Written by Editorial Team
Pregnancy is the most fulfilling experience for a woman. One of the main symptoms of pregnancy is swollen or tender breasts. Breasts become larger and heavier. They are very sensitive to touch, in fact many a time quite painful.
This is because there are hormones in the body which are preparing the breasts for lactation as the new mother will start breastfeeding the baby as soon as it is born. Lactating starts as early as four months of pregnancy. The milk ducts grow and get filled with milk. In fact before the milk from the breasts start, there is a fluid called colostrum which comes from nipples. This is what the baby feeds on, in the initial days. It is full of antibodies and nutrients and easy to digest.
One of the main concerns of a new mother will be her diet. She has to eat nutritious food so that the baby grows well and there is good supply of breast milk. Whatever she eats will affect the quantity of breastmilk generated.
The most natural and best way to increase breast milk is to keep feeding the baby. During breastfeeding the nerves get stimulated and help produce more milk. As the milk gets emptied, there is a signal sent to produce more milk.
Lactogenic foods are those which influence milk supply in a nursing mother. For some new mothers, the quantity of breast milk may be inadequate for the baby’s needs. They need to eat more of lactogenic foods, which help increase the quantity of breast milk. The below mentioned are those food items which are most common for increasing breast milk and which usually help lactating mothers.
For some women, in spite of continuously feeding the little one, breast milk may not be produced in adequate quantity. They should ensure they add the following foods into their diet as these help in milk production.
There are food items that should be avoided as they are known to decrease milk production. Let us take a look at a few of them.
It is imperative that a newborn is fed only breast milk in the initial months. There are foods which naturally increase or decrease food One thing to remember is that a certain lactogenic food item may have worked for someone but need not necessarily work for you.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
Hibiscus For Babies – A Nutrient-Rich and Safe Addition To Their Diet
Top 5 Best Interactive Books For Babies in the First Year
Chair Method of Sleep Training Your Baby – Know All About it
How to deal with unexpected challenges when traveling with a newborn
Cause and Effect Toys For Babies – How it Helps in Baby’s Motor Development
Birth Registration in India – When, How And Why
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.