How do I produce nutritious breastmilk?

You will need to be well-rested, well-nourished and well hydrated. A stressed mother will find breastfeeding exhausting, so schedule in – and also grab where possible – short naps. I know this can be really tricky when you have other small children or you’re working, but it’s worth making some adjustments, wherever possible.

Here are points 1-5 of my 10 point plan to support nourishing breastmilk…

What should I be eating on a daily basis?

1. Eat a healthy wholefoods diet… A generous, palm-size piece of protein in each of your 3 meals such as meat, fish, eggs, tofu or lentils / beans. This needs to be a fraction more than your typical diet. Snack on protein-rich (& calcium-rich) foods such as nuts and seeds; veg sticks and houmous or guacamole, or plain live yogurt or kefir with pumpkin seeds and berries. Avoid sugary foods where possible.

2. Have a thumb’s worth of fats with every meal such as butter or full fat dairy if you can tolerate it, and / or olives, avocados, nuts and seeds. Drizzle olive oil on your salads and soups if your intake of fat is low. On days when you’re having your oily fish, that fish can act as your protein and your fat, (see below), so no need to stick to just a thumb’s worth.

3. Limit oily fish to 2 portions per week e.g) salmon, sardines, anchovies and trout. It’s thought that exposing your baby to a variety of fish whilst breastfeeding is beneficial to their growing brains beyond the breastfeeding period. It also means they’re more likely to enjoy fish in childhood, when feeding small children can become trickier. Limit non-oily fish such as tuna to once a month due to the high levels of toxins found in tuna. Be aware that mackerel contains about 10 times the mercury of smaller fish such as sardines, so ideally limit this to once a month.

4. Stay ‘regular’ and avoid constipation. Enjoy a cupped hand of whole carbohydrates e.g.) brown rice / bread, sweet potato or potato with each of your 3 meals a day. Avoid excess sugar. Sugar can exert unhelpful effects on the gut and also contributes to unnecessary weight gain.

5. Enjoy 2 handfuls of a rainbow of vegetables daily. You can use frozen vegetables as well as fresh, raw or cooked though ideally steamed if you’re cooking them. Avoid boiling vegetables or you’ll lose their precious vitamin C. Aim for a variety and use seasonal veg and salad items to access a variety of nutrient and flavours. Vegetables are also a great source of fibre and so will also help you to avoid constipation.

NEXT: :Your indispensable guide to Breastfeeding Nutrition (Part 3)