What kind of fruit can a nursing mother have?

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

A nursing mother should be careful about her diet. This is due to the fact that in the first months after birth, the child still has an imperfect digestive system. And some of the substances that come with breast milk can provoke various problems in him. Therefore, it is important to know which fruits a nursing mother can use, and which ones it is better to give up for a while.

Benefits of fruits for breastfeeding

The diet of a breastfeeding mother must be prepared very carefully, as it directly affects the quantity and quality of milk. Doctors recommend that you definitely include some fruits in it, as they are one of the main sources of antioxidants, minerals and dietary fiber.

The World Health Organization advises nursing women to eat about 400-500 g of different fruits per day. At the same time, it is desirable that they be seasonal and local.

For a child

Even if the child is prone to allergies, fruit should be present in the mother's diet. She just needs to identify those to which he has no negative reaction.

It is quite simple to check this:

• eat a small piece of new fruit;
• look at the child's reaction, while not introducing any new products for 2-3 days.

If you experience any allergy symptoms, you must exclude the fruit from the diet.

Experts recommend starting a food diary when a child appears, which will help keep track of which fruits a nursing mother can eat.

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To improve the quality and quantity of milk

In the absence of a negative reaction from the baby, the mother must definitely eat fruits. This is due to the fact that a woman's body loses a large amount of nutrients during childbirth and lactation.

Each of the permitted fruits nourishes the body of mother and child with the necessary nutrients. In addition, many of them increase the amount of breast milk and improve its quality.

What fruits can you eat while breastfeeding?

WHO offers women a list of fruits that should be included in the diet of every breastfeeding mother. However, they are among those that rarely provoke allergic reactions.

In the first month

Many fruits can be consumed by a woman almost immediately after childbirth, and some will have to be abandoned for the entire period of breastfeeding.

In the first month, the following are allowed:

1. Bananas. Their experts are allowed to eat immediately after the birth of the child. The main rule is to introduce it into the diet gradually, no more than a quarter of the fruit per day. It is the main source of potassium. In addition, bananas stimulate the work of the gastrointestinal tract, restore sleep, and normalize the emotional background.
2. Apples (only yellow or green). Experts recommend peeling off the peel before use. You can eat them both fresh and baked. These fruits promote the elimination of toxins from the body, increase resistance to negative environmental influences, relieve fatigue and calm the nervous system.
3. Pears. They can only be eaten without the peel in a baked form. Most often, they are recommended to eat with constipation in a mother or baby. In addition, these fruits help to normalize blood pressure, the work of the circulatory system, and the emotional background.

Experts allow the use of exotic fruits such as figs and cherries, dried fruits - prunes and dried apricots.

In the second month

As your child gets older, you can start eating other fruits as well. Before this, it is imperative to test for an allergic reaction.

In the second month of breastfeeding, the following are allowed:

• nectarines;
• peaches;
• apricots.

The first two fruits are high in magnesium, which is a natural antidepressant. They not only help to normalize the emotional background of the mother, but also have a positive effect on the development of the baby's brain. Apricot contains large amounts of beta-carotene, which the body needs to maintain immunity.

Breastfeeding experts recommend peeling off any fruit before consuming any fruit.

What fruits are strictly prohibited

There are a number of fruits that are highly discouraged during the first months of lactation. Some of them can be introduced a little later, others are prohibited until the end of breastfeeding.

These fruits include:

• Grape. It causes increased gas production, so it is not recommended to use it in the first 3 months of breastfeeding, when digestion is established in the baby. It is recommended to introduce it into the diet a little later, since the substances contained in it have a positive effect on the formation of the skeletal system.
• Any citrus fruits. Due to the high content of allergens, it is possible to start introducing them into the menu only after the child is 4 months old.
• Exotic fruits (pineapple, kiwi, feijoa, and others) can also cause allergies. Therefore, the mother can eat them no earlier than the child reaches four months of age.

It is important to remember that a nursing mother should consult with a breastfeeding specialist before introducing a new product into her diet.

Outcomes

A nursing mother needs twice as much nutrients, so her diet must be carefully thought out. Doctors recommend that you definitely include fruits in it. The main thing is to test for an allergic reaction and adhere to the WHO recommendations.