Since we are currently celebrating World Breastfeeding Week, it is important to raise awareness about breastfeeding, its importance, and how to make it a more seamless process for both mothers and babies. Breastfeeding is not an easy task. To provide nutrition for your child, you must first feed yourself. And for that, you need to choose food wisely. There are certain essential nutrients that all nursing mothers should have. Tell us about them one by one.
Iron
Both mothers and babies need iron. After a few months of delivery, your baby’s iron requirement increases as he begins to grow rapidly. Also, to prevent fatigue, you should include iron-rich foods in your daily diet. Some of the food sources of iron include green leafy vegetables, eggs, oysters, etc. The body can absorb iron from these sources without problems when it is consumed with vitamin C, which is present in citrus fruits.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Docosahexaenoic acid is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is important for your child’s brain and retina development. Babies require an optimal level of DHA in their frontal and prefrontal areas of the brain. And they can get that from breast milk. Therefore, nursing mothers should include foods containing DHA such as eggs, cod liver oil, and salmon in their daily diets. This will improve your child’s memory skills.
Calcium
Calcium is important for your child’s bones to grow strong. Also, if you don’t have enough calcium-containing foods on a daily basis, the calcium from your bones will be diverted into your breast milk. This will eventually lead to a loss of bone mass. That is why breastfeeding mothers are advised to consume at least 1000 mg of calcium every day.
Vitamin D
Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, which is essential for the health of your bones. Therefore, you must have this nutrient through food or sunlight. Sunbathing is not recommended for babies, so they should only get vitamin D through breast milk. You can opt for certain foods rich in vitamin D like cheese, egg yolks, tuna, salmon, etc.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.