Women are blessed to procreate and bring life into this world. Every woman goes through the phase of pregnancy and motherhood. Lactation is a part of motherhood and plays a vital role in both mother and the child’s overall health.
What’s more important is to spread awareness to mothers and the family members about how important it is for a woman to consider this phase of lactation as a critical one. Why ? Because, the mother is almost transferring most of her immunity and nutrition to her child and there is a dearth in nutritional density within her body. This is a critical time because of many possible reasons. A few being lack of awareness, lack of time and lack of availablity.
Most of the times, new mothers are being told what is to be done rather what is actually needed for the situation. Like every baby/child, every mother’s nutritional requirements are also unique and different. A lot of physiological and metabolic health aspects are considered regarding lactation and lactating mothers.
Weight of the mother, her mammary glands and other metabolic issues like acute and chronic illness, her iron levels, blood glucose, fat and protein levels in the body all play a major role in how much milk is produced and at what intervals milk glands are active. Counseling on these issues can be done by your health expert or a lactation consultant or a nutritionist. Not just the mother but also her family should be adaptable to provide her with nutritious meal that is scientifically proven along with their traditional/ancestral diet regimes.
Now shall we break the stereotype breastfeeding habits ?
1. Does having water, watermelon,banana or any kind of citrus juices give me and my baby an infection?
A. Immediately after giving birth,it is always good to give the mother proper hydration with water, juices,milk, fruits to recoup and get her ready for breastfeeding session. There is no risk of infection while hydrating with water and fruits. Hygiene should always be practiced.
2. Can honey or water be given to the baby as their first sip after birth?
A. The first feed should always be mother’s milk and nothing else. Feeding honey/cow milk/water/ cow ghee is not considered a safe practice.
3. Can I discard the first pressed breast milk immediately after birth?
A . The breast milk that is produced immediately after giving birth is called colostrum and it contains lots of healthy fats and vitamins, especially vitamin A and immunoglobulins. Never discard the first pressed breast milk as it acts as a natural vaccine to the baby’s immunity.
4. Does eating dals and leafy vegetables cause stomach issues/ constipation to the mother and the baby in the initial months?
A. It is always better to eat a balanced diet including all kinds of Vegetables, pulses and green leafy vegetables. Slowly include these foods into your plate starting from fibrous foods and soft mashed dals in the initial days and then pacing up with regular vegetables. Being observant with the regular bowel and urinary issues for both mother and baby is essential.
5. Can drinking coffee/tea harm the baby while breastfeeding?
A. A little amount (one cup/day) will not do any harm.
6. What diet should be taken after the surgery/Ceasarian?
A. After a surgery, some mothers might find it difficult to cope with the pain and bowel movements. Lots of mashed foods, vegetable soups,milk(depending on the tolerance), soupy dal rice and fibrous fruits and vegetables should be included. Sometimes enema might help but always stick to a healthy diet. Excessive usage of enema is not very safe.
7. Is it safe to consume cabbage/cauliflower and toor dal(pigeon peas) while breastfeeding?
A. Being observant helps a lot of times. Certain medications also have an effect on the appetite and bowel movements. Always consult your physician or your nutritionist for a better analysis. These vegetables though have a property to produce gas and bloat, there is no hard and fast rule that they have to be omitted from your diet.
8. Can a mother with diabetes continue breastfeeding?
A. Absolutely yes. A healthy diet and exercise is a must. A mother with diabetes or even if she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes can feed her baby without any danger. While breastfeeding, diabetic mothers might also see a dip in their glucose sometimes. So, healthy snacking is always encouraged in between meals minding the amount of sugar/jaggery/refined carbs. Regular health check-up is mandatory.
9. Iron supplements and constipation, do they go hand in hand ?
A. Iron supplements are also continued during lactation phase and some mothers face the problem of constipation which is natural and hence including lots of fruits and vegetables and also hydrating with warm liquids will decrease the issue.
10. Solution for blocked milk ducts and nipple pain?
A. Milk ducts can be blocked for many reasons. One being, excessive milk production or insufficient stimulation due to lack of proper sucking reflexes by the baby. Nipple pain, no milk/discoloration of milk and warm temperature can sometimes be a sign of infection (mastitis). Always stay aware of any anti pain creams/OTC gels and traditional home remedies for the nipples,as they might also create a fussy infection.
Author, Manisha K Nutritionist & Mental health coach Founder- NUtreboot (food and fitness)
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