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