Diet for nursing mothers

A woman's body starts to undergo changes from the very first month of pregnancy. One of the most obvious is weight gain. Experts recommend keeping weight gain between 9 and 12 kg, which means half the weight is lost in birth and the other is wisely stored for nursing. We mustn't forget that we are animals and nature is very wise. 

So, from the very first day, a woman's body is already prepared to feed her child. Nevertheless, producing breast milk burns a lot of calories and the energy stored is not enough. So, nursing mothers need approximately 500 kcal more than normal.

Beyond the extra calories, a nursing mother's diet should be balanced and varied, like that of any other adult woman. So, the proper distribution of macronutrients is: 50% carbohydrates, 30-35% fat and 15-20% protein, taking special care with the quality of these macronutrients, above all fats and proteins.

–Fats: avoid foods rich in saturated fat (butter, cured meats, full-fat dairy products, etc.) and choose those with unsaturated fat (olive oil, nuts and oily fish), which also have essential fatty acids like omega-3 (DHA) associated with development of the nervous system.

–Proteins: foods with proteins of high biological value. These are: eggs, meat and fish.

A nursing mother's diet should also have a proper balance of micronutrients: iodine, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C and D. They also need extra calcium and vitamin A.

–Regarding calcium, nursing mothers should eat four servings of dairy instead of the two recommended for adult women, or increase consumption of other foods rich in calcium like kale, broccoli, tinned sardines, hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios.

–Vitamin A plays an important role in tissue formation. Foods rich in this vitamin include: milk and orange fruit and vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, apricots, etc.).

Other tips include: 

–Eat six meals throughout the day to maintain proper blood sugar levels.

–Drink 2 litres of water a day for proper hydration.

In short, a nursing mother's diet must be healthy, balanced and varied.