Breastfeeding Mothers!

I’m pretty sure you already know that breastfeeding could be the healthiest way to feed your baby.

That’s right! Breastfeeding is good for your and your baby, but its not easy. Specially if you don’t follow an appropriate nutrition plan.

In this post, I have created a food pattern and plan for your first 6 months, so that you can have the best diet while nursing.

Congratulations for having a new bundle of joy!

I am pretty sure that you are just so tired from the past weeks and feel so overwhelmed with the emotions coming in being a MOM! But don’t fret out and consider you are very lucky because BeYou is a wellness application that is devoted to help mothers like you to manage weigh during post-pregnancy and will lead you to a healthier you! Isn’t that sounds amazing?

Wonderful! Let me introduce myself first. I am Jezza, your Certified Dietician here in BeYou! I just recently gave birth and as of this time of writing my baby is five months already. And I know after giving birth, realizing all the stress and how much weight you put in, you are so extremely wanting your body back! But let me remind you that is not just YOU right now. You have to take into considerations the fact that you are a MOM and your baby needs you as well.

Keeping yourself healthy will definitely make your baby healthy too

You should know during this period, it is best to nourish yourself especially if you are breastfeeding. You are actually needing additional 300-400 calories on top of your daily caloric needs because you are breastfeeding otherwise you will not be able to provide the nutrients that your baby needs. This amounts to only one extra serving therefore, it is very important to listen to your body for its hunger cues.

So losing weight generally will take time and requires strict adherence to the fundamental basics of nutrition – moderation, variety, and balance. Just take it slow and enjoy your baby and the world of motherhood!

So let us start by giving you a guide on food patterns (what to eat, how much) and some tips to get you started to lose excess pregnancy weight in the healthiest way!

Food Groups Servings Daily Recommendations for breastfeeding

On Grains: Ounces Daily

Always make half of your grains whole grains; 1 ounce of grain counts as

1 slice bread;

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal;

½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal.

On Protein: 6 Ounces Daily

Mix up your protein sources like including seafood, beans and peas, unsalted nuts and seeds, soy products, eggs, and lean meats and poultry. 1 ounce of protein counts as

1 ounce lean meat, poultry,or seafood

1 egg

1 tbsp peanut butter

¼ cup cooked beansor peas

½ ounce nuts or seeds

On Dairy: 3 Cups Daily

Choose fat-free milk, yogurt and soy beverages (soy milk) to cut back saturated fat; 1 cup of dairy counts as

1 cup milk;

1 cupyogurt;

1 cup fortified soy beverage;

1 1/2ouncesnaturalcheeseor 2 ounces processed cheese

On Vegetables: 3 cups Daily

Vary your veggies by choosing a variety of colorful fresh and organic vegetables – make sure to include dark green, red and orange choices. 1 cup vegetable counts as

1 cup raw or cooked vegetables

2 cups leafy salad greens

1 cup 100% vegetablejuice

On Fruits: 2 cups Daily

Focus on whole, fresh and organic fruits.

1 cup of fruit counts as;

1 cup raw or cooked fruit

½ cup dried fruit

1 cup 100% fruit juice

Some more important tips that all breastfeeding mothers should remember:

Limit your sodium intake, saturated fat, and added sugars.

Be physically active at least 2 ½ hours weekly, manage your time. Being a mother also requires other tasks like doing household chores so prioritize.

at least 2 ½ hours weekly, manage your time. Being a mother also requires other tasks like doing household chores so prioritize. Eat foods that are nutrient dense foods , free from additives and toxins.

, free from additives and toxins. Most women lose up to 13 pounds after giving birth and an additional 3-4 pounds in the first couple days of the baby’s life. Weight loss in the first few weeks can be dramatic, especially for breastfeeding mothers so proper nutrition, eating right and staying healthy really means a lot.

Eating poorly while breastfeeding will affect your nutrition and health later in life. Your body will produce healthy milk regardless of your diet. This is due to your body pulling nutrients from you and giving it to the milk and can manifest in deficiencies of minerals such as calcium, which may lead to bone loss.

while breastfeeding will affect your nutrition and health later in life. Your body will produce healthy milk regardless of your diet. This is due to your body pulling nutrients from you and giving it to the milk and can manifest in deficiencies of minerals such as calcium, which may lead to bone loss. With a healthy diet and exercise , much of the weight that you gain during pregnancy will be shed naturally during your first year of postpartum. The goal should be gradual weight loss and the recommended weight loss after the first month postpartum is a maximum of 4.5 lbs/month.

, much of the weight that you gain during pregnancy will be shed naturally during your first year of postpartum. The goal should be gradual weight loss and the recommended weight loss after the first month postpartum is a maximum of 4.5 lbs/month. Drink lots of water. Adequate fluid intake has always been a part of achieving wellness.

And remember to use the BeYou fitness application. It will serve as your weight tracker, recipes included, fitness and training videos you can follow and coaches like me who will assist you and help you the best ways possible!

That’s it for now. Stay tune for more nutrition and diet tips and advice about post-partum nutrition recommended for breastfeeding mothers from 6 months to 12 months.