POST NATAL FOOD REQUIREMENT FOR MOTHERS

#postnatalcare #food #postpregnancycare

The nutritional needs of breastfeeding women are most readily met by local, affordable, culturally appropriate, nutritious food. Breastfeeding women have a very efficient metabolism, and most have laid down fat stores during pregnancy. Therefore perfect milk will be made even on a rather low energy intake. It has been shown that the composition of breast-milk is very consistent even between women with greatly differing nutrition situations.

the mother should understand that:

1. She does not need to eat any extra food to make more milk, but she should eat to please herself if she is hungry. If the woman is conspicuously underweight some people may think she is too thin and weak to breastfeed. Explain that she will still make milk, although she needs food for own wellbeing; meeting her additional energy needs is much less expensive than feeding her baby breast-milk substitutes. By caring well for herself, she cares for her baby!

2. There is no need to avoid certain foods, cultural taboos notwithstanding, but if her baby develops an allergic reaction , then she can try to avoid the suspected allergenic foods. Some mothers note reactions, such as loose stools or wind, in their baby when they eat certain foods. There is no scientific research on this topic, but you can respect the individual mother’s observations even if you are privately skeptical.

3. She should drink whenever she feels thirsty. There is no need for a lot of extra fluids. If she does not feel thirst then she should observe her urine to see if it gets dark or strong. If it does she should drink more.

4. She need not drink to make milk. If she has been given breast-milk substitutes or powdered milk and is reluctant to throw them away, she can use them for the general household diet and drinks.

source: WHO/UNICEF. Healthy eating during pregnancy and lactation. A training course, 1998 (unpublished document EUR/ICP/LVNG 02 07 03). Breastfeeding: how to support success

5 · It is Advised mothers who have put on a lot of weight during the pregnancy to avoid high fat foods such as sausages, fatty meat, lard and high calorie beverages such as sugary drinks.

6· it is Advised mothers to use iodized salt, since iodine deficiency is common in most countries and iodine is important for the mental development of her child.

7· it is Discouraged for excess slimming during lactation. The mother should not try to lose more than 2 kg/month.

8 · Every mother can can breastfeed, and that even very undernourished women can produce good milk. Even mothers in famines produce enough good quality milk to sustain their babies’ growth.