How To Supercharge Your Breast Milk
What you eat affects your breast milk. The nutrients in your breast milk can and do vary based on your diet and on your existing nutrient stores.
Eating a balanced diet and maintaining adequate calorie intake while breastfeeding are essential for both you and your baby’s health, as well as for optimal milk supply. What you eat while breastfeeding affects the amount of the nutrients in your milk, and therefore the amount of nutrients your baby gets.
Specifically, the concentrations of vitamins A, C, D and K, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, choline, fatty acids, iodine, zinc and selenium in your milk are influenced by your diet. Calories, protein, folate, and most trace minerals are not. (Having said that, your intake of the latter nutrients needs to be higher compared to a non-breastfeeding mum so that your own body stores don’t become depleted and to aid your recovery post-birth.)
Your diet also affects the taste and smell of your breast milk.
By breastfeeding, you’re exposing your baby to a variety of flavours. What your baby learns from these different tastes and smells influences his or her likelihood of eating those foods later on. Therefore eating a healthful and varied diet while you’re breastfeeding is important. Not only will your baby be consuming what you eat, it may influence your child’s food choices (and health) later in life.
Making breast milk is an energy-hungry process for your body.
While breastfeeding, you’ll need to consume an extra 500 extra calories per day. Aim to get these from wholesome, nutrient-dense foods.
You’ll want to eat little and often. Eating and drinking enough throughout the day is crucial to establishing and maintaining your milk supply.
Aim to eat three main meals and two snacks per day. Eat a wholesome breakfast to replenish your reduced stores of glucose from feeding at night. And stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of filtered water and herbal teas*.
*The Breastfeeding Tea Co and Love Tea make delicious breastfeeding teas.
Some of the key nutrients you’ll need during breastfeeding include:
Vitamin A — While you’re breastfeeding your vitamin A requirements increase to between 950 mcg and 1,300 mcg per day. By eating one sweet potato or an extra portion of carrots, you’ll be able to meet this quota. Vitamin A is crucial to the growth of your newborn, immune system development and prevention of infection. The first milk your baby receives, called colostrum, is rich in Vitamin A.
Vitamin B12 — By eating an extra egg a day or having 4g of yeast extract on your toast you’ll meet the increased daily requirement of vitamin B12, which is between 1.6 mcg to 2.6 mcg while breastfeeding. Vitamin B12 supports your baby’s optimal growth and development, in particular your baby’s brain development. Adequate consumption of all B vitamins is essential during breastfeeding. If your diet doesn’t include animal foods, consistent supplementation is essential.
Vitamin D — The recommendation is that breastfeeding mothers take a supplement containing 6,400 IU or 160 mcg of vitamin D per day. A well designed study completed by the American Academy of Pediatrics found “women receiving 6,400 IU of vitamin D per day had higher vitamin D levels and passed enough vitamin D into their breast milk to meet the demands of their baby, without the need to give the baby a separate infant vitamin D supplement.
Calcium — Your calcium needs during lactation are almost double that needed in pregnancy. Around 250 mg of calcium is secreted into the breast milk per day. To prevent this from being drawn from your bones, add a cup of cooked greens to your meals, spread a tablespoon of tahini on rice crackers, or enjoy a cup of yoghurt with fresh berries. Qualified naturopath Francesca Naish suggests it’s safe to supplement 800 mg to 2,000 mg of calcium per day while lactating.
Fatty Acids and DHA — The daily recommended intake of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA while breastfeeding is a minimum of 400 mg to 600 mg per day. This supports your health by reducing the risk of postnatal depression. And supports your baby’s neural and visual development. 400 mg per day is the equivalent of eating 2-3 portions of oily fish per week. Other food sources rich in DHA include seafood, grass-fed beef and organic eggs. If your diet excludes animal foods, take a quality fish oil or algae supplement to meet your fatty acids and DHA requirements. Research shows supplementing with flaxseed oil or eating a diet rich in plant based sources of omega-3 fatty acids does not increase DHA in breast milk.
Choline — This nutrient is essential for your baby’s brain development. Choline is in high demand while you’re breastfeeding and a daily intake of at least 550 mg is recommended. Organic eggs and organ meats are the richest sources of choline. One egg provides 115 mg of choline. The richest vegetarian sources of choline include brussels sprouts, broccoli, legumes, quinoa, yoghurt, peanut butter, almonds. However, the content is significantly lower. For example, half a cup of broccoli contains 30 mg of choline. If you follow a plant-based diet, be sure to take a choline supplement, such as choline bitartrate or sunflower lecithin.
Iodine — Iodine in breast milk is important for your baby’s brain development. To ensure your breast milk contains adequate amounts of iodine, regularly consume seafood, seaweed, organic eggs, dairy, and take a quality supplement that contains iodine. You’ll need at least 250 mcg of iodine per day.
Selenium — Even though you don’t need much of it, this trace mineral is especially important during breastfeeding. It supports thyroid and immune health. 75 mcg is needed per day which you can easily get from eating 3-5 brazil nuts.
Probiotics — Getting probiotics from your diet or via a quality supplement is just as important during breastfeeding as it was during pregnancy. Especially if you received antibiotics during labour and birth. Probiotic supplementation during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and throughout the lactation period has been associated with improved levels of immunoprotective compounds and reduced rates of eczema in infants.
Gelatin or Collagen — Helpful in healing your connective tissue and skin post birth, it can be beneficial to take a separate supplement of either gelatin or collagen protein even if your postpartum diet includes bone broth, slow-cooked meat, stews, chicken skin or pork rinds. The extra nutritional support will encourage our belly skin to regain elasticity, to speed healing of your perineal tissues, and to help your uterus to return to its former size. Add a tablespoon of collagen to your cup of herbal tea or chew on our Tart Cherry Gummies.
Zinc — Your requirements for zinc increase while you’re lactating. Zinc plays an integral role in enhancing your maternal and mothering instincts. It can also help protect you from cracked nipples and reduce the risk of postnatal depression. Adequate levels of zinc also benefit your baby and reduce the likelihood of your baby suffering from skin rashes, colic, regurgitation, recurrent infections, oral thrush. According to ancient traditions, eating your placenta is the quickest and most effective way of restoring adequate zinc status. Or you can simply take a zinc supplement.
Foods that are particularly beneficial during breastfeeding, as they are densely packed with the nutrients essential at this time and have an impact on your milk composition include:
Lentils — are packed with lean protein, complex carbs, potassium, folate and fibre and contain moderate amounts of B1, B2, B4 and B6.
Kale — is high in vitamins A, C and K, and also contains B vitamins.
Pineapple — a rich source of vitamin C.
Wild Salmon — is an excellent source of omega-3s, vitamins D, B12 and B3 and also contains moderate amounts of other B vitamins.
Capsicum — loaded with vitamins A and C.
Water — considering 90% of your breastmilk is water, it’s important you stay well hydrated at all times.
Eating a nutrient-dense diet while breastfeeding is just as important as eating well during pregnancy. Getting the right nutrients from your food and supplements is crucial to your health, your recovery, and your baby’s health.