Guest Author - Jessica Gunsch

Eating well especially while breastfeeding is critical to your health. If you are not getting the right amount of calories, vitamins and minerals for your body, you may experience depression, fatigue, listlessness and other conditions related to malnutrition and physical stress; one aspect of depleted mother syndrome. If you do not eat well, your body will provide the baby with everything he needs at your expense. However just because your baby is getting the best nutrition, he still needs you to feel good to be the best mother that you can be.

In the first few months of your child’s life you need to consume about 500 more nutritious calories than you did before pregnancy. Breastfeeding will require anywhere from 750-1000 calories a day. The extra 250-500 calories will be taken from your leftover pregnancy fat. At this rate you will lose your excess pregnancy weight at around a pound or two a week which is considered healthy weight loss. If you do not eat right you may lose pounds rapidly but this can be risky to your health. The longer that you nurse, as your baby grows and requires more calories, your own caloric needs will also increase.

In addition to eating the proper portions of healthy foods, it is a good idea to continue to take your prenatal vitamins for the first few months and then a daily multi vitamin after. . Many nursing mothers, especially vegans, experience vitamin B deficiencies during breastfeeding which needs to be addressed. Vitamin B deficiencies can cause irritability, loss of appetite and tingling in the extremities. Vitamins are supplements and should never be substituted for a healthy balanced diet. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids while breastfeeding and even more during hot weather.