Breastfeeding? Here’s What Will Boost Your Energy Effectively!

One word to describe being a parent: TIRING (yes, joyful too, but mostly tiring)! There are so many new, unfamiliar things you now have to get used to without any official training. Some things you planned previously may not go accordingly. Not to mention, you now have multiple roles to play than you previously had prior to your newborn’s presence in the house.  

Motherhood is an experience that can be both gratifying and exhausting. Having a lot of energy for breastfeeding moms is even more important because you could burn hundreds of calories just to produce milk. As you celebrate the little bundle of joy in your life, you’d also have to carry the new responsibilities your baby brings with them. 

How Breast Milk Boost Your Newborn’s Growth

Some of the nutrients that your baby will benefit from breast milk include:

• Fat: Breast milk contains an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. In general, fat provides energy for your baby, helps with brain development, maintains healthy skin and hair, and protects your baby against various infections.
• Protein – Breast milk is rich in protein, which is what your baby needs to build, repair and maintain tissues and organs. It also protects your baby against sickness.
• Carbohydrates: Carbs keep your growing infant energized and fuel their healthy growth. 
• Lactose: Lactose in breast milk helps to promote the growth of good bacteria in your baby’s stomach, helping to minimize the risk of infection for your baby.
• Calcium: Calcium helps your baby to build strong bones and teeth.
• Vitamins: Vitamin A in your breast milk is essential for your baby’s healthy vision. Meanwhile, like calcium, the vitamin D in your breast milk helps your baby to build strong bones and teeth. Breast milk also contains vitamin C to support your baby’s immune system.

Breastfeeding Fun Facts

It is estimated that your body needs around 500 calories a day just for breastfeeding. Therefore, you may feel hungry and thirsty more often. Prepare some healthy snacks in a container or jar so that you can grab something when you are hungry. You can check on MumChecked for some good quality food containers.

Other than that, keeping yourself hydrated will help to ease lactation. Hence, it is ideal if there is a glass of water available for you when breastfeeding. Take a sip before or during breastfeeding. Remember to drink in moderation, and it is unnecessary to take more than you feel comfortable with. You will know you drink enough water when your urine is clear.

We get that handling all these new parenting responsibilities and keeping in mind what nutrients to take will normally tire you out as they’re physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. 

One of these responsibilities is nursing your baby. Most breastfeeding sessions occur every two to three hours, depending on your baby. Because of this, you will inevitably lose sleep and energy. Regardless, it is essential that you take care of your body and get the nutritional requirements met so you can feed your baby well. Keep in mind that, at this point, you are the sole provider of food and nutrition for them. We’ll share some types of food that help to boost your energy levels so you can sustain breastfeeding to ensure a smooth experience for yourself and your little one.

Oatmeal

Food rich in carbohydrates helps to increase energy. Oatmeal is an excellent one and will supply you with the energy to carry on your motherhood tasks. 

Additionally, oats are a good source of fibre which will help regulate your blood sugar and combat those hunger pangs that can strike in between your main meals throughout the day. Grab yourself some oatmeal for breakfast or for your afternoon snack, and get the essential energy needed for the day. You can also consider making overnight oats, they take just minutes to prepare!

Natural Yoghurt

Apart from the recommendation to take 2 servings of low-fat milk per day to achieve adequate calcium intake while breastfeeding, Yoghurt too is rich in calcium, a mineral you require during the lactation period. Your bones provide adequate calcium for your baby during the strenuous nine months whenever your meals do not make up for it, and your newborn continues to depend on the little calcium left in your system. Get a pack of yoghurt every other day, and maybe add them as a dessert after every meal. Additionally, you will enjoy the probiotics in yoghurt, thus promoting a healthy gut system.

Chocolate

Among the many energy boosters for new moms there are out there, we know many will like this one the most! Not only can it boost your energy, but chocolates can lift your mood as well! Feeling down? Grab a bar of chocolate!

Make a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the benefits that come with it. Opt for dark chocolate, it is a good source of magnesium which may be helpful in promoting better sleep at night too.

Take a serving of it whenever you are craving a dessert, especially late in the afternoon when you feel drowsy and tired. It will also boost your mood, and you will have the energy to perform your motherly duties.

Assorted Nuts

You can snack on them as you wait for Chinese confinement food dealers to deliver your food. 

Nuts will supply your body with fatty acids, proteins, Vitamin E and fibre. They are terrific energy boosters that you should always keep within reach. They promote satiety for longer periods of time, too, thus regulating and minimizing cravings for other snacks randomly throughout the day. 

Fruits

These are essential for everyone but more crucial for lactating mothers. Include them in all your meals, or if you have reliable confinement catering in Singapore, they will always include assorted fruits in your meal. 

Singapore Health Hub recommends the general population have at least 2 servings of fruits per day! The fruits will give you Vitamin C, which is essential in promoting collagen production and building healthy skin, muscles and body tissues. It promotes good skin health! A fruit smoothie mixed with yoghurt will fill your system with awesome goodness.

On top of that, you could also opt for certain fruits like papaya, as it can do wonders for a nursing mom. Papaya contains saponins and alkaloids, which can affect the production of prolactin and oxytocin. Prolactin, on the other hand, functions as breast milk production synthesis. Alkaloid stimulates all smooth muscles to express breast milk at the alveoli. Put simply, papaya is one of the best lactation boosters you can have!

Fennel

Both the fennel plant and its seeds contain phytoestrogens, a natural substance in plants that encourage breast milk production. You may try adding fennel to your dishes or soups or make tea with fennel seeds.

Food to Avoid

What you eat will definitely digest and diffuse in your breast milk. Hence, there is some food to avoid during confinement in order to safeguard your well-being and that of the newborn that you are nursing:

Caffeine

When you consume food with caffeine, a small amount can be transferred to your baby during breastfeeding. That said, in moderation, a small sip of caffeinated drink will not cause harm to your baby. The key here is to not have more than 2 cups of coffee or tea a day. Furthermore, you should pay attention to your baby’s reaction after you have introduced caffeine into your diet too. You may consider avoiding caffeine if you notice your baby is being extra fussy or having trouble sleeping.

Alcohol

Some Chinese confinement dishes tend to include alcohol, as alcohol is traditionally believed to help warm your body after delivery. Like caffeine, the key here is timing and moderation. Aside from keeping your alcohol intake to a minimum, you are recommended to do some scheduling if you plan to consume alcohol, whether in the form of dishes or drinks. Usually, it will take around 2 hours for alcohol to fully clear from your body. You can drink a glass of wine at least 2 to 3 hours before you breastfeed your baby. If your breasts are full while you are still feeling the effects of alcohol, you can pump and dispose of your breast milk.

Takeaway

One meal will not affect the quality and quantity of your breast milk. However, if the amount of nutrients in your overall diet is insufficient in the long run, it is very likely that the nutrition your baby gets will be compromised. 

The good news is you can still enjoy a confinement meal in Singapore without stressing yourself too much. Call and arrange delivery service for your meals, and you can rest while still getting all the nutrients you need. It’s something we like to call a most convenient energy booster for breastfeeding moms!

At Tian Wei Signature, we take care of all your needs as a nursing mom. Every meal comes with 1 litre of red dates tea to ensure sufficient liquid intake for you. We also incorporate various lactogenic ingredients into our meals to boost your milk production. Interested to know more about food for breastfeeding mothers? Swing on our homepage today to browse through our menu of confinement foods!