When Do You Need To Plan For Lactation Food

Seems like your baby wants to feed. Now worry sets in. Are you able to provide enough milk for your little one? What if it’s not enough? Is it alright to supplement feeds with baby formula at this time? Are they ready to eat solids yet?

Yes, being a parent isn’t the easiest thing in the world. There’ll be worry upon worry and concerns galore. That’s why we have cobbled together this article for you today. With so many things going on, let us take one worry off your plate by telling you of this thing called “lactation food”.

Heard of it before? It’s one of those things that people have whispered to one another about and the older generation, in particular, have often suggested. Alright, maybe they didn’t use the exact phrase lactation food, but they’re basically suggesting the same thing of you eating something that can boost your milk supply/production in order to keep your baby fed and healthy.

First off, let’s take things slow and ask ourselves – what are lactation foods?

Lactation meals

Lactation meals, lactation friendly meals, lactation food, they are all synonyms for the same thing and are important for breastfeeding mothers.

Also, breastfeeding does not only promote a healthier growth for your child but it also helps you with postpartum weight loss. However, keeping yourself nourished might be challenging as you juggle between postpartum recovery, housework and child care. 

Therefore, it is understandable if you might have overlooked the importance of practising a balanced diet or having a lactation diet chart.

Next up, let’s consider breastmilk:

Breast milk

Breast milk is known for containing various nutrients and health benefits. Therefore, consuming lactation-friendly foods and drinks to support yourself as you breastfeed should be prioritised due to the fact that your child’s growth potential and health depends on the nutrients they obtained from your breast milk. 

Now, we take a look at breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is no laughing matter, it does consume a lot of your energy as your little bundles of joy syphons the nutrients out of your body. Hence, you might feel fatigued and hungry at the end of every breastfeeding session. 

Creating breast milk is a demanding task for your body, you will need to consume an extra 500 calories in order to fulfil this demand. By having a professional assist you with your lactation beverages, they would be able to suggest foods good for lactation. 

So, when do you actually need to plan for lactation food?

When to plan for lactation food

In all honesty, you can start planning for it right now! We have to place a short disclaimer here, though. For us at ReLacto, we use certain ingredients that may not be applicable to mummies in confinement. Therefore, if you are still in confinement, we recommend you strongly consider confinement meals before signing up with our lactation meals.

Also, do keep in mind that while you would want to start your lactation meal right after confinement, please do so after consulting with your physician. 

Hold up! We’re not finished yet. We have also taken the liberty of going through some of the frequently asked questions that we get from mothers regarding lactation food. We thought we’d go over them here so that we can all leave here today being more reassured and fully armed with knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the best foods for lactation to help boost my breast milk supply?

The short answer: everything on our menu! At ReLacto, we only use the best lactation boosting foods in our lactation meal plan, which include ginger, garlic, fennel, fenugreek, moringa oleifera, and green papaya. Foods containing some or all of these ingredients in any combination or portion may help support your breast milk production.

2. What foods are bad for lactation?

Caffeine and alcohol should be on your list of lactation foods and drinks to avoid as they have a dehydrating effect. Additionally, caffeine and alcohol will pass through the bloodstream and into your breast milk, which is then passed on to your baby when you breastfeed. Mercury-rich foods such as shark fin, albacore tuna, and king mackerel should also be avoided as much as possible. 

3. Are lactation beverages helpful?

From a liquid intake point of view, yes, hydrating adequately can help fuel your breast milk production and prevent dehydration, which can be harmful to breastfeeding mothers. Lactation beverages even have the added benefit of containing lactogenic ingredients that may help support breast milk supply, as well as the nutrients you need to support your baby’s development.

Closing words

We hope you have found this article helpful in walking you through what lactation boosting foods mean and when you should be thinking about getting lactogenic food for yourself. That said, if you’re interested in eating the best foods for lactation today, then feel free to swing by our site to browse our menu of over 100 dishes that’ll support you in your breastfeeding journey.