Q: As a nursing mom, is there a special diet I should be following?
Facebook 
Get Our Newsletter! 
Print
Expert: Karen Smith
The best diet for a nursing mom is probably going to sound familiar , as it’s what health care professionals, dieticians, and nutritionists have recommended for decades. Eat a variety of foods in as close to their natural state as possible, representing major groups of fruits and vegetables, grains, proteins, and small amounts of fats/oils. We all have food habits that aren’t ideal, but aiming for a balanced variety of foods is a good goal as we begin down the road to raising our family and establishing healthy eating habits that will influence our children in a positive way both today and in the future.
In the early days of breastfeeding, you may find that you are hungry a lot more, or that your hunger is more intense than while pregnant (I used to joke that I’d eat the countertop if it were smothered in ketchup.) Eating many smaller meals or hearty snacks throughout the day can help maintain your energy. It is a big transition, becoming a mother, and you need to make sure to take time to mother yourself while you’re caring for your new baby.
Preparing meals for you can be a great way to involve friends and family who want to help you after the baby is born. Anytime someone comes to visit, ask them to pick up a few fresh items from the grocery store, bring a casserole, or a salad from your favorite takeout place. They’ll appreciate having the opportunity to pamper you. Your partner can help by cutting up vegetables or making a sandwich for you and leaving it in easy reach in the refrigerator when they’re going to be away. Having a healthy snack or lunch to reach for can help minimize the times the taco chips will call your name from the pantry.
Breastfed babies are exposed to a variety of tastes through breastmilk because the taste, and even the color of your milk can change depending on what you eat. For your baby, breastfeeding is like eating at a gourmet restaurant where your favorite dish is always available, always warmed to exactly the right temperature, and is seasoned and spiced expertly and differently each day so that you get a variety of flavors in your favorite food.
See All Answers from This Expert
Just gotta try this Creamy Avocado Dip recipe via Momables.com - love how you can spread it on a sandwich in lieu of Mayo! 
Comment by Johnina on Mar 06 2009 10:41:37:
Also, make sure you avoid eating spicy foods. This can really tear up a babies bowels, and make their bellies cramp. Another one is caffeine. Too much caffeine can cause the baby to be fussy, restless, and have difficulty sleeping. It takes a baby a lot longer to process caffeine also. Where as it can take up to eight hours to leave your system, a baby can take days. Motherhood can be tough enough, without adding a screaming baby that can’t sleep!
Comment by Sandra on Sep 03 2009 01:11:04:
I never had problems with spicy foods, and I’m a coffee addict (several pots a day… fortuntely, my doctors had the updated knowledge during all four of my pregnancies and nursing to know coffee is harmless to the unborn babe and while breastfeeding). Some children may have reactions, but certainly not all of them. A mom would simply have to eat that burrito and see if babe had any ill effects. The vast majority won’t.
Comment by lb on Oct 22 2009 06:05:56:
Any doctor who told you it’s okay to consume the caffeine contained in “several pots of coffee a day” when pregnant and breastfeeding should loose their license. Reading this made me sad for you and your children.
Comment by Caroline on Jun 10 2010 06:43:27:
Drinking a lot of fluids is key to good milk production. I was never one to gulp down a glass of water at once, and it was hard to learn to do, but what worked for me is adding a little honey to the water… which some people say is good for you but which simply made it easier for me to actually drink all that water. I’ve also heard that drinking beer is good for milk production, but I can’t stand the taste of that. There are also Chinese herbal soups with soybeans that are supposed to stimulate milk production… hope that helps!
Comment by Dipti on Aug 29 2010 05:48:30:
hey to get ur milk production up try drinking a glass of water, milk before you begin breast feeding … also avoid spicy food as the baby will be gassy and uncomfortable …. also as karen said eat frequent meals
Comment by jaime on Aug 30 2010 08:11:58:
You should eat just as if you were still pregnant. Whatever you take in, the baby consumes as well. Eat healthy, no drinking or smoking, and limit the caffeine you intake.
Comment by Shauna on Feb 11 2011 12:33:53:
I think you have some great advice from the expert. I just wanted to add that sometimes you may have to make dietary changes for other reasons. You might have a child that has food intollerances, in which case you’ll have to cut those out of your diet. A very common one is dairy. My son has multiple intollerances (we’re still discovering some through food trials) and I’m so thankful that I chose to breastfeed. It’s been rough on me, but I can’t imagaine how rough it would have been going through formula after formula. He would have had to be on a very expensive brand, whereas, I can alter my diet to meet his needs.
You may also find that different foods might cause gas or fussiness in your child that don’t bother other babies or vice versa. I can eat all kinds of spicy foods and it doesn’t bother my baby a bit, but I can’t eat any dairy or eggs, as they make him very sick. As with most parenting issues, you’ll have to see what does and doesn’t work with your child and go with that.