PROPER NUTRITION DURING THE BREAST-FEED PERIOD

01

A healthy and, above all, balanced diet is particularly important after pregnancy and childbirth so that you can get back on your feet quickly and master everyday life with your baby.

02

As soon as the newborn is at home, mothers often have neither the time nor the desire to eat regularly. However, a varied diet after pregnancy is at least as important as during it. Your calorie and nutritional needs continue to increase, and both you and your baby benefit from regular, high-quality meals, as this improves the quality of your breast milk and gives your baby all the essential nutrients it needs to grow.

03

Your diet while breastfeeding affects the well-being of your breastfed baby. You should be consuming around 500 extra calories a day. Ideally, these should consist of fresh fruit and vegetables, and two servings of sea fish and lean meat per week are recommended. 

04

In addition, your body needs regular and sufficient liquid intake and additional sources of calcium, such as milk products and mineral water with the appropriate calcium values, to produce milk.

Your daily energy requirements increase while you are breastfeeding, which means that you need more nutrients, especially during this time, in order to be able to produce enough wholesome breast milk. Here it is important to pay attention to which foods you mainly eat and how much of them. Here are a few recommendations:

• Drink at least two liters of water, highly diluted fruit juice or unsweetened tea per day
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as grains and potatoes
• Eat preferably high-fiber whole grain products
• Eat animal products such as eggs, meat or dairy products in moderation
• Eat fruit, yogurt, or vegetable sticks rather than snacks instead
• Use oils and fats sparingly
• Also sweets only occasionally

• You should eat foods that make you gassy and citrus fruits with care - pay attention to which foods your baby can handle well
• You should replace unhealthy saturated fatty acids (e.g. butter or cream) with healthier unsaturated fatty acids such as rapeseed or olive oil
• You should avoid fast food and ready meals, as well as sweets, biscuits, chips and soft drinks, as they have a high fat, sugar and/or salt content
• Strongly taste-affecting foods like asparagus or garlic can change the taste of your breast milk. Your baby may then refuse breast milk. If this is the case, it is better to avoid these foods

Everything you eat and drink can be passed to your baby through breast milk. Therefore, you should avoid these foods:

• Food and drinks containing caffeine, because these make your baby restless and can also affect your sleep rhythm
• Alcohol, nicotine and drugs also affect your baby, so you should avoid them throughout breastfeeding

A balanced, healthy diet is the be-all and end-all when breastfeeding. If you make sure to cut out the bad foods, both you and your baby will be happy and have a wonderful breastfeeding experience!