Congratulations if you have chosen to breastfeed your baby! It’s a demanding job and we are blessed to have such a precious gift and bond with our babies.  I breastfed my first son for almost 14 months, he never took a bottle or pumped milk, I was his cow (HA).  My daughter who is now ten months and whom which I am still breastfeeding, is the same.  She started drinking from a cup at seven months and had solids at around six months.  Every baby is different, and therefore so is your nutrition.  You have to make sure that you are you taking care of yourself even better than when you were pregnant.  Here are a few snack and meal ideas for a healthy milk supply.  Sometimes we get overwhelmed with nursing  our little ones that we forget that we have to take care of ourselves.  We are producing milk 24 hours a day, our bodies are not going to slow down so our eating habits are very important. Check out these great nutrition tips for the breastfeeding mama.

1. Do not skip meals.  Even if you’re not hungry always eat something.  Make sure to have a breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  This is so important because skipping meals can decrease your supply.  For breakfast oatmeal and whole grains are great, so oatmeal and a piece of toast or bagel along with fresh fruit.  I like fresh fruit in my oatmeal and cereals.  By the way in case you didn’t know, oatmeal does help increase your milk supply.  So eating oatmeal every day won’t hurt you or baby.  It’s actually great for them and you.

2. Keep hydrated.  Make sure to always drink lots of water.  Once and a while I crave a soda or something I think that is ok every now and again but always have water before and after.  I have noticed in my supply that when I drink too much juice or coffee my daughter gets cranky.  This could mean that there’s too much sugar in my milk, always, always drink water. 

3.  Snack in between meals.  This kind of reminds me of when I was pregnant, right after my daughter eats, I’m hungry! I always want to snack on something and I tend to eat smaller portions, which is good.  Some great snacks that I eat, are yogurt (I have recently taken a liking to Dannon Greek yogurt), crackers with cheese, celery with peanut butter, and finally a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  These are great healthy snack alternatives when breastfeeding.  Of course everything in my opinion is ok in moderation.  I think once and a while you can have the things you love (junk food). 

4.  Ask a doctor. If you’re unsure of certain foods make sure to check with you doctor on what’s ok and what’s not.  For example, with my first baby chocolate was a no go. I couldn’t eat it because every time I did, it would give him diarrhea.  Of course, every baby is different.  With my second baby in the first months of nursing I would drink diluted prune juice and this would make her go as well.  So just remember everything you put in goes to your baby.  If you see a different reaction after you ate something from your baby always consult with their pediatrician. 

5.  Take vitamins.  I still take my prenatal vitamins daily.  This contains iron and helps you with your calcium levels as well.  Some doctors will tell you to take other vitamins if you are anemic or diabetic, but in most cases the prenatals work great.  You can also purchase these over the counter at any pharmacy. I have been using Spring Valley prenatal since I was pregnant with my first baby.  These ones are great and are very inexpensive, make sure to check with your doctor he may have a specific brand for you to use. 

6.  Mothers Milk Tea.  This is a great tea to drink to boost your supply if your low.  I don’t drink the four cups a day, however I do have a cup every night and every morning.  This has definitely helped me with my supply and it also has vitamins that help you with your own vitals. 

            These are just a few tips that I use today and in the past.  You learn to figure out what works best for you and you run with it.  What works for me, may not work for you. Our bodies are designed so differently.  I hope that this post was helpful for those who need it. 

            Signing off for now, make sure to pass my blog to other mommies out there.  This information will help new or repeat moms in the long run.  It’s our job as moms to help and encourage one another, it’s not a competition.  Together let’s keep striving for mommy success! <3