| During pregnancy many women eat much more | | | | from what we eat. Oily fish, margarine and dairy |
| than usual sometimes eating a bizarre mixture of | | | | products are good sources of vitamin. Many |
| foodstuffs at the one time. This is just your | | | | health professionals recommend that |
| body's way of storing up the nutrition you need | | | | breastfeeding women take a supplement of 10 |
| so your baby can grow strong inside you as well | | | | microgram of vitamin D, especially if the mother |
| to begin to produce the breast milk your baby will | | | | rarely exposes her skin to the sun or if she |
| later need. But after the birth what you eat is | | | | doesn't like foods rich in vitamin D. |
| even more important for your baby's health. | | | | As well as minerals it is important that a |
| After you give birth, good nutrition is even more | | | | breastfeeding mother get her RDA of minerals |
| vital than during your pregnancy. The quality of | | | | such as Calcium, Zinc and Selenium. Calcium is well |
| your breast milk depends on your diet and your | | | | known as being important for the development of |
| diet also affects how quickly your body rebounds | | | | healthy bones - a lack of calcium can lead to |
| from childbirth. Medical experts recommend that a | | | | osteoporosis in later life. Milk and other dairy |
| breastfeeding mother requires an additional 500 | | | | products are a great source of calcium so try to |
| calories per day. Recently that recommendation | | | | drink milk every day. Milk is also a good source of |
| has been amended; what you eat is far more | | | | vitamins B2 and B12. If you don't like milk or are a |
| important than your caloric intake. | | | | vegan you can get calcium in other foods like |
| So what foods should you be eating? | | | | sardines, calcium enriched soya milk, dried figs, |
| Only one vitamin is manufactured inside our body; | | | | tofu, white bread, almonds, spinach and tahini. |
| vitamin 5. All other vitamins must be obtained | | | | The following foods are rich in zinc: red meat, |
| from food. Vitamins are found in many foods - | | | | sardines, baked potatoes, cashew nuts, whole |
| interestingly only one food contains all the vitamins | | | | meal bread, lentils, hard cheese, peanuts and other |
| necessary for healthy development: breast milk. | | | | fish like mackerel and prawns. |
| No other food contains all the vitamins a person | | | | Free radicals are bad for our body. Reports |
| requires. Therefore the secret for a breastfeeding | | | | suggest that free radicals are on the increase |
| mother is to have a well balanced diet. Fruit and | | | | because of things like cigarette smock and car |
| vegetables are the best source for vitamins. | | | | exhaust fumes. Selenium is an antioxidant that |
| Eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day | | | | helps protect our cells from the action of free |
| will give you just about all the vitamins you need - | | | | radicals. Fish, cheese and lentils are good sources |
| you will get all the vitamin C you need, and one | | | | of Selenium. |
| more portion will help provide the extra vitamin A | | | | No special diet is really needed for a breastfeeding |
| and B you need when breastfeeding. Broccoli is a | | | | mother. All that is required is a well-balanced diet |
| particularly good source of both vitamin C and A. | | | | contain plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, some |
| Eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day | | | | dairy products and a little red meat. If you're a |
| will also give your body most of the minerals and | | | | vegan or vegetarian you can easily replace dairy |
| fiber it needs. | | | | products or meat with many fruit and vegetables. |
| As stated above, vitamin D can be made in the | | | | If you are in any doubt as to whether you are |
| body but our bodies need the sun to do this. In | | | | eating a healthy diet your first point of contact |
| winter it is nearly impossible to manufacture | | | | should be your doctor. |
| vitamin D, therefore we need to get our vitamin | | | | |