Your nutrition is essential to healing and also to breastfeeding your baby. Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories each day, which needs to be replenished on top of your normal calorie intake. These nutritional tips will help you to keep feeling your best:
• Drink plenty of water, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks.
• Remaining hydrated keeps your energy levels up, aids your milk production and help prevent constipation.
• Eat foods high in fibre to reduce constipation or painful bowel motions, especially if you have haemorrhoids.
• Eat a variety of proteins like meat, dairy, beans and nuts.
• Food such as dairy, fortified cereals, spinach, broccoli and almonds are rich in calcium which helps with nerve function, blood clotting and bone density.
• Eat foods high in iron like red meat, eggs, beans, leafy grreens, dried fruit and cereals.
• Eat foods that rae high in vitamin C including citrus, strawberries, leafy greens and sweet potatoes. This hepls your energy levels and boosting your immune system.
Foods like beef, peanuts, wheat germ, pumpkin and sesame seeds are high in zinc which supports a healthy immune system, increases cell production for healing wounds and repairing damaged tissue. Along with prioritizing your nutrition, rest and exercise will also affect how quickly you recover following the birth of your baby.
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