Diet during Lactation

Previously I posted about pregnancy diet and busted a few myths about them, this post I will throw in some light over the diet recommendations during lactation and of course the wrong notions about them. Breast feeding is a divine gift only a mother can give her child and it stays on with him/ her for life. It is truly speaking a complete protection and strength for the growing child which will determine the adult growth and immunity. Women who compromise on breast feeding for any reason compromise two most important aspects of motherhood 1. The triggering of motherly gene and hormones that develop the bond between her child and her. 2. Essential building blocks for immunity, nervous system, intelligence, digestion, prevents obesity and diabetes.

Composition of Breast milk - The early milk secreted within first week post delivery is called colostrum and is high in protein like casein, a - lactalbumin, lactoferrin, Immunoglobulin A & G, lysozyme, essential fats like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It is thick and yellowish and helps in preparing the infants digestive system to grow & function. It is also responsible for the immune system of the infant to develop and it is here that the baby receives cancer and infection preventing antibodies Ig A & Ig G that help to stay healthy not just during infancy but also determine the adulthood immune system. In an acidic environment of the stomach, alpha-lactalbumin unfolds into a different form and binds oleic acid of the breast milk to form a complex called HAMLET that kills tumor cells. This is thought to contribute to the protection of breastfed babies against cancer. After 4 days the milk produced is sweeter as it contains higher percentage of carbohydrates in the form of lactose. The nourishment of antibodies in the form of Ig A is seen high upto 7.5 months post delivery. Breastmilk also helps the infant with minerals that are essential for bone health like calcium, phosphorous and the nervous tissue and cardiac tissue like sodium, potassium. Besides these breast milk also contains molecules like nucleotides and hormones and enzymes.

Diet influencing the composition - It is but obvious that the breast milk produced will be the outcome of the diet ingested by the mother and of course the diet doesn't majorly vary from that of the third trimester of pregnancy. The energy requirement during first 6 months of a lactating mother was earlier thought to be an extra 550 kcal/ day but recent studies have suggested that an add on of 400 kcal / day in the first 6 months is what is sufficient. The protein content is around 60 - 70 gm /day and should mainly comprise of high biological value proteins which contain essential amino acids sources like fish, chicken, egg, turkey, lean lamb, cottage cheese, feta cheese, yogurt. Now the most important aspect in a lactating mother's diet is the source of fat. Most women stand on either side of the fence, one is the weight losing side and the other is fat laden side. But either side is wrong as primarily the act of nursing itself stimulates the body to shed out the gained weight during pregnancy and helps the uterus to return back to its size and shape. Thereby a very low fat diet is not recommended during the first 6 months postpartum however low fat options in food can be incorporated like lean meat, low fat butter, low fat dairy products other than milk, when essential fats like nuts, vegetable oil, grains are accounted as per recommendation. The most important aspect of a mother's diet is that she gets her share of nutrients first so as to provide enough nourishment to the baby, unlike common notion the body will never spare the mother her nutrition just so that the baby is developing in the womb or post delivery. The body will always choose self preservation before anything else and therefore the mother should equally be as nourished as the baby. Cultures of various parts of the world incorporate fenugreek seeds as it is known to stimulate increased milk production. These food items are termed 'galactogogues' and cultures like Asia are known to have these practiced like a drill.

Unwanted substances in breast milk - The milk producing cells are most permeable to drugs during the first postpartum week. Drug characteristics that increase excretion in milk are, not plasma protein binding, non-ionized, low molecular weight, lipid solubility rather than water solubility, weakly alkaline rather than weak acid. Drugs are transferred from blood plasma across ductal cells to the milk by diffusion or active transport. The latter may result in higher concentration of the drug in the breast milk than in the plasma of the mother. The amounts of most drugs in milk do not exceed 2% of the total ingested dose. Medications should be screened through the physician for safety levels during lactation. Pollutants that are of most concern are pesticides, organic mercury and lead. DDT and dieldrin are unavoidable, and can also be detected in infant formulas. Pesticides and other toxic substances bio magnify, i.e. creatures higher up the food chain will store more of them in their body fat. This is an issue particularly for theInuit, whose traditional diet is predominantly meat. Studies are looking at the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and persistent organic pollutants in the body; the breast milk of Inuit mothers is extraordinarily high in toxic compounds. Alternatively mothers who suffer from HIV infection can also provide breast milk to their child via milk bank or externally pumped milk that is from an uninfected mother.

Is Formula better ? - Of course like everything else we have tried to play god or nature and create baby formula that could replace breast milk. This had become a trend and in vogue practice in the west and developed countries but research has proven us wrong and there does not exist a better replacement to breast milk and it works well not just for the baby but for the mother too. For planned diets for pregnancy & lactation discover your personal wellness coach. 

Wish you wellness.

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