Mother’s milk is the elixir for baby and no magic formula could just replace it. Its a natural secretion process that flows endless for baby on demand. If you ever had the doubt that if my milk is sufficient for my baby, then be sure that it is ! Nature is uniform. Unlike humans, any other mammal could appease its kid without introducing formula. Why can’t we ??
Health Organizations have recommended exclusive breast milk for the first 6 months of babies. When you exclusively breastfeed, even water is not required as all that a baby needs is fully packed in mother’s milk with the smell and taste that attracts baby. Its a free & instant nutritious drink that does magic in building your baby’s health, which is a lifetime gift that you could offer to your child.. What else is required ?
Secret ingredients for adequate milk supply:
- Willingness to breastfeed the baby
- Ample rest
- Stress-free mind
- Sufficient nutrition
Beauty-conscious Moms:
If you are beauty-conscious, please note that the baby milk-suckling rate is directly proportional to your uterus contraction rate. The more your baby suckles the milk, the more sooner you will get your tummy back in shape! So, its a natural exercise to get rid of the additional space in your tummy.. but here, the little one(lo) does the exercise for you .. How sweet the lo is !
According to me, it is really a shame for any woman to switch to formula just because you want to relax and be free. But, I know you(my reader) are not such a mom and that’s why you are here 🙂 PS – This is not to judge all formula-feeding moms. I know there are many pitiful moms who unwillingly switch to formula due to physical/family/practical reasons.
One more good news – After the immediate menstruation post delivery, the second cycle will be delayed as long as you opt for exclusive breast feeding. It is in your hands to delay it for 6 months! Please note that this doesn’t mean that early menstruation(in exclusive breastfeeding) means poor lactation. I exclusively breastfed both my babies for the first 6 months but for my second one, I got my menstruation on the onset of her 5th month. But this will not cause decrease in breastmilk for sure ! My milk secretion was normal as before. So, don’t you worry if you get early menstruation just like me.
Food for Feeding Moms:
Lactating moms should eat well not only to produce the milk enriched with essential nutrients for the baby but also to compensate the nutrients shared to the baby by your body.
Following foods are tagged as “Milk-secreting foods“:
- Kashaayam – Fenugreek(Methi/vendhayam) water, Fennel(Saunf/sombu) water, Cumin(Jeera) water, Tulsi water, Barley water, Carom(ajwain/omam) water.
- Green Papaya
- Red gram lentil (Masoor dal)
- Garlic – Garlic palkova , Garlic porridge
- Fish
- Dry fish(Karuvaadu) – Gravy , Fry
- Broken wheat
- Oat meal
- Tapioca
- Drumstick Leaves
- Ginger tea – fresh or dry
- Groundnuts
- Coconut oil,Olive oil,Sesame oil(Nallennai),butter
- Coconut water
- Beetroot, bottle gourd, carrot, Potato, Kohlrabi/Turnip Cabbage/Noolkol
- Pumpkin seeds and melon seeds
- Calcium – Milk, Yogurt(Curd), Lassi, Buttermilk, Ragi(Finger Millet), Oats, Broccoli, Green beans, Ladies finger, Almonds , Oranges, Dried figs, Sesame seeds
- Proteins – Sprouts, Chick peas , Beans, Cheese, Chicken, Red meat, Prawns, Eggs, Almonds, Sunflower seeds, Dairy products, Quinoa, Avocado.
- Iron-rich – Spinach, Broccoli, Pumpkin seeds, Beans and pulses, Nuts(Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut, Peanut), Raisins, Dates, Dried Apricots, Brown rice, Whole-wheat Pasta
- Vitamin A – Carrot, Sweet potato, Dried Apricots, Red pepper(Capsicum), Mango, Tomato, Peas, Papaya
- Vitamin C– Orange, Lemon, Strawberry, Papaya, Pine apple, Kiwi, Mango, Guava, Tomato, Broccoli, Peas, Red & Green Bell Bepper(Capsicum), Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and Cabbage
- Vitamin B12 – Yogurt, Milk, Almond, Egg, Crab, Red meat
- Folic acid – Spinach, Broccoli, Peas, Asparagus, Papaya, Orange, Avocado, Berries, Beetroot, Carrot, Corn, Cauliflower, Whole-wheat Pasta, Almonds, Peanuts, Sunflower seeds, Flax seeds, all kinds of beans,peas and lentils.
- DHA rich foods – Walnuts , Flaxseeds and Fish
- Whole grains – Quinoa, Whole-wheat bread/pasta, Barley, Brown rice, Corn, Oats and all Millets
Food to be avoided by feeding moms:
- Aerated/fizzy drinks
- Artificial food colors
- Raw/half-boiled eggs
- Unpasteurized cheese/milk
- Broiler chicken as it is said to have growth hormones injected
- Consuming more caffeine might make the baby prone to irritability and have trouble sleeping.
Hi! I’m really disappointed the way you have demeaningly posted few myths . I got my periods after 4 months of delivering , though I’m exclusively breastfeeding, my gynecologist told it’s completely normal. Please it’s better to get a lot of facts right, before putting it up there. And formula fed or breastfed it doesn’t determine ” not such a mom ” tag, every mom is special.
Hi Deepti, thanks for highlighting your concerns.. I never thought this would be misleading. I just wrote to encourage moms to breastfeed. I have now updated my personal experience with early menstruation during EBF and hope this will clear the fact. Once again thanks for bringing this to my notice. And about your last point, I agree Every mom is special. Formula feeding is not a crime. But, I meant the need/cause to opt for it.
Hi I am inspired of ur ideas , I want one suggestion that how to mAnage kid cooking and household works , I am completely tired of trying everything
Thank you.. Pls have a look at my Vlog with toddler to see how I manage work with her 🙂 Link – https://youtu.be/GUh0onTm6dc
Hi,
I have been a long time follower of your blog and I recently had my second baby. As a working mom, I have exclusively breastfed both of my babies, but I strongly disagree with this statement that it’s a shame to formula feed. And that it’s shame on the mom to formula feed the baby. I have several family members and friends who have felt the pressure to breastfeed and it takes a large emotional toll on them. For some people, it comes at the expense of the mother’s sanity and mental health. This propagation that formula feeding moms are shameful is absolutely misleading. I watched your vlog about a day in your life, and it’s good resource for breastfeeding and managing. Have you considered the fact that for working moms, 1/2 of the baby’s breastmilk during the day come from pumped milk. Pumps are almost always less effective than babies in emptying breasts. Thus, once mom starts working and pumping 50% of the time, the supply drops. That doesnt even include the logistical challenges of taking time during a work day to pump multiple times. It’s very easy to get on the high horse and shame on people who formula feed because they have no other choice.
As someone who is a well known blogger, I expected better from you. You should realize not everyone has the financial means to be a stay at home mom and exclusively breastfeed for 2 years.
Thanks for being my long time follower and congrats on your second baby.. Pls read the paragraph fully or at least the sentence, before jumping into conclusions.. I have mentioned that it is a shame to switch to formula just because the mom want to relax and be free. The categories that you mention do not fall under this. The third sentence in the paragraph tells about that pitiful category who unwillingly switch to formula due to physical/family/practical reasons. Even I fall into that category as I couldn’t breastfeed my first baby for complete 2 years as I had to wean her off and travel for my job. Even for my second baby, I weaned her off 4 months before her 2nd bday because of my dental procedure. When a mom couldn’t breastfeed due to professional/medical/family issues, her situation is so pitiful & I have personally endured that. On the other hand, I have witnessed several moms who switch to formula just bcoz they are bored of multiple breastfeeding sessions. When mom, baby & breastmilk are available, it is really a shame to switch to formula just to relax and be free. I dont want to judge anyone, especially moms. But I cannot stop judging such moms as breastfeeding is the vital part of baby & is a natural process. When they don’t want to breastfeed, I wonder why they wanted a baby !!
Hi sis I’m exclusively breast-feeding.but my baby weight is still 7.3 kg..she is 8 monthbold now..9 th month only I want to go for checkup
Hi, exclusive breastfeeding(which means baby’s food is only breastmilk) is only for first 6 months. After 180 days, you have to introduce other foods gradually along with breastfeeding. Pls refer to my baby food charts for reference.. Click this – https://www.myhealthykiddo.com/category/baby-food-chart/