Breastfeeding Nutrition:
Nourishing Your Baby and You BY MAUREEN FROST Your bundle of joy has finally arrived and the transition from pregnancy to motherhood is allconsuming in the best way possible. If your next chapter includes breastfeeding, you’re probably wondering what you should eat to make the journey a success for you and your infant. IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY DIET Getting enough nutrient-rich foods during this season of survival is key for both your recovery and baby’s start in life. Alexandra Paetow, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Thrive and Bloom Nutrition LLC, explains, “A healthy diet helps to ensure that the breast milk is rich in important nutrients that support optimal infant growth and development.” For moms, healthy eating directly affects postpartum recovery, energy levels, and hormone balance, Paetow says. “If a mom is not consuming enough [of certain nutrients] in the diet, her body will sacrifice its stores to preferentially provide it in the breast milk at expense to the mom. So having a nutrient-rich diet is extremely important to mom’s health. It prevents deficiencies and supports all of the energy intensive processes that she is experiencing after childbirth including wound healing, tissue repair, and milk production.”
MEET THE EXPERT Alexandra Paetow is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a master’s degree in nutrition education and bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science. She founded her private practice, Thrive and Bloom Nutrition LLC, to support and nourish women throughout their maternal journeys from preconception to pregnancy and postpartum.
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