You may have thought you were a hungry beast while you were struggling through your bizarre pregnancy cravings but just wait until you are breastfeeding! If you choose to breastfeed, your doctor will likely direct you to consume more calories (about 500 extra). This may seem odd and you might be slightly freaking out if you are dreaming of getting back to your pre-pregnancy body but trust me, your body will need these extra calories!
It takes a lot of work for your body to produce breast milk so if you aren’t consuming extra, you will definitely be feeling hungry! Breastfeeding your baby can also make you more thirsty. It makes sense because a lot of your milk is made up of water. When I watch and hear my baby drinking it also makes me really thirsty! My first few weeks with new baby, I was constantly asking my husband to bring me a glass of water while I nursed baby. I finally got into a routine where I would grab a glass of water before I sat down to feed him. I am still nursing him at 8 months old (mostly at night) and now I have no problem walking around and getting things with one hand while I feed him. You learn to be quite the multi-tasker when you become a mom!
So along with breastfeeding comes LOTS of hunger. Sometimes I feel like a bottomless pit! With nursing and pumping throughout the day at work, I still need to consume those extra calories my body needs. Similar to pregnancy, there are foods that you should eat and others you should stay away from for the health and wellness of your baby. What you eat will impact your milk.
The below list are things to steer clear of. You don’t have to completely cut them all out but keep in mind that they may have negative impacts on baby. Obviously you don’t want to be wired on several cups of coffee because that will affect the milk and make your baby wild! It isn’t good for their tiny bodies! Citrus fruits can cause fussiness as the acid is harsh on their little tummies. Alcohol is an obvious one. One glass of wine is usually okay but consult with your doctor. Strong spices can also cause irritation and fussiness and certain veggies can cause excess gas.
THINGS TO AVOID
- Excess caffeine (coffee, soda)
- Excess alcohol
- Citrus
- Strong Spices
- Gassy Veggies (garlic, broccoli, onion)
There are several natural things you can consume that will greatly boost your milk supply! We also have a whole post that gives a detailed list of what you can do to boost your milk so check that out. Below is the quick list for your reference.
MILK BOOSTERS
- Fenegreek
- Mother’s Milk tea
- Basil Essential oil
- LOTS OF WATER
- Brewers Yeast
- Flaxseed
- Oatmeal
Looking for some easy snack ideas that will help your milk supply? You came to the right place. I learned the hard way when I went back to work full time after maternity leave that I needed to pack WAY more snacks! I was starving throughout the work day and didn’t want to binge on vending machine snacks. If your maternity leave is about to come to an end and you’re freaking out a little bit, check out these two helpful articles on tips for transitioning back to work and how to choose the best child care provider. Below is a list of easy and healthy snack options.
- Lactation Smoothie: Get creative! The possibilities are endless when it comes to making a delicious, milk boosting smoothie. It’s quick and easy to throw together a few ingredients in the blender and take it to go. If you want even more of a time saver, you can do make ahead smoothie bags. Just throw the ingredients together in a bag and pop them in the freezer. Here are a few recipes to get you started from al2getherfit.com!
- Lactation Cookies & Muffins: Yes, you heard me right. Have a cookie, Mama! There are lots of great, healthy recipes for lactation baked goods. Check out this simple recipe from Genius Kitchen. You can easily substitute some of the ingredients to make it a gluten free or low sugar recipe as well.
- Homemade Snack Attack Box: Throw together some pretzels, cheese, fruit and nuts for a satisfying morsel in between meals. Perfect for the hangry moms.
- Yogurt & Granola: This is an easy one. For a money saving tip, buy a large container of yogurt and make grab and go yogurt parfaits. What I like to do is put yogurt and frozen berries in serving size containers in the fridge and then keep granola at my desk so I can sprinkle some on my parfait when it’s snack time! Be careful about which berries you are choosing as some of them can be too acidic for your milk supply (which I was surprised about!) A couple examples are strawberries, grapes and oranges.
- Veggies: Eat your veggies! During your meal prep time, chop up your favorite veggies and make individual packs with your favorite dip. I like to keep some of my favorite organic veggies at work such as avocado, edamame, peas, spinach and carrots so I can add to my meals as needed. Pictured below was a day at the office where I brought some black bean burgers. I wanted to add a little more to my meal so I cut up an avocado and added edamame. YUM!
Remember, don’t eat less to try and get back to your pre-pregnancy body. You need to eat more when you are breastfeeding! Doctors orders! If you are looking for a great recipe book recommendation, check out Eat Better Not Less. This has recipes for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters!
If you have any questions on this topic please reach out to us! We would love to hear from you. It’s always great to follow along on the journey of parenting. Please comment or reach out to us through our Contact page or social media platforms. Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to subscribe to us if you would like to receive updates on new blog posts, new product and special discounts! Don’t forget to browse our shatter-resistant glass bottles that come in a variety of fun colors and different sizes. Our bottles change color based on the temperature of the contents to warn when the liquid is too hot for baby! Thanks for checking us out!
