5 Critical Nutritional Needs For Breastfeeding Mamas and Their Babies

October 29, 2018

Motherhood and breastfeeding comes with a lot of questions and insecurities, but nutrition shouldn't be one of them. New mommies need to be take responsibility for themselves as much as baby, in terms of nutrition and health. As a new mommy, breastfeeding a new baby, nutrition needs to be one of your top priorities, and taking the time to understand what those nutritional needs are is necessary! Milk Dust is a helper in the nutritional needs department, for mamas who are ready to get back on track with fitness and health, yet fearful of losing any milk supply. This doesn't need to be a fear at all, and with beautiful, pure and clean nutritional support, it is totally possible to give your body the essential nutrients it needs to thrive. Let's to over what some of those nutritional needs are, to help guide you in your daily meal choices.

Macro Nutrient Need 1- Protein:

Protein is an essential nutrient new mommies need while breastfeeding and healing postpartum. Protein is responsible for many important bodily functions including cell-regeneration (hello healing after birth!!), skin, hair, nails, brain function and muscle repair/growth. The reason this is at the top of the list, which you can learn more in the very unique, breastfeeding diet program for healing and weight loss, The Postpartum Cure, is because we don't make protein from within. It needs to come from the outside. This is where Milk Dust can literally be your best friend. It is a pure, healthy source of protein that your muscles, cells and brain needs, while also providing you with additional nutrients and lactation-boosting herbs your boobies need. Protein is also going to keep your blood sugar stable, as well as fill you up. Protein needs to be a part of EVERY meal or snack, even if it is just some string cheese or hummus. A protein shake with Milk Dust protein IS AMAZING because you can blend it with fruits and veggies for the additional fiber and nutrients.

Macro Nutrient Need 2 - Carbohydrates (not bread!):

Many immediately associate the word carbohydrates with bread, rice, crackers and potatoes. Those are not the carbohydrates your body REALLY needs as a breastfeeding mama. What your body needs are lots of nutrients from fruits, vegetables and super carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, rutabaga and squash. Carbohydrates are your body's first choice for fuel to function. Of course, if you don't eat carbs, your body will use fat as fuel, but it doesn't like it, and you don't need to do this while breastfeeding. You can follow a keto diet if it seems to work really well for YOU INDIVIDUALLY, but majority of the time it is hard to sustain while breastfeeding. That being said, most fruit and veggies are "lower carb," but that isn't the point. These are carbohydrates that are full of phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and minerals your body will put to work right away. Your body needs lots of healthy carbohydrates to fuel breastfeeding. Breastfeeding does require some additional energy needs, which your body prefers to meet with healthy fruits and veggies. Of course, Milk Dust has organic fruits included in the mix, which adds some additional nutrients and benefits to the protein blend!

Micro Nutrient Need 3 -B12 + Folate (L-Methylfolate):

You might've been thinking fat was going to be next, which your body does need while breastfeeding, but you don't actually need that much. If you refer to this table from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the B12 and Folate needs while breastfeeding are still MORE than if not breastfeeding, and very close to when pregnant. Folate increases to 500 when lactating, Vitamin B12 is needed more in lactation than in pregnancy. These two micro nutrients are large players in energy levels for new mamas, which is why I've included them into Milk Dust, so you can get your dose all in one product. The difference between Folate, Folic Acid and L-Methylfolate is reserved for another post, but to keep it short, Milk Dust offers L-Methylfolate because it is an active state. Many women go un-diagnosed with 5-MTHFR gene mutations, which causes an inability to digest and convert folate/folic acid. By including the active L-Methylfolate, this is eliminating this problem for those mamas!

Micro Nutrient Need 4 - Zinc:

Looking at the table above, you can see the needs for Zinc also increase to the highest need when lactating. This is an important nutrient because Zinc is responsible for helping your body heal after birth. Zinc is an essential nutrient that plays a role in infant growth and development. When your body is lactating, it needs more zinc because baby needs zinc! Your body will even start absorbing more zinc than normal to help meet your baby's demands. "During lactation, your body has increased zinc requirements in order to meet the baby's needs. In fact, your body naturally increases intestinal absorption of zinc during lactation in order to ensure you receive enough of this essential nutrient. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for zinc while nursing is 12 milligrams per day. Because the nutrients in breast milk come from your own maternal stores, having a poor zinc status going into pregnancy or nursing will increase your risk for zinc deficiency." Knowing how important this nutrient is for breastfeeding mothers, Milk Dust also offers zinc to help fully nourish mommy and baby.

Macro Nutrient Need 5 - Omega-3 Fats

Yes, fats are important, just like carbs and protein. But, as the same with carbs, all fats are not created equal. The fats that are most important for breastfeeding mothers are the Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are very important for baby's development, and they can pass through the breast milk to baby. We also have to consume them to give them, meaning we need to take them in. "Both EPA and DHA are important, but DHA is particularly important throughout pregnancy and during the early stages of an infant’s life." Source. Knowing how important these fatty acids are, breastfeeding mamas can take a clean fish oil supplement, eat clean fish and also use some seeds. Milk Dust offers protein from flax seeds, which are beneficial to milk supply, as well as offering some awesome fatty acids for mama and baby. Flax seed is a wonderful substitute for fish oils (no worry about mercury!), but it does need additional break down from enzymes that fish oil doesn't need. There is an additional enzyme and probiotic digestive blend in Milk Dust to help ensure that the flax seed protein, as well as the chia seed and pumpkin protein are properly absorbed and digested to increase as much nutrient absorption as possible. Of course there are more nutritional needs breastfeeding mamas should pay attention too, but these are 5 critical ones that need to be acknowledged and understood both for the health of mama and baby! Ideally, all these nutrients need to come from real, wholesome foods, but realistically, that doesn't always happen. That's why Milk Dust is your new best friend. It will help you nourish your body, as well as promote healthy lactation for breastfeeding mommies!

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