single drop more. And if you want to know more about how to increase your breast milk production, I talked about all that in this video right here. Go check that out when you are done watching this video. But ultimately, the more the baby feeds or the more milk is expressed, the more milk is produced. However, things like not emptying the breast completely, lighting up a cigarette, or feeling super stressed or worn out, and even certain birth control methods might slow down or stop milk flow. Now what about if you just want to have a healthy diet and exercise program? This is generally not going to affect your milk supply, but keep in mind that a super strict diet with very low caloric intake or over exercising might decrease your milk supply. So just remember that balance is the key. Now while a poor diet might not affect the quantity of milk being produced, it could actually affect the quality. So in other words, if you're not eating a healthy diet, you'll still make plenty of milk, but it might not be quite as high of quality. So let's talk more about what you need to be eating. Now while how much protein you eat won't affect the protein content in your milk, the kind of fats you eat can change the fat makeup of your milk. So make sure that you are getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids like those that you find in fish, which is also good for the baby's brain. The caveat here though is the potential mercury content in some fish types. So consuming high mercury fish can cause problems with the baby's developing nervous system. So when you're picking out your fish, make sure to shoot for 8 to 12 ounces of low mercury fish. So in other words, don't eat large fish that eat other fish. Now earlier we talked about vitamins, so like I said, be sure to take your prenatal vitamins, but minerals and breast milk aren't really affected by the mommy's diet except in minerals like iodine. Iodine deficiencies in newborns can cause serious problems for your baby. By the way, most salt that you buy is fortified with iodine. So if you're eating salt without an iodine, then iodine deficiency isn't really a concern. So how many calories should you be eating? For the first six months postpartum, it's recommended that you add about 330 calories a day. And then from 7 to 12 months after delivering your baby, and if you're still breastfeeding, you're going to want to actually increase that to about 400 calories a day, more than what you would normally consume. And of course that's going to vary a little bit based on your age and then your activity level. Now a lot of people ask me about alcohol and caffeine when they're nursing. So with alcohol, you know that a small amount can get in the milk supply, and the safe amount of alcohol for breastfeeding moms is debated. So to play it safe, wait two hours after one serving of alcohol before nursing. Now if you drink more, you need to wait an extra two hours for each serving before breastfeeding. So you don't need to pump and dump the milk unless you're uncomfortable or unsure about how much alcohol you've consumed and how much time there has been between your alcohol consumption and breastfeeding. Also keep in mind, too much alcohol can affect your ability to care for your baby. So it's really best to limit your intake or not drink at all. As for caffeine, most nursing moms can have a moderate amount of caffeine, like two or three cups per day, without it bothering your baby. However, some babies can get a little fussy or have trouble sleeping if their moms consume a lot of caffeine. So you'll need to pay attention to that. Now, as promised earlier in the video, I mentioned foods that you couldn't eat when you were pregnant that you now can enjoy even though you're breastfeeding. And that is unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized cheese, as well as undercooked meat and fish. So that also means that if you're a sushi lover like I am, you are good to go. Just make sure to pick a restaurant that you are confident in, but also while ordering, keep in mind that the thing that you still need to avoid while you're nursing, and that is, like I mentioned earlier, fish high in mercury content. Now, like I said earlier, I have a video where I talk more about breastfeeding itself, how to increase your milk supply, which I am going to link to the end of this video. But before you click on that, one more thing that I want to tell you really important. I know you're busy. I know you're giving all you have to your little baby because that's what we do as moms. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we feel underappreciated. But I want you to know, if you have not heard this today, if you are doing amazing, your baby is lucky to have you, and any struggles that you are dealing with regarding breastfeeding, baby not sleeping, all of that will get better. Hang in there. You're doing a wonderful job. Okay, so make sure to subscribe to Dining the Pink. Hit the notification bell. Click on this video right here to learn more about breastfeeding. And I will see you over there.