Having a strong supply of breast milk is a common concern and focus for many of us mums who are breastfeeding our babies and following a breastfeeding diet. Especially when we also want to lose our baby weight and return to our pre pregnancy shape and clothes. A common worry about losing weight is whether is will decrease our milk supply. 
With losing pregnancy weight, (provided you are not using any caffeine based weight loss accelerants and are using safe nutritional products), steady weight loss will not effect your milk supply.
As a mum we want to give our babies the best and sometimes it is hard to know if our baby is getting enough milk and how much they are drinking. The experts say as long as the baby is wetting enough nappies then mums don’t need to worry – but that is often easier said than done!
When creating the weight loss plans featured on the Healthy Mummy 28 day weight loss challenges it was imperative to ensure that all the products were safe when breastfeeding and that enough nutrition was being supplied to the mum to make sure their milk wasn’t adversely affected and that the plans were breastfeeding safe.
Foods which may cause problems when breastfeeding:
There are no hard and fast rules about what a mum shouldn’t eat when breastfeeding – other than certain supplements mentioned above and alcohol. However there are certain foods which have been shown to cause upset in the baby – whether that be sickness, eczema, colic, trouble sleeping and irritability. However, each baby is different and you should monitor yours to see how he reacts to certain foods and contact your Doctor if you are concerned about any reaction.
Below is a list of common foods listed by mums and Doctors as more likely to cause some kind of reaction with your baby:
- Milk, dairy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and spicy foods have been linked to colic
- Too much caffeine may make your baby restless
- Eggs and peanuts have been shown to be linked to allergies in babies
More than anything it is important to eat a balanced diet when breast feeding and if you are trying to lose your baby weight, do so in a safe way and aim for approximately 500g-1kg per week.
The most commonly recommended lactogenic foods are:
- Salmon – which is packed full of Omega 3, iodine, vitamin D, protein and B12
- Eggs – they are the highest quality protein in our food supply and are packed with vitamins and minerals
- Chickpeas – Lean protein with iron and fibre
- Avocado – High in folate, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium
- Berries – full of vitamin C, folate and fibre (so make sure you have lots of berries in your Lose BW smoothies!)
- Spinach – full of anti oxidants, vitamins and minerals and is great for yours and your baby’s immune system
- Yoghurt – high in calcium and full of good bacteria.
- Water – drink at least 1.5 – 2 litres of water per day as your body needs it to make the milk so make sure you keep hydrated as you can use up to 1 litre a day just for feeding.
Sensitive Babies
Some babies have allergies, colic or digestive issues and can react to an array of different foods. If your baby is particularly sensitive we advise discussing a food plan with your Doctor and sticking to a plain diet with low taste foods to avoid any reaction
If you’re a breastfeeding mother who is keen to lose baby weight, we’ve got you covered. At Lose Baby Weight we believe that breastfeeding and weight loss can go hand in hand, which is why we have created the 28 Day Breastfeeding Friendly Diet & Exercise Plan and have ensured that our weight loss plans are safe for breastfeeding mums.
If you’d love to recipe our FREE MILK BOOSTING recipe ebook, then just pop your details in below and it will be in your inbox within minutes. 
Our Healthy Mummy Smoothies are also safe for breastfeeding mums, 96% sugar free, fructose free and actually contain natural galactogogues. You can see the full ingredient list here .
