Breastfeeding and diet

Re: Breastfeeding and diet

• KateLouise member

  April 2012

  I'm no nutrition expert, but I'm curious why you want to cut out starches?

  I don't really believe in cutting out whole food groups. I'd be inclined to switch to brown versions of the bread, pasta and rice, and cut back on sugar.

  As a BF Mum you do need your carbohydrates. 

  
  Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old

  
  

  
  
  

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• Xles10

  April 2012

  To me, the short answer is "no." Carbs/sugar are what helped me maintain my supply. Now that I'm weaning and trying to dry the milk up I'm avoiding all the things you've listed, and my supply has dropped drastically (which is great!). But I purposefully ate like crap the past 11 months (b/c I was still losing weight) and my main excuse was to keep up my supply. 

  The thing is, having tons of milk isn't necessarily the way your body was meant to be, but having a low supply is really stressful and since I'm en EPer I just embraced pasta, bread, and cookies to keep my supply really high. I also lost 60 pounds of baby weight doing this so I had no reason to eat better. But now that I'm weaning and trying to just generally get fit, I'm ditched the bad cards and my supply has dropped drastically. At my height I was pumping 50 ounces a day, and there was no way I could make up those extra 1000 calories with fruits, meat, and vegetable. I just wouldn't be able to keep up with the volume.

  

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• jamdv3

  April 2012

  When I breastfed I didn't eat tons of carbs, but I ate oatmeal most mornings, esp in the beginning to  help with supply. But I still at salads with protein for lunch and whatnot. I would say on avg I would have 2-3 servings of complex carbs a day, and also consumed dairy, protein, veg and fruits. Make sure you're also drinking plenty of liquids to help. 

  
  

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• ldominguez1022

  April 2012

  I haven't started breastfeeding yet, but I think wanting to cut out starches is perfectly fine. You should get adequate amounts of natural sugars and carbs from the fruit, veggies and dairy. Adding nuts and seeds are also good too.

  Most people consume too much starch/sugar and I personally think it can wreck havoc on the body. I'm not saying that all starches are bad but definitely limiting them or cutting them out, sounds like a better solution for your body. 

  If you are considering integrating grains into your diet, I'd recommend quinoa, brown rice or millet. There are many options for balanced starches that are less likely to spike your blood sugar. 

  As for meal suggestions, well that is a long post waiting to happen. I always combine foods to balance out my meals. Ex. fruit & yogurt, lean protein & veg, nuts & dried fruit, etc. Lunches can be easy - just to make it simple, consider whatever you'd put in a sandwich - wrap in a large lettuce leaf. Also salads and leftovers from dinner can be quick to prep as well. 

  Hope this helps.  

  My 36 week photo Jared Ryu

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