After birth, you will probably be about 3-4 kg over your pre-pregnant weight. Don’t try to lose weight immediately – since these stores are used to make breast milk. Breast milk production itself demands a lot of energy – so breastfeeding will help you to get back to a normal weight.
The principles of healthy nutrition recommended for pregnancy apply also during breastfeeding
- Alcohol can pass into the breast milk, so do not drink or at least restrict alcohol intake during lactation;
- There is no evidence of any beneficial effect of alcohol on breast milk production;
- Smoking may decrease your ability to produce breast milk and thus affect the growth of your baby, smoking also decreases the vitamin C content in breast milk;
- Try not to harm the lungs of your new-born child – never smoke in baby’s room;
- Caffeine can pass into the breast milk and cause hyperactivity and sleeping problems in your baby – try not to drink too much coffee, tea and cola drinks (recommendations are the same as for pregnancy);
- Many medications can also pass into breast milk – check with your doctor before taking any (however, taking most medications is not a contraindication to a breastfeeding)
Tips on food safety and preparation during pregnancy and breastfeeding you should be particularly careful about not getting an infection from contaminated food products. Some bacteria and parasites can be harmful to your unborn baby.
- Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs: eggs must be well cooked so that both white and yolk are hard;
- Avoid home-made pates or pates that are not canned;
- Avoid unpasteurized ice creams and unpasteurized (or unboiled) milk;
- Thoroughly cook meat and poultry; make sure the frozen meats are defrosted properly before cooking.
Consult a gynecologist in Indore for more pre and post-pregnancy tips.