What Are Best Foods to Eat After Delivery for Breast-feeding women

Breastfeeding moms need to keep their energy up with nutritious foods,

especially immediately after giving birth. Your body goes through massive physical and hormonal changes right after delivery and then must start producing milk for your baby. Foods high in protein, whole grains, iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids should all be part of your postpartum diet as a nursing mom.

Breastfeeding women should take these Foods in their diet. 

Proteins

Breastfeeding moms need slightly more protein than non-nursing women, around 71 grams per day, according to the Ohio State University extension.

You need three to four 3-ounce servings of protein per day plus four to five servings of dairy to meet your protein requirements. Dairy also helps meet your increased calcium needs. Lean meats, poultry, pork, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds and legumes supply the most protein in your diet. If you follow a vegan diet, check your levels of vitamin B-12, a nutrient found mostly in meat. B-12 deficiency could cause weakness, appetite loss, vomiting or slow development in your baby, WomensHealth.gov warns. Breastfeeding vegans should discuss B-12 supplementation with their doctors.

Whole Grains

You need the energy to take care of your newborn as well as to produce milk. Carbohydrates give you the quickest source of energy. Don't go for simple sugars, which raise your glucose levels quickly but can drop them just as fast. A drop in blood sugar can make you feel weak, tired or depressed. Choose complex carbohydrates that absorb more slowly and stabilize your blood sugars. Whole grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, barley and bulgur as well as whole wheat products give you energy without the excess calories found in simple sugars. Include nine to 11 servings of whole grain in your daily diet; one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of starch equals one serving.

Fruits and Vegetable

Vegetables and fruits also supply healthy carbohydrates that provide energy to your postpartum diet, as well as vitamins and minerals you and your nursing baby need fiber, which helps prevent constipation, a common complaint right after delivery, especially if you had a Cesarean section and are taking narcotics for pain. Include three to five 1/2-cup cooked or 1-cup raw servings of vegetables and two to four 1/2-cup fruit servings daily. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove pesticides. The top 10 most-contaminated produce includes apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines and grapes, bell peppers, potatoes and domestic blueberries, according to the Environmental Working Group. Fruits and vegetables with the least pesticide residue include onions, sweet corn, pineapple, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, domestic cantaloupe and kiwi.

Good Fats

You and your baby both need fats in your diet, as long as they're the right kind of fats. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, help your baby's brain and eye development. Nursing moms should eat no more than two servings per week of fish, however, due to the risk of mercury toxins. Canned light tuna, catfish, pollock and salmon contain lower amounts of mercury; avoid shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish, the U.S.Food and Drug Administration recommends. If you don't eat fish, flaxseed also supplies omega-3 fatty acid, but doesn't convert as easily or well to eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, the essential omega-3 fatty acids in fish. Use olive or vegetable oil rather than saturated fats such as lard, butter palm oil or coconut oil for cooking; these oils contain unsaturated fats that decrease your cholesterol levels rather than raise them, as saturated fats can. Six teaspoons of oil daily will meet your needs, but remember that many processed foods contain oil.