It’s important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet while breastfeeding to pass on good nutrition to your baby. For healthy milk production, a breastfeeding mum should try to have five to six snack-sized meals throughout the day, and drink up to two litres of water per day. Regular moderate exercise is great for your physical and emotional wellbeing too – just take care to drink plenty of fluids to ensure your milk supply isn’t affected.
What Should I Eat?
A balanced diet for a breastfeeding mum should include a variety of healthy foods from the each of the four main food groups: fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, milk and dairy products, and protein. Take care when cooking, buying, preparing and storing food so it’s as safe as possible to eat.
| Fruit and Vegetables | Breads and Cereals | Milk and Dairy Products | Protein | |||
| Have 6 servings per day – 2 servings of fruit and 4 servings of vegetables. Fruit and veges are high in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Try leafy greens, tropical and citrus fruits, berries, dark green and yellow veges, tomatoes, capsicum and potatoes. | Have 7 servings per day. Eat wholegrain breads and cereals for more fibre. Try rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and other grain products. | Have 3 servings per day. Milk and dairy are high in calcium and protein. Try reduced or low fat dairy products, or calcium-fortified soy milk. If you don’t consume dairy, try soy milk that contains vitamin B12. | Have 2 servings per day. Protein-rich foods are a |
What Shouldn’t I Eat?
There is little evidence that particular foods upset, cause diarrhoea or give colic to all babies – it really depends on the individual baby. If you think something is upsetting your baby, stop eating it for a few days, and then start eating it again, and see what happens.
Caffeine, Smoking and Alcohol
Large amounts of tea, coffee and soda drinks are best avoided – have up to three caffeine drinks per day.
Smoking can reduce the amount of milk produced, and increases the effect of caffeine in the body. If you do choose to smoke, never smoke while breastfeeding or while in the same room as your baby, and decrease caffeine consumption even further.
Alcohol can pass into breast milk (the amount is roughly the same amount as the alcohol in the mother’s blood), so it’s best to avoid alcohol while breastfeeding, particularly for the first three months. However, if you want a small drink, it is best to:
- limit your intake to 1-2 standard drinks
- choose a low-alcohol drink
- eat before drinking
- avoid breastfeeding for two to three hours following the drink
- express and store milk for the baby, or
- dilute the alcohol with water, juice or ice.
Supplements
Always seek medical advice before taking supplements while breastfeeding. However, healthcare professionals may recommend a multivitamin supplement if you have a restricted or inadequate food intake (for example, vegetarians, women under stress, or obese women restricting energy intake to prevent weight gain).
Food Tips for Breastfeeding
It’s important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet while breastfeeding to pass on good nutrition to your baby. Here's some tips for foods that breastfeeding mothers should and shouldn't eat.