Many women are concerned about their weight post pregnancy and decide to shed off some kilos immediately. Some women think that post-pregnancy, they can immediately follow a fad diet like fruit diet, salad diet and lose weight and achieve the pre-pregnancy weight back. These crash diets lack all the nutrients essential for the mom’s body as well as the infant’s body. It is very important for mothers to be aware that what they actually consume during this stage is extremely beneficial for proper supply of milk production for their baby. In fact, a proper maternal lactation diet is extremely essential for having a good composition of breast milk which is essential for the baby's growth and development, both emotionally and physically. Following are some of the lactation diet tips to be followed by every mom.
Consumption Of Galactagogues
Galactagogues are amazing lactation herbs which enhance and improve maternal milk production which is very much required for the infant. It helps increase hormones like prolactin and oxytocin which are essential for the emotional bonding between the mother and the infant.
Galactagogues are present in garlic, spinach, carrots, fenugreek seeds, and flax seeds. Garlic can be incorporated in the diet by adding it in dals. Palak dal is an amazing dietary option for lactating mothers. It is rich in protein, iron, phytoestrogens, antioxidants, vitamin K, and vitamin A which enhance milk production. Do not forget to add carrots too to the dal which is a very good source of vitamin A. Do consume it with brown rice which is a very good source of B complex vitamins and fiber necessary for boosting the infant’s brain health.
Another question which comes to the mind is “How to consume flaxseeds?”
Well, flaxseeds are a perfect source of iron and fiber. It can be incorporated in your diet mixed in yogurt with cut slices of apple in it. Flaxseeds can also be roasted and powdered and added to smoothies and consumed.
Consumption of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Thiamine
Omega 3 fatty acids are indeed very beneficial both for the mother and infant and must be consumed by the mother from sources like salmon, tuna, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and flaxseeds. They contain good fats which help boost the mental development in infants as well as to promote healthy heart health in mother as well as infant.
According to many studies, it has been observed that thiamine-deficient mothers with low levels of thiamine in breastmilk, reported cases of infants developing severe mental retardation in the near future and developing a disease called as “beri-beri”. Symptoms of beri-beri include mental confusion, involuntary eye movements, difficulty in walking, heart dysfunction and poor muscle function.
Consumption of Calcium-Rich Foods
Sesame seeds are a perfect source of calcium. It can be given to lactating mothers as the daily requirement of calcium for lactating mothers is far more than the normal dietary calcium allowance that is around 1300 mg per day. Sesame seeds can be incorporated in the diet in the form of the ladoos commonly consumed by the locals.
It is thus very essential to follow a healthy lactation diet so that your infant grows healthy. I hope to see you incorporate these tips to follow a healthy lactation diet.