Breastfeeding mothers are often concerned with having an adequate breast milk supply. Eating more may not produce more milk, unless you have not been meeting minimum nutritional requirements for breastfeeding and your breast milk supply is suffering. Eating a well-balanced diet and breastfeeding often are essential to maintaining enough breast milk for your child.
Nutrition
Breastfeeding mothers need at least 1,800 calories from varied sources of nutrition, according to the USDA. An inadequate diet or irregular eating patterns can have negative impacts on a breastfeeding mother, such as problems with breast milk letdown, production and the mother's energy level, according to Judith Lauwers and Anna Swisher, co-authors of "Counseling a Nursing Mother."
Meal Planning
Creating a meal plan can help support breastfeeding goals. Meal planning can help ensure that you get varied sources of nutrition, like eating the colors of the rainbow. It can also help you reduce your budget and time spent grocery shopping, which will help lessen your stress and support a healthy breastfeeding relationship with your child.
Breastfeeding Frequency
The more often you breastfeed, the more breast milk you will make. Breast milk is created on demand. It is also important to empty your milk ducts so the breast will continue to create an adequate amount of breast milk. This can be done by increasing the length of time you breastfeed and the child's positioning.
Latch and Position
Ensure that your child can get to your breast milk with good latch and various breastfeeding positions. Your child's lips should be around about an inch of your areola and nipple. The lips should be flanged, like fish lips gently indenting your breast tissue. In addition, using different positions while breastfeeding will help empty more milk ducts. The La Leche League shares illustrations of the various positions on its website.
Considerations
If you have concerns about your breast milk supply, nutrition, or latch consult with a board-certified lactation consultant, your local La Leche League or your healthcare provider.
There are some foods that are considered galactalgogues, like oatmeal that can help increase breast milk supply.
Many breastfeeding women continue to take prenatal vitamins to supplement nutritional needs.
References
- "Counseling the Nursing Mother": Judith Lauwers, Anna Swisher: pp 171-172: 2005
- La Leche League; How do I position my baby to breastfeed?; 2011
- USDA; Pregnancy and Breastfeeding; 2011
