It is very important for the mother, who takes care of both her physical and mental health during the birth of the baby, to show the same care after the baby is born. Especially during breastfeeding, a balanced diet, balanced sleep and balanced exercise directly affect the baby’s nutrition and growth. Every new mother has the same question on her mind: how to increase breast milk?
Mothers who research breast milk increasing methods and want to add breast milk enhancing foods to their daily diet should not forget that they should meet their daily routine needs in addition to their nutrition in increasing breast milk. Resting when the baby is sleeping, staying away from stress and moving regularly are some of these routines.
Especially in the newborn period, breastfeeding takes place approximately every three hours, and it requires the mother to adjust her nutritional habits according to this cycle. The answer to the question of how to increase breast milk, which is often wondered by mothers, is a balanced diet.
Increasing fluid consumption, establishing a balance of vegetables, fruits, proteins and carbohydrates are the factors that ensure that the baby gets all the vitamins he needs. While mothers who work during the breastfeeding process and therefore leave their milk at home by expressing their milk, have the chance to continue to support the development of their babies thanks to the breast milking machine, they should not forget to pay attention to their nutrition in the work environment.
How should breastfeeding mothers be fed?
- The most important factor that increases the nutritional value and amount of milk is fluid consumption. One of these liquids is water. Make sure you drink 2-3 liters of water a day.
- Do not worry about the weight gained during childbirth. Not eating a balanced diet and dieting for the sake of losing weight after birth will cause your baby not to be fed enough.
- Take care to get the protein you need during the day from both animal and vegetable protein sources. Protein-rich vegetables are broccoli, spinach, beans and potatoes.
- Make sure you consume a balanced diet from all food groups. Don’t get stuck with just one type of food.
- Keep in mind that you need much more calcium than usual during breastfeeding. Include foods such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt from your daily diet, which will also support you in protecting your bones, teeth and nervous system.
- Avoid sugary foods and packaged products. These foods will cause you to gain weight and will not contribute to the increase in breast milk for your baby.
- Include nutrient-rich foods such as barley, black sesame, cumin, basil, dill, garlic, oatmeal, olive oil, fennel, flaxseed oil, sesame oil in your daily diet.
- Orange foods such as pumpkin, apricot and carrots are among the foods that have an important place in increasing breast milk. These foods will meet your vitamin A needs and will support you to produce a higher quality and nutritious milk for your baby.
Things to consider during breastfeeding
- A tired mother cannot produce any useful milk for her baby, even if she is well fed. If you haven’t taken it during pregnancy, you can take breast milk and breastfeeding training, which is also given online, and you can learn every detail from how to hold your baby during breastfeeding to the exercises you need to do during the day.
- The fact that each breast is sufficiently emptied during the breastfeeding process is one of the recommendations on what to do to be breast milk given by experts. Do not switch to breastfeeding the other breast until the milk in one breast is completely gone.
- Although studies point to consuming foods that make breast milk, nighttime breastfeeding is at the top of the recommendations on how to increase breast milk. If the baby does not wake up at night, it is recommended to express the milk so that the milk produced in the breast is emptied.
- Continuing to breastfeed along with your baby’s transition to complementary foods is among the factors that increase breast milk, or more precisely, ensure that breast milk continues to be produced. Remember that the vitamins you will get from food will not be the same as those you will get from breast milk.
- Avoid harmful habits such as alcohol and smoking during breastfeeding. Remember that everything you consume directly means that your baby is also consuming it.
- Do not put pressure on your breast with your fingers so that your baby can suckle comfortably. It is healthier for your baby to suckle by holding the breast naturally.
Nutrition tips for breastfeeding mothers
With the start of business life, mothers who need to feed their baby by expressing their milk during the day may feel a little more active, a little more stressed and a little more tired. As it is known, breast milk helps to increase with herbal teas such as fennel tea and to eliminate the gas problem in both the mother and the baby. You can take fennel tea with you on the way to work and meet your needs during the day. If you have a busy work schedule and do not have the opportunity to carry a lot of food with you, you can support the increase in your milk by choosing one or a few of the fruits that make breast milk.
Today, the breast milking machine produced by many brands for different needs is a life saver for working mothers. You can buy one of the breast pumps for your home and one for your workplace, or you can buy one of the portable size and carry it with you, which offers a very practical use for mothers with its manual and automatic options.
Contrary to popular belief, the answer to the question of what to eat to get breast milk is not to eat too much food. Since you are in the breastfeeding process, instead of eating every time you think of it and every time you feel hungry, it is sufficient to eat 5 meals a day and maximize your fluid consumption.