Breastfeeding
That first year after having a new baby is an amazing, joyous time. It is also an exhausting time though, as we bath, dress, feed, cuddle and simply get to know our new little bundle. For Mums, the wellbeing and health of our baby suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world – sometimes to the exclusion of our own health and wellbeing. It can be difficult to remember to relax, to exercise regularly and to eat healthily when such a small new person is making such big demands on our time. Sometimes though, looking after our own health is one of the best ways to protect the health of our child.
If “breast is best” as the saying goes, then can taking care with what we eat make it even better?
Brisbane-based dietician and spokesperson for the Dieticians Association of Australia, Kate Di Prima, strongly encourages new Mums to look after their own nutrition, particularly while breastfeeding. “I know it’s tricky to find time to feed yourself properly sometimes,” she says. “I can remember myself as a new parent, trying to make a piece of toast for breakfast. I can remember putting that piece of bread up and down in the toaster several times and my cup of tea getting cold before I remembered to drink it. I’d get to lunchtime and realize that all I’d managed to eat so far was half a piece of toast. No wonder I felt so tired!”
Forgetting about food is a common new-Mum story, but when your body is working hard to both keep your parental energy levels buzzing and produce healthy milk for your baby, then good nutrition is vital. Kate has three top tips to helps new Mums stay healthy.
1. Drink plenty of water!
Staying well-hydrated with plenty of water is always important for good health, but even more so when your body is busy making all those wonderful nutrients for another little person. And the easiest way to make sure that you are drink enough is to have a water-filled sports bottle beside you while you breastfeed.
“I always recommend to Mums that they keep water-filled bottles in every room of their house, all within easy reach of wherever they are likely to breastfeed,” says Kate. “Otherwise what happens is that they start breastfeeding, realise that they need water, but can’t actually get up to get it right then. And by the time they’ve finished feeding, they tend to forget to drink. So if you have a bottle of water beside you, you can sip your way through that while you feed your bub.”
Kate also encourages Mums to make a habit of drinking a glass of water just before having anything to eat. Soon it will become an automatic routine.
2. Eat every three hours.
Easier said than done of course, for new Mums, but eating regularly helps to keep you alert, energized and in good health. It also helps you to produce milk. “If you don’t eat small meals regularly, then your body is constantly looking for stores of energy to keep fuelling your brain,” explains Kate. “As a new Mum that makes it a double whammy because your body is trying to use your stores of energy and nutrition to make breastmilk. If those stores then have to be used to keep you alert, there’s less left over for the milk production.”
What that means is that if you have breakfast at 6.30am then you need to have some morning tea by 9.30am to keep your energy levels up and blood sugar levels going.
Kate suggests a banana smoothie as an easy snack. “You can make yourself up a jug of smoothie in the morning, with a banana, some honey – even a Weetbix for some iron – and you can keep that in a jug in the fridge,” she says. “That way you can quickly pour yourself a glass for morning tea.”
Another option is to make yourself a lunchbox in the morning. “If you have older children and you are making their lunch in the morning, then make yourself a sandwich and some snacks as well and pop it in the fridge,” suggests Kate. “That way it’s there and ready for you when you need it.”
3. Balance your meals.
Thirdly, make sure that your meals are balanced. “A meal should be made up of carbohydrates and protein” explains Kate. “Proteins are your building blocks; it’s the protein that helps to make the breastmilk. And protein is often a good source of iron as well.”
Unfortunately when we are busy and tired, most of us tend to crave sweet things as an easy source of refueling. But while sugary snacks – things like biscuits, chocolate and so forth – might make us feel happy for a few minutes, they don’t provide any long-term benefit.
“When you snack on sugary food you only get a boost for about twenty minutes,” says Kate. “Then the effect will wear off and you will be hungry and tired again. All sugary snacks do is give you calories; they won’t properly refuel your body. That’s fine in moderation - but it’s better to grab something like a banana, some yoghurt or vegetables, that will give you energy and keep you going. Otherwise try baked beans on toast, or use last night’s dinner as today’s lunch. You will feel healthier, happier and your body will thank you!”
Feed yourself, feed your baby.
That first year after having a new baby is an amazing, joyous time. It is also an exhausting time though, as we bath, dress, feed, cuddle and simply get to know our new little bundle. For Mums, the wellbeing and health of our baby suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world – sometimes to the exclusion of our own health and wellbeing. It can be difficult to remember to relax, to exercise regularly and to eat healthily when such a small new person is making such big demands on our time. Sometimes though, looking after our own health is one of the best ways to protect the health of our child.
If “breast is best” as the saying goes, then can taking care with what we eat make it even better?
Brisbane-based dietician and spokesperson for the Dieticians Association of Australia, Kate Di Prima, strongly encourages new Mums to look after their own nutrition, particularly while breastfeeding. “I know it’s tricky to find time to feed yourself properly sometimes,” she says. “I can remember myself as a new parent, trying to make a piece of toast for breakfast. I can remember putting that piece of bread up and down in the toaster several times and my cup of tea getting cold before I remembered to drink it. I’d get to lunchtime and realize that all I’d managed to eat so far was half a piece of toast. No wonder I felt so tired!”
Forgetting about food is a common new-Mum story, but when your body is working hard to both keep your parental energy levels buzzing and produce healthy milk for your baby, then good nutrition is vital. Kate has three top tips to helps new Mums stay healthy.
- Drink plenty of water!
Staying well-hydrated with plenty of water is always important for good health, but even more so when your body is busy making all those wonderful nutrients for another little person. And the easiest way to make sure that you are drink enough is to have a water-filled sports bottle beside you while you breastfeed.
“I always recommend to Mums that they keep water-filled bottles in every room of their house, all within easy reach of wherever they are likely to breastfeed,” says Kate. “Otherwise what happens is that they start breastfeeding, realise that they need water, but can’t actually get up to get it right then. And by the time they’ve finished feeding, they tend to forget to drink. So if you have a bottle of water beside you, you can sip your way through that while you feed your bub.”
Kate also encourages Mums to make a habit of drinking a glass of water just before having anything to eat. Soon it will become an automatic routine.
- Eat every three hours.
Easier said than done of course, for new Mums, but eating regularly helps to keep you alert, energized and in good health. It also helps you to produce milk. “If you don’t eat small meals regularly, then your body is constantly looking for stores of energy to keep fuelling your brain,” explains Kate. “As a new Mum that makes it a double whammy because your body is trying to use your stores of energy and nutrition to make breastmilk. If those stores then have to be used to keep you alert, there’s less left over for the milk production.”
What that means is that if you have breakfast at 6.30am then you need to have some morning tea by 9.30am to keep your energy levels up and blood sugar levels going.
Kate suggests a banana smoothie as an easy snack. “You can make yourself up a jug of smoothie in the morning, with a banana, some honey – even a Weetbix for some iron – and you can keep that in a jug in the fridge,” she says. “That way you can quickly pour yourself a glass for morning tea.”
Another option is to make yourself a lunchbox in the morning. “If you have older children and you are making their lunch in the morning, then make yourself a sandwich and some snacks as well and pop it in the fridge,” suggests Kate. “That way it’s there and ready for you when you need it.”
- Balance your meals.
Thirdly, make sure that your meals are balanced. “A meal should be made up of carbohydrates and protein” explains Kate. “Proteins are your building blocks; it’s the protein that helps to make the breastmilk. And protein is often a good source of iron as well.”
Unfortunately when we are busy and tired, most of us tend to crave sweet things as an easy source of refueling. But while sugary snacks – things like biscuits, chocolate and so forth – might make us feel happy for a few minutes, they don’t provide any long-term benefit.
“When you snack on sugary food you only get a boost for about twenty minutes,” says Kate. “Then the effect will wear off and you will be hungry and tired again. All sugary snacks do is give you calories; they won’t properly refuel your body. That’s fine in moderation - but it’s better to grab something like a banana, some yoghurt or vegetables, that will give you energy and keep you going. Otherwise try baked beans on toast, or use last night’s dinner as today’s lunch. You will feel healthier, happier and your body will thank you!”
