Many parents decide to breastfeed their babies because they value good nutrition. But, to produce milk, new mums also need to eat well themselves. Eating’ right’ can be a source of stress as a new parent. So, we got Sunshine Coast nutritionist (and mum) Tara Leong to advise on what’s essential and what’s not.

What do you think are the most important reasons that new mums might want to think about how well they are eating – for themselves and the baby?

We see a lot of stuff on social media that pressure new mums to get back to the body that they once had. So, there is a lot of dieting behaviour – cutting down calories and restricting foods.

However, the problem with that is that when your body has been through so much when you are a new mum, you need to ensure you’re getting enough vital nutrients. But not just that – you need to ensure you’re getting enough calories overall to produce the milk. When you’re breastfeeding, you need more kilojoules or calories than when you’re in the third trimester, which is because your body has to work hard to produce milk from nothing.

This time really should be about nourishing the body.

The other thing that often happens when we go on a diet is that we restrict the types of foods we eat, which becomes quite limited. It limits the different flavours that babies are exposed to in breast milk. We want babies to experience all sorts of flavours from breast milk so that when it comes time to eat solids, they’re used to all those flavours.

Regarding specific nutrients, does the nutritional quality of the milk change depending on what the mother eats?

The body works exceptionally well to draw on what the mum has stored and what she eats to regulate a kind of pretty average breast milk. So the body takes everything we’ve got to put it in the breast milk, and what that means is then the mother nutrient levels become depleted. So, therefore, it’s essential to make sure we get things like calcium each day. Calcium is vital for the baby and its new bones, and we as a mother also need to preserve our bone health.

If people can tolerate dairy products, milk and cheese and yoghurt are great snacks. However, if you are looking for a milk alternative, choose something like soy milk fortified with calcium.

Protein is also essential – from things like meat, fish and chicken. Eggs are great too! As a new mum, I used to boil up a dozen eggs, shell them and leave them in the fridge as a go-to snack. They’ve got a significant amount of protein and healthy fats to help nourish our body and our baby.

Nuts and seeds are fantastic too. When I was breastfeeding, I used to have a container sitting next to me on the couch, full of a different mix of nuts, and I could tip into my hand. Because when we’re breastfeeding, we’re often quite time-poor.

Another major nutrient is iron. Unfortunately, pregnancy uses up all our iron stores, and I see many new mothers who are pretty depleted.

We know we can get iron from meat, especially red meat. But do new mums need supplements for people who don’t eat meat, or is there an excellent vegetarian source of iron?

It’s helpful for new mums to head to your midwife or GP and have a blood test for iron levels because that’s the only way to determine if we are deficient. However, mums who don’t eat meat can certainly get iron; you must plan ahead. Eat things like nuts, legumes and green leafy vegetables – they contain iron, but it’s in much lower quantities and is not as easily absorbed.

You can make sure you absorb more iron from things like green leafy vegetables by squeezing on some lemon juice – that contains vitamin C. Vitamin C helps you absorb the non-haem iron from vegetables. If you have a salad, make sure you squeeze some lemon juice on it to help you absorb that iron a little better.

When it comes to exhausted new mums making dinner, do you have any favourite dinners that are quick and nutrient-dense?

I’m a huge fan of keeping the freezer stocked full of frozen vegetables because you can make a good dinner if you’ve got a carton of eggs in the fridge, frozen peas and frozen corn.

I like to give new mums a message not to be afraid of frozen vegetables. Studies have shown that they often contain higher levels of nutrients than fruit and vegetables sitting in the supermarket for weeks and weeks. So you can cook up some pasta, stir through some spinach and a can of tuna or something, and that’s relatively easy for a tired new mum.

How do lactation cookies work, and how beneficial are they?

Lactation cookies work because they contain galactagogues – oats and brewer’s yeast – to help produce and boost breast milk. Another way they work to increase supply is they provide calories for the mum to make breast milk.

(PBB says: Seek support from your midwife, child health nurse or lactation consultant if you’re concerned about your milk supply.)

Is there anything else you would like new mums to know about healthy eating when breastfeeding?

We need to be a little more aware of the messages we see in the media and social media and recognise that it’s essential for us to provide baby and yourself with nourishing foods. So instead of trying to cut down on food, try to look at what healthy things we can put INTO our day to try and nourish us; things like fruit and vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, fish and lean meats plus, good quality carbohydrates like wholegrain bread.

Usually, if you can think of ways to add nourishing foods to your diet, you reach less and less for the packet of smarties or the ice cream in the freezer because you’ve had a satisfying and nutritious meal.

Tara Leong is a university-qualified nutritionist, speaker and university lecturer. She has a passion for busting nutrition myths with credible information – follow The Nutrition Guru and the Chef.

Page Published on 1st February 2022