Hey ladies! I promise I won't 'over post' topics. I see a lot of misinformation around here related to breastfeeding (how much to eat, drink, etc.) I thought it would be good to post what we know as FACTS and support them with scientific research.

From all of my dietetic training (lifecycle nutrition), I can verify the follow are facts, as we currently know them (things are always changing.)

Add or debate what you like, just please you credible sources!

These are all according to Anne Smith, IBCLC (25 years of lactation consultation experience).

• Maternal nutrition has only a minor effect on the composition and quantity of breastmilk produced. Unless a mother is severely malnourished, her milk is fine. Mothers whose diets are poor deplete their own energy levels, and may become anemic, but the body will continue to produce what it needs through depleting mother’s energy stores.

• There are no special foods to avoid, or certain foods that you need to eat in order to produce a plentiful supply of nutritious breastmilk.

• Nursing mothers can eat pretty much anything they want to – including chocolate, broccoli, pizza, and diet soda – in moderation. One well-known study showed that when mothers ate lots and lots of garlic, their milk tasted and smelled like garlic. Not only did the babies who drank the milk not have any digestive problems, but they actually preferred the garlicky milk over the unflavored milk.

• What you eat cannot make baby ‘gassy’ because gas is produced when bacteria in the intestine interact with the intestinal fiber. Neither gas or fiber can pass into the bloodstream, or into your breastmilk.

• Some babies have sensitive digestive systems, and no matter what you feed them, they will experience bouts of intestinal upsets.

• In over 25 years of experience in working with nursing mothers, I have seen very few cases of food sensitivity that required extensive diet modifications. It is not nearly as common as most moms think.

• It takes 4-6 hours after ingestion for a food to affect your breastmilk, so that salad or candy bar you just ate is not what’s making your baby fussy.

• The food that is the most common offender in causing problems with sensitivity and allergies is cow’s milk (only 3-7% of babies have ANY sensitivities).

• Women who breastfeed have half the risk of bone fractures as women who never breastfed. The longer you nurse, the lower the risk. Breastfeeding actually protects you from osteoporosis.

• Breastmilk contains less iron than formula, but the iron is absorbed and used more efficiently, so your baby is less likely to become anemic than a formula fed baby. You may need to take iron supplements to make you feel better, but they will not affect the level of iron in your breastmilk.

• The guide to how much fluid to drink while nursing is to “drink to thirst”. There is no evidence to show that forcing fluids will increase your milk supply. (Another ”old wives tale”.) Drinking too much water (over 12 glasses a day) can actually decrease your milk supply. If you produce large amounts of pale urine and are not constipated, then you are probably drinking enough

• A good rule of thumb is to take in 200-500 calories in excess of what you needed to maintain your weight before you were pregnant while you are nursing. It is easier to lose lower body fat (hips, buns, and thighs) when you are breastfeeding compared to the mom who is formula feeding.

• Remember to factor in the weight of your breasts when setting your weight loss goals. The ‘average’ mom will carry around about 3 extra pounds of breast tissue while she’s lactating. Don’t expect to lose that weight until after your baby stops nursing.

• If you are a vegan, take a b-complex supplement. If you don’t consume dairy, take a calcium supplement. Always take a prenatal to ‘cover your bases.’

• Just like “drinking to thirst”, you should “eat to hunger” while nursing. Studies have shown that most nursing mothers tend to lose up to one and a half pounds a month for the first 4-6 months after giving birth, and continue to lose weight at a slower rate beyond that time.

• If you want to lose weight plan to do it slowly. It’s best not to try to aggressively lose weight during the first couple of months after birth, because during that time your body needs to recover from childbirth. You’re going to be more tired than you think, even if everything goes smoothly and you’re feeling great. Spend this time establishing your milk supply, and resting with your baby. If you want to get out and about, fine – push your baby in the stroller for short walks, carry him in a sling while you putter around the house. What you should avoid is things like shopping trips to the mall, planning a birthday party for your 5 year old, cleaning the house because your in laws are coming over, and entertaining guests, whether they are friends or family. [I think she is referring to the very early weeks]

• Losing weight too quickly (more than one to one and one half pounds per week) isn’t good for you, especially during the early weeks of breastfeeding. Extreme dieting won’t have much effect on your milk supply, but it does depletes your energy levels, and you need as much energy as possible to get through the early weeks of mothering and breastfeeding.

• Begin your weight loss program slowly when you are breastfeeding. Try to take in at least 1,800 calories each day, and definitely no less than 1,500 calories. Even moderate dieting during lactation can help you lose 4-5 pounds each month, but don’t expect to lose much body fat until about 2 weeks postpartum. The weight you lose immediately after birth is mostly fluid loss.

• Despite one highly publicized but very questionable study about exercising during lactation, there is NO evidence that moderate exercise is anything but beneficial for nursing mothers (or anyone else, for that matter.)

Sources include: Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 2nd Edition; Riordan and Auerbach, 1999; LLLI The Breastfeeding Answer Book, revised edition, 1997; and The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, 3rd edition; Eiger and Wendkos Olds, 1999
(Edited September, 2011)