About Breastfeeding Diets

Series Summary

Pregnancy can be one of the most magical times in a woman's life. However, it can also be one of the most taxing. A pregnant woman experiences backaches, leg cramps and general physical discomfort throughout the stages of carrying a child to term. There are several things to consider when pregnant, like proper diet, safe exercise, financial planning and maintaining the health of the unborn baby. In this free video series on pregnancy and childcare, a midwife and professor of nursing explains how to make it through pregnancy and care for infants. Learn how to dress casually and formally when pregnant, and how to compare stretch mark creams. Get information on bathing newborn babies and the proper diet for breastfeeding mothers. Have a safe, comfortable pregnancy and take care of newborns with the help of these free videos.

Video Transcript

"Many new breastfeeding mothers will ask, What should my diet consist of, while I'm breastfeeding? This is a great question. Hi, I'm Michelle Collins, Nurse Midwife, and Professor of Midwifery at Vanderbilt University. The diet of a new breastfeeding mother should contain more calories, than the diet of a woman who's not breastfeeding. It takes about 500 calories a day, just to produce breast milk, and so you need those extra calories in your diet, to produce breast milk for your baby. Secondly, the diet of a new breastfeeding mother should be somewhat bland, so that baby can acclimate to a mother's milk. It should be devoid of a lot of spice. Things like garlic and onions, and cruciferous vegetables that might cause gas in an adult, can cause gas in a baby as well, and you might have a baby that has a tummy ache. Foods that a breastfeeding woman might want to avoid, include chocolate, colas, spicy, greasy foods, especially your favorite Thai, Indian food dish, that's pretty spicy, can give baby a little bit of a tummy ache sometimes. Also, breastfeeding women want to make sure that they get at least 6-8 glasses of water or fluid in their diet every day, so that they have plenty of fluid, in which to make breast milk out of. If you follow these simple diet instructions, it will help to make your milk plentiful and rich, and you'll have a happy baby, and happy mom."