Nutrition in Lactating Mothers

Nutrition as defined is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life. Also, it is the process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and for replacement of tissues. Furthermore, nutrition is the science that deals with all the various factors of which food is composed and the way in which proper nourishment is brought about. The intake of food and supplements in the body is utilized for maintaining health, growth and energy. This is made possible with the basic nutrients available in the food. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet. The diet of an organism is what it eats, which is largely determined by the perceived palatability of foods. Proper nutrition is essential for the growth, development and repair of our bodily processes. Each stage in life has its certain nutritional requirement. Every phase requires different amounts of nutrients essential in our body. Thus, it is a must to pay good attention to these requirements.
A mother’s body has undergone many changes during pregnancy, as well as with the birth of her baby. She needs to heal and recover from pregnancy and childbirth. In addition to rest, all mothers need to maintain a healthy diet to promote healing and recovery. Whether they breastfeed or formula feed, all mothers need to eat a healthy and balanced diet with vitamins and minerals. Most lactation experts recommend that breastfeeding mothers should eat when they are hungry. But many mothers may be so tired or busy that food gets forgotten. So, it is essential to plan simple and healthy meals that include choices from all of the recommended groups from the food pyramid. Along with balanced meals, breastfeeding mothers should increase fluids. Many mothers find they become very thirsty while the baby is nursing. Water, milk, and fruit juices are excellent choices. It is helpful to keep a pitcher of water and even some healthy snacks beside your bed or breastfeeding chair.
Lactation is a physiological process. Human breastmilk is nature’s perfect recipe for your babies growth and development. This special blend of nutrients nourishes your baby and provides a unique balance of fats, vitamins, minerals, sugars and proteins. Breastmilk empowers your baby with disease fighting immunoglobulins to help protect baby during those early vulnerable first weeks of life. The nutrition needs of a nursing mother are much more, because the kind of nutrition she consumes, will determine the quantity and quality of milk that will directly affect the health of her baby. The food that the mother consumes not just fulfills her nutritional requirements, but is also used in the production of milk. A nursing mother produces 23 to 27 ounces of milk per day and thus, there arises a need to consume 500 extra calories per day and additional 17 grams of protein per day.
The nutrition for nursing mothers plays a vital role in defining the quality of breast milk. There is a possibility that the nursing mother might have a healthy baby, despite the fact that she had not fed herself properly, but then that is likely to happen often at the detriment of the mother’s health itself. It is during the time of lactation that the body makes milk production as its first priority, leaving the nursing mother deprived of nutrition.