Dieting after giving birth

Postpartum Weight Loss: When Can You Start Dieting After Pregnancy?

Tips to Live By Aug. 4, 2022 - Katie McCallum

Between caring for your newborn — which may not be your only child — and managing responsibilities outside of parenthood, losing weight after having a baby isn't easy.

It's enough to make many women consider a diet or a postpartum weight-loss plan and to wonder how soon they can start.

"The problem with the word 'dieting' is that it generally implies you need to restrict or eliminate certain foods in order to lose weight, which isn't the case," explains Dr. Mae Kathleen Borchardt, an OB-GYN at Houston Methodist.

Not only is dieting not required for weight loss, diets often reduce the amount of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals you're getting. That can affect your postpartum recovery and energy levels as well as the quantity and quality of your breast milk.

"These obviously aren't things we want for new moms, especially for those who are breastfeeding," adds Dr. Borchardt. "Just as proper nutrition is important during pregnancy, it's important after, too."

Additionally, many weight-loss plans are designed to help you lose weight really fast — which can be dangerous.

The weight you lose immediately after delivery is normal, of course. And you can expect to lose another few pounds the week following delivery, too.

After that, though, losing weight should be a slow, steady process.

"Rapid weight loss after pregnancy — losing more than two pounds per week — isn't healthy," explains Dr. Borchardt. "It is important to eventually lose the extra weight gained during pregnancy, but this isn't a process that should be rushed or forced."

Instead of dieting, Dr. Borchardt recommends focusing on healthy eating and portion control. She has a few more tips, too.

It took time to put that baby weight on, and it's going to take time to lose it, too.

Here are Dr. Borchardt's tips for losing baby weight the healthy way:

1.

Set realistic weight-loss goals

Setting yourself up for postpartum weight-loss success starts by knowing how long it usually takes.

Losing weight safely — about one pound per week — means that it takes most new moms between six months to a year to return to pre-pregnancy weight.

"Half of that weight is typically lost in the first six weeks after delivery," says Dr. Borchardt. "From there, women typically lose the rest of the weight at their own pace."

Be patient with your unique pace, using the tips below to stay on track along the way.

2. Eat well-balanced meals

Instead of trendy diets, which are often restrictive and hard to maintain, focus on eating well-balanced meals, which include:

Half of your plate filled with fruits and non-starchy veggies
One quarter of your plate filled with whole grains
One quarter of your plate filled with a lean protein
A healthy serving of fat, such as avocado, chia seeds or olive oil

Note that processed, packaged foods and sugary drinks aren't on this list.

They're not off limits, of course, but they should be consumed in moderation since they're almost always full of empty calories — a recipe for weight gain rather than weight loss. (Related: Are Your Taste Buds Sabotaging You From Eating Healthier?)

"To tide you over between meals, prioritize snacks containing fiber and protein, such as Greek yogurt topped with berries, carrot sticks with hummus or a hard-boiled egg with avocado," Dr. Borchardt adds. "Fiber and protein help keep you feeling fuller for longer."

Need help eating healthy given your busy schedule? A few tips:

Slow Cooker Cooking: Healthy Meal Tips For When You Have Time (But Don't Have Time)
The 5 Principles to Making an Easy Lunch That's Also Healthy & Filling
How to Eat Healthy When Ordering From a Delivery Service
Wholesale Shopping: A Dietitian's Guide to the Foods You Should (& Shouldn't) Buy in Bulk

3. Portion control

Just as important as eating healthy is eating the right amount.

To help control your portions, pay attention to nutrition food labels and reputable sources' recommended serving sizes. You can also try using a smaller plate, since this can help you stick to more appropriate portion sizes and avoid overeating.

"If you're eating a healthy diet in acceptable portions, you're on track for weight loss," Dr. Borchardt adds.

4. Make time for exercise — but ease into it

Another important component of weight loss is physical activity, though a new mom's exercise plan will need to look different than it did before pregnancy — for a while, at least.

(Related: Postpartum Exercise: What to Know About Exercising After Pregnancy)

"With uncomplicated, vaginal births, light exercise can typically start two weeks after delivery," says Dr. Borchardt.

She emphasizes light exercise initially — such as walking. You can eventually progress to postpartum exercises that help rebuild weakened abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.

"You can slowly increase the intensity over time, but be sure to listen to your body and stop immediately if you feel any pain," says Dr. Borchardt.

If you had a cesarean section, your OB-GYN will help you understand when it's safe for you to resume physical activity — though most women will need to wait at least four weeks.

5. Don't forget about self-care

"New moms sacrifice so much for the well-being of the baby," says Dr. Borchardt. "It is important for mom to make her health a priority, too."

This means getting adequate rest and staying hydrated, in addition to eating nutritious meals and making time for physical activity. And don't be afraid to accept help from family or friends — or ask for it.

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16 Effective Tips to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy

Here’s some background on what “baby weight” is, why it happens during pregnancy, and why it won’t be needed after baby makes their appearance in the world.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that women within a healthy weight range who are carrying one baby gain 25 to 35 pounds (11.5 to 16 kg) during pregnancy.

Recommended weight gains for expectant people who are underweight, overweight, or carrying multiple babies are different. Check out the interactive calculators at the Institute of Medicine/National Academies to determine your individual recommended weight gain.

Your healthcare providers may also have a different recommendation based on your own needs.

According to research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, pregnancy weight gain consists of:

the baby
placenta
amniotic fluid
breast tissue
blood
uterus enlargement
extra fat stores

The extra fat acts as an energy reserve for the birth and breastfeeding. However, excess weight gain can result in too much fat. This is what people generally refer to as “baby weight,” and it’s very common.

Nearly half of all pregnant women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, according to the CDC.

The consequences of keeping on some of this extra weight after pregnancy include:

increased risk of being overweight
heightened risk of diabetes and heart disease
greater risk of complications during pregnancy
higher health risks for women with gestational diabetes

The following list provides evidence-based tips to help you lose the extra pounds.

1. Keep your goals realistic

Despite what magazines and celebrity stories would have you believe, losing weight after pregnancy takes time.

In one 2015 study, 75 percent of women were heavier 1 year after giving birth than they had been before pregnancy. Of these women, 47 percent were at least 10 pounds heavier at the 1-year mark, and 25 percent had kept on 20 more pounds.

Depending on how much weight you gained during pregnancy, it is realistic to expect that over the next 1 to 2 years you could lose around 10 pounds (4. 5 kg). If you gained more weight, you may find you end up a few pounds heavier than you were pre-pregnancy.

Of course, with a good eating plan and exercise, you should be able to achieve any healthy level of weight loss that your doctor gives the thumbs up.

2. Don’t crash diet

Crash diets are very low calorie diets that aim to make you lose a large amount of weight in the shortest amount of time possible.

After delivering a baby, your body needs good nutrition to heal and recover. In addition, if you are breastfeeding, you require more calories than normal, according to the CDC.

A low calorie diet is likely to be lacking in important nutrients and will probably leave you feeling tired. This is the opposite of what you need when taking care of a newborn, and when you’re likely sleep-deprived.

Assuming your weight is currently stable, decreasing your calorie intake by about 500 calories per day will stimulate safe weight loss of about 1.1 pounds (0. 5 kg) per week. This amount of weight loss is considered safe for breastfeeding women, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

For example, a woman eating 2,000 calories per day could eat 300 fewer calories and burn an extra 200 calories through exercise, making a reduction of 500 calories in total.

3. Breastfeed if you can

The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the CDC all recommend breastfeeding. Breastfeeding your baby during the first 6 months of life (or much longer) has many benefits for both you and your baby:

Provides nutrition: Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs to grow and thrive in the first 6 months of life, according to the WHO.
Supports the baby’s immune system: Breast milk also contains important antibodies that help your baby fight viruses and bacteria.
Lowers the risk of disease in infants: Breastfed infants have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, respiratory disease, ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and gastrointestinal infections.
Reduces the mother’s risk of disease: People who breastfeed have lower risks of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Additionally, research has shown that breastfeeding can support your postpartum weight loss.

However, in the first 3 months of breastfeeding, you may experience no weight loss or even some weight gain. This is due to increased calorie needs and intake, as well as reduced physical activity during lactation.

4. Monitor your calorie intake

We know, calorie counting isn’t for everyone. But if you’re finding that eating intuitively just doesn’t seem to be working, monitoring calories can help you work out how much you are eating and where any problem areas in your eating plan may be.

It can also help you ensure you are getting enough calories to provide you with the energy and nutrition you need.

You can do this by:

keeping a food diary
taking pictures of your food as a reminder of what you have eaten
trying a mobile calorie tracking app
sharing your daily calorie intake with a friend who is also monitoring calories for accountability

Using these techniques can help you reduce your portion sizes and choose healthier foods, which helps with weight loss.

5. Eat foods high in fiber

It’s time to get those healthy grains and veggies on your shopping list. Eating foods that are high in fiber has been shown to help with weight loss.

For example, a 2019 study of the 345 people found that an increase of 4 grams of fiber over what participants had eaten before the study led to an average additional weight loss of 3 1/4 pounds over 6 months.

Soluble fiber foods (like these!) may also help you feel fuller for longer by slowing down digestion and reducing hunger hormone levels, according to a 2015 clinical trial.

These effects on digestion may help reduce calorie intake, though results of studies overall are mixed.

6. Stock up on healthy proteins

Including protein in your diet can boost metabolism, decrease appetite, and reduce calorie intake, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Studies show that protein has a greater “thermic” effect than other nutrients. That means that the body uses more energy to digest it than other types of foods, which results in more calories burned.

Research also shows that protein is also able to suppress appetite by increasing the fullness hormones GLP and GLP-1, as well as reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin. Less hungry hormones means less hangry-ness!

Healthy protein sources include:

lean meats
eggs
low mercury fish
legumes
nuts and seeds
dairy

Check out these portable high protein snacks to take on the go.

7. Keep healthy snacks handy

The foods you have around can have a big effect on what you eat. And when you’re searching the pantry for something to munch, a healthy alternative is just the ticket.

By stocking up on healthy snacks, you can ensure you have something close at hand when the mood strikes. Here are some to keep on hand:

cut vegetables and hummus
mixed nuts and dried fruit
Greek yogurt and homemade granola
air-popped popcorn
string cheese
spiced nuts
seaweed snacks

Research shows that just keeping fruit out on the counter has been associated with a lower body mass index (BMI).

Likewise, a comparative study showed that having unhealthy foods out on the counter is associated with increased weight. Pro tip: Keep processed foods and sweets out of the kitchen, or even better, out of the house.

We’re loving these healthy snack ideas for the office, the pantry, or wherever you go.

8. Avoid added sugar and refined carbs

Though they may be tempting, sugar and refined carbs are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. And there are healthy and delicious alternatives.

Research associates a high intake of added sugar and refined carbs with an increase in weight, diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and even cognitive decline.

Common sources of added sugars include:

sugary drinks
fruit juice
any type of refined sugar
white flour
sweet spreads
cakes
biscuits
pastries

When you’re choosing food at the grocery store, read the food labels. If sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, that product is probably better to avoid.

It’s easy to reduce your sugar intake by avoiding processed foods and sticking to whole foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and yogurt.

Here are some examples of low sugar breakfast ideas to get your wheels turning.

9. Avoid highly processed foods

If you’ve been taking note so far, a lot of these tips are made far easier when you’re eating whole, unprocessed foods. They’re usually full of protein, fiber, and less sugar.

Processed foods, on the other hand, are often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, salt, and calories, all of which can counteract your weight loss efforts, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

These foods include:

fast foods
prepackaged foods
chips
cookies and baked goods
candy
ready meals
boxed mixes
processed cheeses
sugary cereals

Plus research has associated consumption of processed foods with more addictive eating behavior.

Unfortunately, these foods make up a large part of many people’s nutritional intake, according to research published The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

You can reduce the amount of processed foods you eat by replacing them with fresh, whole, nutrient-dense foods.

10. Avoid alcohol

Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of red wine, do have some health benefits.

However, when it comes to weight loss, alcohol provides extra calories without much in the way of nutrition.

Additionally, alcohol may be related to weight gain and may lead to more fat being stored around the organs, also known as belly fat.

According to research, there is no known safe level of alcohol for infants. The CDC advises that the safest option for infants is for breastfeeding mothers not to drink at all.

When you’re in the mood to celebrate, we’d recommend something low sugar and bubbly like an unsweetened flavored sparkling water.

11. Get moving

Moving your body has tons of benefits in general, but can especially supercharge weight loss. Cardio, such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, and interval training, helps you burn calories and has numerous health benefits.

According to the CDC, exercise improves heart health, reduces the risk and severity of diabetes, and may reduce the risk of several types of cancer.

Although exercise alone may not help you lose weight, an analysis of eight studies showed that exercise will help if you combine it with good nutrition.

For example, the analysis showed that people who combined diet and exercise lost an average of 3.7 pounds (1.72 kg) more than those who just dieted.

The CDC indicates that aerobic exercise is especially important for fat loss and heart health. So even just going for a walk is a good step toward improving your weight and health.

After delivery, your pelvic and stomach areas need time to heal, especially if you have had a cesarean delivery.

How long after childbirth you can safely start exercising depends on the mode of delivery, whether there were any complications, how fit you were before and during pregnancy, and how you feel generally. Your healthcare professional will help you decide your timing.

After your healthcare professional gives you the go-ahead to start exercising, the CDC recommends that postpartum people do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking, spread throughout the week.

After you get the go-ahead to start, find an activity you really enjoy and can continue long after you get to a healthy weight.

12. Don’t resist that resistance training

Resistance training like weight lifting will help you lose weight and retain muscle mass.

Research has shown that a combination of diet and resistance training has been found to be the most effective method for reducing weight and improving heart health.

Finding time to exercise with a baby can be difficult, but there are gyms that offer classes for mothers and babies (in person and online!), as well as YouTube videos and mobile apps that can help you out.

Simple bodyweight exercises at home are free and can be modified to your skill level.

13. Drink enough water

Stay hydrated, friends. Drinking enough water is vital for anyone trying to lose weight. The CDC points out that choosing water over just one 20-ounce sweetened beverage can save you 240 calories.

According to a 2016 study, drinking water may increase your sense of fullness and stimulate your metabolism, leading to weight loss.

However, not all researchers agree. Another study suggests there is no conclusive correlation between water consumption and weight loss.

However, for breastfeeding women, there’s no question that staying hydrated is important to replace fluids lost through milk production.

A common recommendation from health authorities is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses, which amounts to half a gallon, or about 2 liters. This is easy to remember as the “8×8 rule.”

The 8×8 rule is a good goal that can assist with weight loss and keep you hydrated. However, women who are breastfeeding or exercising strenuously may need more.

Plain water is best, but unsweetened sparkling water once in a while can add some variety.

14. Get enough sleep

You already know this is a tough one. That little one wants you around the clock. But doing whatever you can to get adequate sleep will benefit you.

A lack of sleep can negatively affect your weight. One research review showed that a lack of sleep is related to retaining more weight after pregnancy.

This association may also be true for adults in general. A review of 11 studies found a significant correlation between short amounts of sleep and obesity.

For new mothers, getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Strategies that may help include asking for help from family and friends and limiting your caffeine intake

Don’t forget: Your health is just as important as baby’s health, so ask for help to get the sleep you need.

15. Seek support

Group-based weight loss can be beneficial for some people. A research analysis showed that people who engage in group-based weight loss tend to lose more, or at least as much, weight as those who lose weight alone.

Both face-to-face weight loss groups and online communities may be helpful.

However, another research review that included 16,000 people found that group weight loss had no significant effect compared to other weight loss interventions.

Finding a method that suits your lifestyle and preferences is probably the best option. Here are some ways to find your people.

16. Ask for help

Being a new parent can be a daunting role and a lot of work. Sleep deprivation and stress can be overwhelming, and 1 in 9 new mothers also experience postpartum depression.

While achieving a healthy weight after pregnancy is important, it shouldn’t add undue stress and anxiety. Making small changes that you can maintain for the long haul is key.

If you are feeling depressed or anxious, or you’re simply struggling to cope, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Ask friends and family for help around the house, preparing meals, or taking care of the baby for a few hours to allow you to rest or get some exercise.

If you need more help, your doctor, dietitian, family nurse, or a psychologist can offer you support. Also consider the Postpartum Support International Helpline: 800-944-4773.

Carrying some extra weight after pregnancy is very common and nothing to get down on yourself about. Your body did an amazing thing.

But getting back into a healthy weight range is beneficial for your health and any future pregnancies so it’s definitely worth working at.

Being healthy will allow you to enjoy time with your baby and get the most out of being a new parent.

The best and most achievable way to lose weight is through a healthy diet, breastfeeding, and exercise. Talk to your healthcare team for tips, advice, and support.

Quick takeaway tips

Weight loss after pregnancy can take time, and you may not go back to your pre-baby weight or a healthy weight straight away.
Low calorie diets are not recommended, particularly for people who are breastfeeding. However, decreasing your intake by about 500 calories per day is generally safe and will help you lose about 1 pound (0.5 kg) per week.
Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and child. It may make weight loss more difficult in the first 3 months postpartum, but it may help you lose weight later.
Counting calories manually or with an app may help you keep track of what you are eating and support weight loss.
Soluble fiber may help with weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness and regulating appetite hormones.
Protein supports weight loss by boosting your metabolism, increasing feelings of fullness, and reducing appetite.
Keep healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt at home and easily accessible. Store unhealthy foods out of sight or don’t keep them in the house at all.
Processed foods are higher in added sugars, fat, salt, and calories, and they are bad for your health. Replace them with fresh whole foods.
Avoid alcohol if you are trying to lose weight. Additionally, the alcohol you drink may be passed to your baby during breastfeeding.
Aerobic exercise has many important health benefits. Exercise — at any level of intensity — combined with a healthy eating plan makes for an effective weight loss method.
Resistance training helps you lose weight and maintain muscle mass and may help breastfeeding women retain bone mineral density.
Drinking water boosts your metabolism and aids weight loss. It is especially important to stay hydrated during breastfeeding.
Poor sleep can negatively impact your weight loss efforts. Although it is difficult with a newborn, try to get as much sleep as you can and ask for help when you need it.
In-person and online weight loss groups may be beneficial, though more research is needed to compare their effectiveness to other weight loss strategies.
Getting to a healthy weight is important, but take care not to let your weight become a cause of stress or anxiety. If you feel you aren’t coping well, ask for help from your family, friends, or medical practitioner.

Feeding a nursing mother in the first month after birth: diet

Typical mistakes

Diet for weight loss

The start of lactation is not the right time for a diet. The body burns an additional 500-600 calories daily simply by producing milk. Watch your diet, do not "eat for two", do not eat foods that do not benefit the body. So you will lose the kilograms gained during pregnancy. Then the weight stabilizes.

Skip meals

You need energy now, despite all the difficulties that inevitably arise after the birth of a baby, try to organize your life so that you eat regularly: three times a day plus two small snacks.

Alcohol

After nine months of completely avoiding alcohol, it seems that now the restrictions have been lifted. But you have to wait until the end of lactation. Alcohol quickly passes into milk, changes the taste and does not benefit the baby's health. Alcoholic drinks reduce lactation.

What to eat

A mother's diet immediately after birth should be primarily varied, rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Do not forget that now the baby receives all the "building materials" for the body exclusively from mother's milk.

Several key vitamins and minerals often deficient in breast milk: iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and D. Pay special attention to foods:

- Iron is rich in meat and egg yolks, as well as legumes (lentils and beans). Iron deficiency leads to anemia, fatigue, whims. And this applies in this case to the mother and to the child. Vegetarian mothers who do not eat food of animal origin are recommended by doctors to take iron supplements, as well as B12, which supports liver function.

- If the baby does not have enough calcium for growth, then he will take it from his mother's body, her bones. They will become brittle and brittle, and the risk of fractures will increase. Make sure you have enough dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese) and other calcium-rich foods (broccoli, egg yolks, celery, cabbage) in your diet. Remember that in the first six months of breastfeeding, the body should receive 1200 mg of calcium. If you're still not getting enough with food, talk to your doctor about vitamins. In addition to calcium, they must also contain vitamin D in order for calcium to be absorbed.

- Vitamin A is essential for good vision and skin. They are rich in egg yolks, butter and carrots. But carrots are a potentially allergenic vegetable, a woman should eat them carefully during lactation, it is better to start with stewed or boiled in small quantities and watch the baby's reaction.

- Vitamin C improves immunity. There is a lot of it in citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruits), but these fruits are strong allergens. They must be eaten carefully, watching the baby. And even if there is no allergic reaction, eat no more than one orange or grapefruit per day.

- Drink more water (water, not other liquids). One and a half to two liters a day will allow the body to properly absorb food and function normally.

Diet restrictions

Which foods should be avoided completely and which should be used with caution?

- Caffeine passes quickly into breast milk. Don't drink more than two cups of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or drinks like Coca-Cola a day. Decoctions of all kinds of herbs and other decaffeinated drinks do not create problems.

- Avoid energy drinks, they often contain substances that are harmful to children.

- Don't binge on sweets - there is no nutritional value, and problems with being overweight can start in mother and child.

- It is best to limit the consumption of fish that have the potential to contain methylmercury. This toxic compound is formed as a result of pollution of the world's oceans and along the food chain algae - plankton - small fish - large fish gets to our table. Excess methylmercury is bad for the body. Most of it in large fish-eating individuals, limit (do not completely exclude) the consumption of tuna, marlin, perch, pike. At the same time, it is impossible to completely abandon fish, since it is rich in essential amino acids (for example, omega-3), which are necessary during this period of baby development.

— Another problem that breastfeeding mothers are increasingly facing is food allergies in babies. Doctors have no common opinion about the causes of its occurrence. Someone talks about a genetic predisposition, someone about bad ecology. Anything can be an allergen, from milk to fish. At the very beginning of feeding, introduce each new product with caution and do not eat anything in large quantities. If you notice characteristic irritations and redness on the baby's skin, remember what you ate before feeding. Eliminate this product and the rash will be gone within 48 hours. It is easy to stick to a diet when it comes to one product, such as buckwheat. The life of a mother during lactation is greatly complicated if the child is allergic to milk or gluten. She will have to eliminate all foods with lactose or flour from the diet. Compensate for the lack of nutrients in food with vitamin complexes.

What to eat to get more milk?

There are various superstitions in many countries. Many believe that oatmeal, almonds, rice, chicken, or milk tea promote lactation. The most common misconception on this topic concerns beer. This is not true, alcohol, on the contrary, reduces "performance".

And there are no scientific studies that prove that this or that product consumed by a nursing woman increases lactation.

If there is not enough milk, breastfeed more often and make sure that the breast is completely "empty" after each feeding.

Feeding menu

The mother's diet during the first months of feeding should be balanced. Do not lean on one product, it can cause stomach problems in the child.

A woman's daily menu immediately after giving birth must include:

At least five fruits and vegetables
Bran bread, durum wheat pasta, rice or other grains or potatoes
Four dairy products a day
Meat, eggs or fish once or twice a day

Let's be realistic - in our hectic time it is very difficult to follow all the recommendations of nutritionists. But if a woman usually answers only to herself, then during feeding she is also responsible for the health of the baby, because he receives all the nutrients only from mother's milk. Therefore, nevertheless, listen to the advice of doctors and make your diet more varied, and replace the missing elements with vitamins.

Postpartum nutrition for breastfeeding mothers - Raduga Family Childbirth Center

General principles:

Modern recommendations for nutrition during lactation do not provide for any serious restrictions. A varied, balanced diet for the mother usually meets the needs of both her and the baby. However, some time-tested recommendations are listed below.
There is no ideal absolute diet for a breastfeeding mother, all children are different, all mothers are different, all have different microflora in the intestines and, therefore, different substances are absorbed from the same food. In addition, everyone has a different immune system and a different immune response to the antigen-antibody reaction, i.e. for allergens.
Each mother chooses her own diet, taking care of her baby's stool, gas formation, and skin condition. In newborns, a skin reaction can occur anywhere on the skin. Later, the following areas of the skin most often react to malnutrition: Cheeks, buttocks, ear region, scalp (crusts), skin of the legs, popliteal and elbow folds.
We introduce each new food separately so that we can follow the child's reaction. We keep a food diary. Often, children do not react to the first intake of a new food by the mother, but to the second.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
The ideal diet for Gestational Diabetes. If you followed it during pregnancy, continue until 6 weeks postpartum.
It is undesirable to use the following products that often cause allergic and intestinal reactions:

smoked meats, sausages,
ketchups, mayonnaise,
canned food, semi -finished products,
Chicken and fish broths, caviar,
pyrheasts: pyrheasts, pyrights. chocolate, semolina, ice cream, cookies, carbonated sweet drinks,
Cabbage, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, all factory juices, pumpkin.

If a breastfeeding mother needs any medication, it should only be done after consulting a pediatrician. Relations with medicinal substances should be even stricter than during pregnancy, because. the placenta no longer performs its barrier function.

In the first 2-3 days after childbirth, the diet is approximately the following: