Diet Plan While Breastfeeding

You body can produce breast milk to meet your baby's nutritional needs even if you do not eat a healthy diet, advises Dr. Abaz Sosic, a gynecologist and obstetrician in Bradford, Pennsylvania. However, a diet that lacks sufficient calories or nutrients can affect a nursing mother's ability to take care of herself and her baby. A healthy diet plan while breast-feeding will help keep you healthy, and may allow you to lose weight gained during pregnancy.

Food Choices

A breast-feeding diet plan that contains low-fat dairy products, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables will provide you with enough nutrients to keep you and your baby healthy. A breast-feeding woman needs about three servings of low-fat dairy products, five servings of vegetables and fruits, three to four servings of whole grain breads or cereals and three to four servings of protein rich foods such as beans, lean meat, eggs or nuts, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Caloric Needs

While breast-feeding, you need to take in between 200 and 500 more calories than you did before you became pregnant, advises Sosic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that a woman who breastfeeds exclusively takes in 2,400 calories each day and that a woman who breastfeeds but supplements with formula takes in 2,200 calories each day. The exact number of calories you need while breast-feeding will depend on your weight, activity level, and age. Talk to your doctor if you gain weight or lose more than one pound a week while breast-feeding.

Foods To Avoid

Avoid any food that seems to bother your baby. What you eat can affect the taste of your milk, and cause your baby to refuse to drink it. If you eat something your baby has an allergy to, your baby may develop a rash, diarrhea or congestion, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If you feel your baby has an adverse reaction to your breast milk, contact your baby's doctor. Limit eating foods high in empty calories produced by fats and sweets.

Fluid Intake

Breast-feeding moms need about 16 cups of fluid each day, according to the Baby Center. You can get a lot of this fluid from eating fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of water. The exact amount of water, juice, milk or other fluid you should drink depends on the amount of fluid you take in from food sources. If you drink when you feel thirsty, you will probably take in enough fluid. Drink at least six to eight glasses of liquid each day, advises Dr. Anil Pradhan, a pediatrician in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Avoid drinking too much caffeine, alcohol or sugar.

Fad Diets

Limit weight loss while breast-feeding to one to two pounds a week advises the Baby Center. You need a minimum of 1,200 calories a day to stay healthy. Whye you eat less than 1,500 to 2,200 calories a day, you may experience mood swings, decreased energy, and a decreased milk supply. Most fad diets dramatically limit calories, which can affect your health and possibly decrease your milk supply.