i was looking over some breastfeeing information today and was wondering this question. Can a mom still make efficient milk for her newborn baby if she dosn't eat well? This coming from one of my friends she was told not to nurse because she dosn't like to eat healthy she eats lots of fast food and hates veggies. I told her i never heard of that before i nursed my children fine and i don't come close to eating a balanced meal. I looked online and find lots of things about drugs and rec. drugs of course that's a no brainer she dosn't do those and no special pills. So i figured she would be able to nurse just fine no issues keep a eye on bby weight gain and poop and wet diapers.
Yes, she should still breastfeed! Breastmilk from a mom who doesn't have an ideal diet is still better for the baby than formula. Here is a link to an article from my favorite breastfeeding support website on this: http://kellymom.com/momblog/health/nutrition/mothers-diet...
The body will take what it needs to make efficient breast milk. Your friend will suffer nutritionally because of her bad diet but her baby won't.
Breasts are mother natures miracle-- they can take a fast food meal in America or a refugee camp bowl of grain in Africa and turn either in to Nauture's perfect food-- HOWEVER, MOM will be healthier and feel better if she eats better, or at least takes her vitamins!
The baby will be nourished but if mom doesn't eat well she will be depleted because the body steals the nutrients from the mother's body to put them in the milk (just like when pregnant). She would be wise to keep taking her prenatal vitamins if she won't or can't eat well.
I'm past the breast feeding years, but the wisdom a dozen or so years ago when I WAS breast feeding, was that poor nutrition on the mom's part, meant mom got poor nutrition. Baby gets along okay. The thinking being that baby gets whatever there is to be had FIRST, so mommy is getting nada if there isn't much there to begin with. Also, I heard things like calcium being leeched out of bones to provide for the baby (think future osteoporosis risk and dental health issues for mom). I don't know if those are backed up by current science, but that is where I would start my search, if you really want to look into it.
Breastfeeding is designed to get nutrition to the baby. It would take a severely malnourished mother to have breast milk that is a poorer nutritional choice than formula. Please send her the kellymom link that Diane C. provided - it may help her to combat other misinformation she may be receiving.
I think whoever told her not to nurse at all was misinformed. Women in countries where they are malnourished can nurse - though it can be hard on them for their bodies to put all the nutrition into the baby's milk. Your friend might hate veggies and eat fast food and it won't be the *best* for her but I think it's ridiculous that someone told her not to nurse over it with the implication being that manufactured formula is better. Now, for her own sake she should eat better, but that's a different issue.
Well, it's what you eat that makes up your milk... so what you eat is in a way is what you are feeding the baby. They CAN taste certain flavors, that's why sometimes they don't like you eating spicy foods. So of course not eating healthy means your baby isn't getting the nutrients that healthy food would have. Eating high fat/cholesterol means that is what your baby is getting. So to answer your question - it doesn't mean you CAN'T nurse and it doesn't mean your body won't produce enough milk, you just have to decide what quality of nutrients you want your baby to have - and then eat them.
She should definitely breastfeed, even if her diet isn't perfect. Taking a vitamin will help supplement what she isn't getting in foods. Regardless of the nutrients, breastmilk has alot of other things that formula just doesn't have (i.e.immunity benefits). So if a mother can, she should breastfeed.
As others have said, she can still feed her baby but she is going to have long term side affects. The calcium and other misisng nutrients will come from the mom's body. She will have dental and bone problems down the line. Baby will be fine. Just make sure mom gets to take a daily vitamin and drinks lots of water over soda.
The other S.
Well, it will be much better for HER if she eats a balanced diet-at any time -not just breastfeeding. She certainly can breastfeed though as long as she makes milk. She should at least take a multi-vitamin. She needs to think long term about her diet and how nasty colon cancer and pancreatic cancer are -as well as diabetes and heart disease. It won't matter if she breastfed or formula fed if she's not around to see her child grow up.
There are 2 things here: the baby's nursing will deplete her body of resources, which is why she needs to be on a healthy diet. The other thing though, is that studies have shown that breastfeeding babies will develop a preference for the foods that the mother ate while breastfeeding. So if the mom eats junk food, the baby will develop a preference for it, too (aside from the obvious environmental influence).
She should use formula
I agree that if she wants to she can bf. With my first daughter i didnt drink enough milk and i fell and broke my shoulder. They said my bones were more brittle bc she sucked all the calcium from my bones.
I did read an article of a mom who excessively exercised to loose weight while trying to bf and her baby did suffer and stopped growing.
