Health Tip: Do's and Don'ts While Breastfeeding
March 24, 2008, 1:17 AM ET
• 1 min read
Mar. 23 -- (HealthDay News) -- Since a new mother's diet can affect her breast milk, what a breast-feeding mother eats can be as important as when she was pregnant.
Here are dietary suggestions for breast-feeding women, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
Do eat a well balanced diet of plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans or meats, and whole grains.Do get plenty of calcium via dairy foods like milk and cheese. Talk to your doctor about calcium supplements and other ways to get more calcium.Do eat more calories than normal -- about 500 more per day -- and increase your fluid intake.Don't take any medications without talking to your doctor.Don't smoke.Don't use alcohol or caffeine.Don't eat foods that seem to bother your baby.