Tips and diet

Tips for a comfortable feed

With a newborn, you could be feeding every couple of hours - her stomach is so tiny she can't take in a large quantity of milk. Make sure you're comfortable before you begin - support your back with a pillow and have a drink nearby, as breastfeeding can be thirsty work. It's also a good idea to lay your baby on a pillow across your lap, to raise her to the right height.

At The Baby Shows there is plenty of breastfeeding advice available from Midwives Online and the National Childbirth Trust, who have stands at all of our show locations.

Healthy diet while breastfeeding baby

A healthy diet boosts the quality of breast milk
Breastfeeding should fuel your motivation to follow the healthy diet you had during pregnancy. Concentrate on eating:

wholegrains and cereals
fresh fruit and vegetables
foods providing plenty of protein (lean red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, lentils, peas and beans)
calcium (milk and dairy products, canned fish if you eat the bones)
iron (lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals).

Nutritious snacks such as:

yogurt
low-fat milk fruit shakes
sandwiches made from wholemeal bread filled with leafy greens and canned salmon, tuna, cheese or hummous
a jacket potato with baked beans, or
fruit

can all help to boost your energy levels. And drink plenty of fluids to help maintain your milk supply - as much as eight to 12 glasses of water a day is about right to help your body to produce the breast milk you need to feed your baby.