Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So if you are struggling with supply, the first thing
that we talk about is not going to be nutrition.
The first thing we're going to figure out is baby
transferring enough milk wild body feeding? If not, why not?
And if baby isn't transferring enough milk, then how can
we create that signal through a pumping schedule that will
(00:22):
allow your body to increase the supply so that baby
is getting more milk. So foods that are known to
increase supply are called galactogogus. Before we begin, I want
to share something special with all of you expecting parents
out there. As an internationally bored, certified lactation consultant, I've
seen firsthand how a little planning can go a long
(00:45):
way to helping you achieve your baby feeding goals. That's
why I'm offering you my free ebook. It's called Birth
Practices to Support Breastfeeding and it's a work book. So
check out the link in the discretion below. Hi, welcome
back to Low's Lactation Lab. I'm so glad you're here
(01:05):
with me today. I am so excited to address a
question I get all the time, which is what should
you eat and what should you avoid? When you are
feeding human milk to your human baby when you're breastfeeding
or when you're pumping. So I want to start by
saying that breastfeeding human milk making mammals are amazing. Your
(01:31):
body is literally creating a custom tailored meal for your baby.
It has all the exact macronutrients and micronutrients that you
could need, and that milk changes depending on the age
of your baby, any illnesses they've been exposed to. So
you should feel confident and knowing that what you are
(01:55):
making for your baby is perfect for them, and your
body will pry or ties making milk even if you're
not eating perfectly. So but we do know that getting
good nutrition helps you feel better, boost your energy, and
can support a healthy milk supply. So you're not just
(02:15):
feeding your baby. You have to remember that you are
continuing to feed yourself too. Now, there are a lot
of myths out there about feeding your baby, and so
we might be addressing some of those. There are a
lot of myths out there about what you can eat
and what you can't eat while feeding your baby, so
hopefully some of these will get addressed as well. So listen,
(02:38):
let's break it down. What should your breastfeeding plate look
like when you are feeding your baby. First of all,
this is a no judgment zone. And when you book
an appointment with me to talk about nutrition and how
it might be impacting your mood, your milk supply your baby,
(02:59):
it will remain a no judgment zone. So your number
one goal is to feed the baby, and as equally
as important is to feed yourself. So however that looks
like the best way you're able to do it, you
are going to get yourself fed in the best way possible. Now,
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we know that when producing milk for a baby, your
body needs lots of protein, same as when that baby
is growing inside of your womb. So anything you can
do to get that protein in lean animal proteins, chicken, beef, turkey,
(03:42):
any way that you can get We know that lean
meats are good. Eggs are a great source of protein,
beans and lentils tofu even things like Greek yogurt, or
if it's not possible to get in the protein in
that way, finding a protein powder whose ingredients you feel
(04:04):
really good about, or a protein drink can be a
great way just to add in a little bit of
protein without stressing about preparing meals. Because we know that
protein often needs to be prepared, and you can think
about ways to get quick sources of protein like deli meats,
which you can now eat freely without worry while many
(04:27):
people during pregnancy avoid them. Cheeses will give you some
extra protein peanut butter, so adding peanut butter to fruit
or a cheese stick with your piece of fruit. Just
getting protein in at every meal and quick sources of
protein can be really helpful. So keeping those quick sources,
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having nuts around so that you can have a quick
snack even while your baby's feeding and you don't have
to prepare something. Things like that are all going to
be really important to getting that protein in. And then
of course we know you want whole grains, which help
produce energy and will keep you going for longer, especially
when you're short on sleep. So think things like brown
(05:11):
rice and oats and whole wheat bread and quinoa, and
think about what you can do that's really quick. So
just throwing peanut butter on a piece of toast, for instance,
adds that protein to the whole grain, or cooking a
big pot of brown rice or oats in a crop
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pot that can sit for the day and that you
can just scoop out of throughout the day, allows that
food to be readily available so that you can eat
it when you're hungry and when you're able to grab
it in between all of the baby feeding that you're
going to do. And then, of course we know that
healthy fats support your brain and support your baby's brain,
(05:55):
and so things like avocados, nuts, again, oil fatty fish
like salmon can help you feel really satisfied. They help
you feel fuller longer, and they provide both you and
baby with what you need to keep your brains going.
(06:16):
And then of course you know that you need lots
of fruits and veggies. Just think color, because this is
going to give you a wide range of vitamins and
minerals and antioxidants. And do the best you can. So
if all you can do is put together a frozen
veggie stir fry, then do that. And if all you
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can do is get pre cut carrot slices or baby
carrots or pre cut celery slices, then know that this
is a short phase in your life. So I often
encourage people to get those veggie platters that you buy
for a party. They are more expensive than buying it yourself.
But if you don't have the time to cut up
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fruits and veggies, knowing that you can just grab it
and it's readily available, and you can just leave it
out on the counter and grab a veggie stick piece
of fruit that's already washed and cut and prepared is
going to make you feel better and make accessing those
important nutrients really important. And then finally, hydration. We hear
(07:24):
a lot about hydration while nursing, and you don't need
to drown yourself in water, but having as much water
as what your body is queueing you to have is
going to be really important. And if you need to
get cans of seltzer or buy a soda stream or
add in a little flavoring to your water so that
(07:45):
you are encouraged to drink more than do that. As
with anything else, please be sure to eat foods that
bring you joy, that make you happy, that make you
look forward to your next meal. So whether that's making
sure you have some pieces of chocolate on hand or cookies,
(08:06):
or having your favorite tea flavor or your favorite coffee,
don't deprive yourselves of foods because most of the time
you can eat just about anything while nursing your baby. Now,
of course, when we talk about what foods you should
be eating while nursing, one of the big questions that
(08:30):
come up is what can I eat that will increase
my supply? Now, I always like to preface this conversation
by saying, the best way to improve supply is to
increase the amount of milk that you take out. So
the biggest milk booster is around the clock body feeding
(08:54):
or around the clock pumping. Every time you remove milk
from your body, it signals to your body to make
more milk. So if you are struggling with supply, the
first thing that we talk about is not going to
be nutrition. The first thing we're going to figure out
is baby transferring enough milk wild body feeding. If not,
(09:17):
why not? And if baby isn't transferring enough milk, then
how can we create that signal through a pumping schedule
that will allow your body to increase the supply so
that baby is getting more milk. So foods that are
known to increase supply are called galactagogus. And I do
(09:37):
have some other episodes about this. I'll get them linked
in the show notes. But these foods vary from region
to region. Depending on what foods are readily available, what
the cultural preferences are for food, and so there are
no magic foods. But here in the United States, some
of the foods that people often take to increase supply
(10:01):
are oats. We see this listed frequently fla seed, brewers
yeast is often mentioned finel. But listen, adding in oats
when you are struggling with supply is not going to
be the thing that is going to make you see
an increase in your supply. Now, some galactagogs like fenn you,
(10:24):
Greek or other herbal supplements need to only be taken
under the supervision of an IBCLC and possibly a clinical herbalist,
because there are some galactagogus listed galactagogs that actually can
have the opposite effect and can decrease your supply depending
(10:46):
on your individual medical situation. Some foods that are fine
but you need to be aware of are First of all,
caffeine now through up to about three hundred milliger at
a time is fine, so about one to two cups
of coffee, but see how your baby reacts. If you're
(11:09):
drinking two cups of coffee and you notice that your
baby is more wakeful, then that might be something that
you need to reduce alcohol. Occasional drinks are okay. We'll
have another episode that focuses exclusively on alcohol and drug
intake and breastfeeding, but occasional drinks are fine. The general
(11:30):
rule of thumb is if you feel okay to drive,
then you are okay to nurse your baby. Because it
has to do with your blood alcohol level. And so
if your blood alcohol level is high, the level of
alcohol in the breast milk is going to be higher.
But once your blood alcohol level has lowered, then it's
(11:53):
also lowered in your breast milk. So some people try
to avoid spicy or gassy foods, but it's important to
recognize that breast milk is made in the blood. So
although flavors do get transferred to the baby in very
(12:15):
minute amounts, it is very unlikely that a food you
eat is going to impact the baby negatively unless they
have an allergy. Now, if baby shows signs of an allergy,
and this would be rash, extreme fussiness, extreme gas, you
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might see eggzema, you might see a diaper rash. When
we're talking about rashes, and then the biggest one is
blood in the stool or very mukisi stool, then it
may be that there's an allergy, and the most common
allergies are a milk protein allergy, a soy allergy of corn,
(13:00):
an allergy, an egg allergy. But again, if you suspect
that your baby has an allergy, you want to work
with an International Board certified lactation consultant to ensure that
you are targeting the right foods and that there isn't
some other underlying cause, especially if you have not seen
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blood in the stool. So if you are wondering whether
or not your baby has an allergy, reach out to
me and we can do either a virtual or an
in person consultation to figure out is that the thing
that is causing your baby to be uncomfortable. And then
some tips for eating and nourishing yourself while also feeding
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a baby around the clock. Just keep snacks everywhere in
the diaper bag, beside the bed, in the car, things
like trail mix, granola bars, cheese sticks, and those pre
cut fruits and veggies that I discussed. Having food available
means you will be more likely to eat more meal
prep in batches, or ask friends to bring over meals
(14:05):
instead of baby clothes or get somebody to set up
a meal train for you, especially for the first few weeks,
and smoothies can be your best friend. So you can
throw in greens and frozen fruit and protein powder or
nut butter, and then you have your whole meal right
there in a cup and you can drink it as
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you're at your leisure and know that you are getting
a big dose of all the foods that are going
to keep you energized, that you can continue to make
enough milk for your baby. And think about things that
you can eat with one hand, so wraps, muffins, sandwiches,
bowls of soup that you can sit through a mug
or a rice bowl where everything is mixed together, so
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that you can be holding baby to feed and eating
with another hand. So I would love to know what
are your biggest questions about feeding your baby. Go onto
my tik talk and send me a message on Instagram,
or go to my website and send me an email.
I would love to know what your questions are and
(15:08):
if you have any questions about what you should or
should not be eating during breastfeeding, please reach out to
me and book that consultation. Why continue to wonder when
you can get the nonjudgmental support that you need, and
don't forget you're figuring it out. Whether you're nursing full time,
(15:29):
pomping full time, doing some sort of combo situation, you're
doing an amazing job. And fueling your body helps you
to have the energy you need to feed your baby,
bond with your baby, and provide all that amazing breast
milk that you've been providing your baby so far. And
(15:51):
with that, I'm signing off and I'll see you soon