Patient education: Health and nutrition during breastfeeding (The Basics)

Do I need to eat more while breastfeeding? — It depends. Your body does need more calories when you are breastfeeding than when you are not. This is because your body uses energy to make milk. But the most important thing is to eat a healthy diet. The exact number of calories you need depends on your age, weight, height, and how active you are.

In general, experts recommend a diet that:

●Includes lots of vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains

●Limits red and processed meats, unhealthy fats, sugar, salt, and alcohol

Breastfeeding might help you lose weight after pregnancy if you breastfeed for at least 6 months. If you want to try to lose weight by eating fewer calories, talk to a doctor, nurse, or dietitian first. This way, you can make sure that you are getting enough energy and nutrients.

Do I need to drink more water while breastfeeding? — Yes. It's important to drink enough fluids while you are breastfeeding.

To make sure that you drink enough:

●Always drink when you feel thirsty.

●If you have a dry mouth or dark-colored urine, you probably need to drink more.

●It might be helpful to keep water or another healthy drink nearby when you breastfeed.

Do I need to take vitamins while breastfeeding? — It depends on what your usual diet is like:

●If you eat meat and fish, you probably do not need to take a daily vitamin.

●If you eat a vegan diet (no meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or dairy foods), take a daily vitamin that has vitamin B12 in it.

●Let your doctor or nurse know if there are certain foods or food groups that you do not eat. They can help you figure out whether you need extra vitamins.

Some people need to take an iron supplement. Supplements are pills, capsules, liquids, or tablets that have nutrients in them. Your doctor might prescribe a daily iron supplement if you have a condition called "anemia" after you give birth or if your diet is low in iron.

It's also important to make sure that you get enough calcium and vitamin D each day. Calcium and vitamin D help keep your bones strong. Different foods and drinks have calcium and vitamin D (figure 1). But most people do not get enough through their diet alone. So unless you drink a lot of milk (more than 3 servings a day), you will probably need to take a supplement, too.

Are there foods I should avoid while breastfeeding? — Yes. You should avoid certain types of fish while you are breastfeeding. That's because some types of fish have a lot of mercury in them. Mercury is a substance that can pass through the breast milk to the baby. It can cause problems with a baby's brain and nervous system. You should avoid these fish because they have a lot of mercury:

●Shark

●Swordfish

●King mackerel

●Tilefish

Other types of fish and seafood do not have as much mercury. In fact, these are healthy for both you and your baby. Doctors recommend that people who breastfeed eat these types of fish and seafood about 2 times a week. Safe types of fish include:

●Shrimp

●Canned light tuna

●Salmon

●Pollock

●Catfish

Can I drink caffeine if I am breastfeeding? — Some caffeine can pass through your breast milk to your baby. Some babies can get fussy or have trouble sleeping from caffeine. Most experts recommend not having more than 2 or 3 cups of coffee per day while you are breastfeeding.

Can I drink alcohol if I am breastfeeding? — If you drink, some alcohol does pass through your breast milk to your baby. After you have 1 drink, it takes about 2 hours for your body to get rid of the alcohol. Because of this, most doctors recommend having only an occasional drink that has the same amount of alcohol found in a single glass of wine. They also recommend waiting 2 hours after having a drink before you breastfeed.

Can I smoke if I am breastfeeding? — No, avoid smoking and vaping. In fact, anyone with a newborn or infant should avoid these things.

Babies whose parents or caregivers smoke have a higher risk of problems like:

●Poor sleep

●Breathing problems

●Lung infections

●Ear infections

●"Sudden infant death syndrome" ("SIDS") – This is when a baby younger than 1 year old dies suddenly for no known reason.

The effects of vaping during breastfeeding are less well known. But doctors recommend avoiding vaping nicotine, because it can get into the breast milk and affect your baby. Also, the vape "smoke" might not be safe for the baby to breathe.

Smoking or vaping might also cause your body to make less milk.

Can I use marijuana or cannabis if I am breastfeeding? — Doctors recommend that people who breastfeed not use illegal drugs, which are harmful for a baby. Marijuana (along with other forms of cannabis) is legal in some places, but should be avoided if you are breastfeeding. There are studies suggesting that it could cause problems in babies. Do not smoke marijuana or use other cannabis products, such as "edibles," if you are breastfeeding.

Are there medicines I should avoid while breastfeeding? — It depends. Let your doctor or nurse know if you take any medicines. They can make sure that those medicines are safe to take when breastfeeding.

Some medicines can affect the amount of breast milk your body makes. Talk to your doctor or nurse before taking any new medicines.

What if I have questions? — If you have any questions about nutrition and breastfeeding, ask your doctor or nurse.

Some people also find it helpful to work with a breastfeeding expert, called a "lactation consultant," or a nutrition expert, called a "dietitian."

More on this topic

Patient education: Diet and health (The Basics)
Patient education: Breastfeeding (The Basics)
Patient education: Deciding to breastfeed (The Basics)
Patient education: Weaning from breastfeeding (The Basics)
Patient education: Common breastfeeding problems (The Basics)
Patient education: Quitting smoking (The Basics)
Patient education: Secondhand smoke and children (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron (The Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (The Basics)
Patient education: Medicines and breastfeeding (The Basics)

Patient education: Health and nutrition during breastfeeding (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Breastfeeding guide (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Deciding to breastfeed (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (Beyond the Basics)