Nutrition While Breastfeeding

Overview

Eating well during breastfeeding helps you stay healthy. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods, and protein foods. Avoid fish high in mercury. And limit alcohol and caffeine. Your doctor or midwife may suggest eating more calories each day than otherwise recommended for a person of your height and weight.

How can you have a healthy diet while breastfeeding?

Eat a variety of healthy foods.

This includes vegetables, fruits, milk products, whole grains, and protein.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Make water your first choice. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase your fluids.

Avoid fish with high mercury.

Some examples include shark, swordfish, and marlin. It also includes orange roughy and fresh or frozen tuna. Instead, eat fish that is low in mercury. Choose canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish, or shrimp.

Limit caffeine.

Things like coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas can contain caffeine. Caffeine can pass through breast milk to your baby. It may cause fussiness and sleep problems. Talk to your doctor about how much caffeine is safe for you.

Limit alcohol.

Alcohol can pass through breast milk to your baby. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding.

Be safe with natural health products.

Talk with your doctor before taking any vitamins, minerals, and herbal or other dietary supplements.