World Breastfeeding Week 2020: Dos and Don’ts for Breastfeeding Moms

Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is an essential practice that ensures an infant’s good health and survival. Health experts believe that breast milk nourishes the baby with anti-bodies that help his/her body in fighting against bacteria and viruses. For instance, it protects the baby from allergies and eczema and minimizes the risk of viral infections, urinary tract infections, ear infections, and respiratory problems. Moreover, it is easily broken down by the baby’s body that further reduces the frequency of stomach issues like diarrhoea and constipation.

Interestingly, breastfeeding is not only healthy for the infants but also for the mothers. It helps in burning extra calories that further assists mothers in losing weight post pregnancy. Moreover, it is also known to reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. However, it is important for breastfeeding moms (especially new mothers) to acknowledge certain important dos and don’ts for ensuring their own as well as their baby’s good health. Remember, your good health eventually ensures the wellness of your baby.

What you should do?

You should always remain certain about your overall health, especially after your child is born. Here are some important things you should always make sure of:

1. Consume a balanced diet

Breastfeeding mothers need proper nutrition with adequate and balanced diet. For instance, they need extra nutrients to secrete sufficient quantity and quality of milk. Medical experts claim that breastfeeding increases the energy requirement as the body burns extra calories to produce milk. Thus, you should eat at least 3 nutritious meals rich in calcium, protein, and vitamins. You can also take exclusive pharmaceutical products manufactured by the top pharmaceutical companies in India after a consultation with your doctor.

2. Drink fluids

Breastfeeding every two or four hours can often result in dehydration. Thus, you should drink at least 8-10 glasses of water as a part of your lactation diet. In addition, you should also drink milk, fruit juices, and soups. However, it is important to reduce the consumption of coffee, tea, sodas, and other artificially sweetened beverages.

3. Exercise

Regular exercising will not only help you to stay fit and happy but also relieve stress. Therefore, you should incorporate moderate exercises like brisk walking or swimming thrice a week in order to improve your own as well as your baby’s health.

What you shouldn’t do?

Good health is not only about acknowledging healthy habits but also about winding up the bad ones. Here are certain things that you should not do:

1. Avoid high sugar and fatty foods

Foods like chocolates, cakes, chips, sodas, etc. contain high amount of sugar and fats. They are full of empty calories and have no or low nutritional value. Hence, you should try to avoid them altogether.

2. Don’t diet during breastfeeding

Dieting during breastfeeding can adversely affect the quality and quantity of the breast milk. Moreover, since mothers need extra energy, they should only cut on highly sweet and fatty foods to lose the post pregnancy weight.

3. Don’t consume alcohol

Say a big no to alcohol (and smoking)! Health experts assert that alcohol can quickly pass into breast milk and eventually affect the baby.

Conclusion

Remember, your health during the breastfeeding days will have a direct impact on the overall health of your baby. Therefore, consume nutritious foods, stay healthy, and avoid unnecessary stress or exertion. This will not only improve your baby’s health but also ensure his/her overall physical and mental development.