3 Quick Tips for Breastfeeding Nutrition

Breastfeeding has amazing benefits for mom and baby! It is super important to eat well while breastfeeding to maintain a good supply, and to keep you and your baby healthy.

💦 Drink, water. Like ALOT. Breast milk is 87% water, and you need the additional water to fuel your metabolism to make milk! Aim for 3-4 liters per day. the easiest way to ensure you get enough is to drink a large glass of water every time you breastfeed. Add lemon or cucumber, or drink coconut water to spice it up!

🍎 Eat nutrient dense foods - your breast milk is constantly changing to meet the nutritional demands of the baby. Concentration of some key nutrients in the breast milk largely depend on moms intake. My core diet is salmon, leafy greens, avocados, sweet potatoes, lentils, trail mix with nuts, and fruit smoothies with Arbonne vegan protein powder, and dark chocolate. I mix in other things of course, but sticking largely to the core takes the guesswork out keeping a good diet.

💊 Take a multivitamin to supplement key nutrients - this is important for maintaining your stores of essential vitamins like folate, calcium, iron, and zinc. Take 1000 units of vitamin d daily and get some sun!

Check out Black women Breastfeed, an interview with Ms. Kelly Chandler about breastfeeding and justice on our blog page.