vegetarian-diet.jpg" rel="lightbox[159]" title="breastfeeding vegetarian diet">All nursing mums have increased nutritional needs and a vegetarian Mum is  no different in fact as a vegetarian I am sure you are used to making sure you have a diet that meets your nutritional needs.  I know as a vegetarian myself I have to think more about what I eat! Nursing mums need to take in a minimum of 2,000 calories day-to-day. As a breastfeeding Mum it is then advised that to feed a baby you need to increase your intake by 500 calories to about 2500 calories.

A well balanced vegetarian diet is suitable for breastfeeding. However vegetarian mums need to make a little extra effort to ensure that your food intake includes enough protein sources, iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12.

PROTEIN 

It is advised by lactation advisers that during the first 6 months of breastfeeding a Mum needs a daily protein consumption of 65 gr and then a daily intake of 62 gr after 6 months up to 12 months. A mixed vegetarian diet that features a variety of protein sources such as soya foods, beans, and cereals will supply an abundance of protein to nursing vegan mums.

IRON

Breast milk contains small amounts of iron however it is the breastfeeding Mum that needs iron to protect  against anaemia while feeding.  Natures way of protecting a newborn baby is for the breast milk to contain all the nutrients for the baby almost  regardless of Mums diet so the person who suffers is the new Mum if her diet is not good enough to support breastfeeding.   Beans and grains are iron rich as well as morel mushrooms, lemongrass, spinach and soy beans.  Floradix an iron supplement can be taken to ensure Mum gets enough iron in her diet.

CALCIUM

Every adult woman requires 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily which is roughly the same as around 3 servings of milk. Typically breastfeeding mums don’t require extra calcium intake  however vegetarian mothers will need to make sure that their intake is high enough. Some vegan calcium sources are tofu, broccoli, nuts, soya milk and soya products and orange juice but if necessary it may be worth taking calcium supplements.

VITAMIN D and B-12

Vitamin D is essential for  bone development. For children deficit in vitamin D leads to rickets, a health problem noticeable by bone deformation. The best way of getting the majority of the vitamin D needed is from sunlight. However during wintertime in upper latitudes there are not UVB rays in the sun’s rays to provide a Mum with sufficient Vitamin D. Furthermore those  with a dark skin tone will be needing much more sun light to get enough vitamin D.  Current advice is that it is worth talking to your doctor about taking a Vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin B12 is mainly gained from animal sources and so it is worth nursing vegetarian Mums ensuring their diet includes foods rich in the vitamin. Yeast with fermented soy bean meals constitute an alternative way of obtaining vitamin B-12.   As outlined by La Leche League, the signs of a deficit of vitamin B-12 in babies could be appetite loss, listlessness, vomiting as well as atrophy of muscles.  Speak to your doctor or your dietician as there are supplements that may be worth taking.

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