~Health And Diet

 

The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely

soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will

need to maintain a healthy diet.  If the baby is 

large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the

mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly, 

meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough

to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.

This type of diet normally involves a high calorie,

high nutrition diet which follows on from that in 

pregnancy.  Even though mothers in famine conditions

can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother

that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking

levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.

If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use 

extreme caution.  More than 20 cigarettes a day has

been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting,

diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in 

the infants.  SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is 

more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.

Heavy drinking is also known to harm the imfant, as

well as yourself.  If you are breast feeding, you 

should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at

a time.  

The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can

result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased

feeding in the infant.  Moderate use, normally 1 - 2

cups a day normally produces no effect.  Therefore, 

mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid

caffeine or restrict intake of it.

By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake

of the above, you'll ensure that your baby gets the

right nutrients during your time of breast feeding.  

This stage of life is very important - as you don't

want anything to happen to your baby.