Do you know..The Breastfeeding Diet?

Welcome to the business of milking and breastfeeding! It certainly isn't going to be easy, but here's some tips on the type of diet to take to help you get on the right track in this moo-moo journey.

Milk production burns 500 calories a day, which means that when you're breastfeeding, you'll get to eat an extra 500 calories a day (up from your pre-pregnancy numbers) to meet that need.


Quality matters as much as quantity, especially if you expect to stay vertical during those long postpartum days (and even longer nights). It's not difficult now that you're an old pro at eating well — what with all the practice you've had for the past nine months during your pregnancy.

Moreover, eating well while breastfeeding is very much like eating well during pregnancy, with slightly more relaxed rules. Go for plenty of healthy foods and steer clear of the less healthy ones.

Lastly, while calories definitely count, you still won't need to count them:

What to eat. Like eating well during pregnancy, eating well while breastfeeding entails getting the right balance of good food. The following is highly recommended for daily intake:

    Protein: three servings
    Calcium: five servings (that's an increase from your pregnancy requirement of four)
    Iron-rich foods: one or more servings
    Vitamin C: two servings
    Green leafy and yellow vegetables, yellow fruits: three to four servings
    Other fruits and veggies: one or more servings
    Whole-grain and other concentrated complex carbohydrates: three or more servings
    High-fat foods: eat sparingly — you don't need as much as you did during pregnancy
    Eight cups of water, juice, or other noncaffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages
    DHA-rich foods to promote baby's brain growth (look for it in wild salmon and sardines, as well as DHA-enriched eggs)
    Prenatal vitamin daily

My Overall Weight gain during 2nd pregnancy Jan 2014

- second trimester

19th week: 0.248kg

21st week: 0.447kg, foetus gained 0.199kg; I weigh ?kg, gained ?kg

25th week: 0.777kg, foetus gained 0.33kg; I weigh ?kg, gained ?kg

- third trimester

28th week: 1.187kg, foetus gained 0.41kg; I weigh 44.7?kg, gained ?kg

31st week: 1.677kg, foetus gained 0.49kg; I weigh 45.8?kg, gained ?kg

34th week: 2.233kg, foetus gained 0.556kg; I weigh 49.1kg, gained 3.3kg

36th week: 2.588kg, foetus gained 0.355kg; I weigh 48.9kg, gained 0.4?kg

37th week: 2.743kg, foetus gained 0.155kg; I weigh 49.2kg, gained 0.3kg


38th week: 2.949kg, foetus gained 0.275?kg; I weigh 50.4kg, gained 1.7?kg

39th week: 2.988kg, foetus gained 0.05?kg; I weigh 50kg, gained ?kg

40th week: 2.9?kg; I weigh 49kg, lost 1?kg

40th week+2d: 2.615kg; I weigh 49?kg, lost 1?kg

Total weight gained: 8-9?kg

20 Good foods for New Mothers during Postpartum 坐月子

Do you know.. The following A-Z food are also good for anyone else in the family:

Abalone for its protein and vitamin E
Angelica (dang gui 当归 ) to enhance blood circulation
Black fungus (hei mu er 黑木耳) to cleanse the arteries
Black vinegar (hei cu 黑醋) to purify the blood
Blueberries as they are rich in antioxidants
Chestnuts (li zi 栗子) to invigorate and resolve irritability
Chicken to improve mood
Chinese wolfberry (gou qi 枸杞) to nourish liver, kidneys and eyes
Dark-coloured beans for being rich in fibre and folate
Dried longan (long yan gan 龙眼干) to promote restful sleep
Eucommia bark (du zhong 杜仲) for the kidneys, sinews and bones
Eggs to nourish the body and complexion
Fish, especially salmon, as a source of protein and Omega-3 fats
Lean beef as it is rich in iron, for energy
Low-fat dairy products as a source of calcium
Old ginger (lao jiang 老姜) to warm the body
Polygonum multiflorum (he shou wu 何首乌) to prevent hair loss
Red dates (hong zao 红枣) to improve energy and calm the mind
Sesame oil (xiang ma you 香麻油) for being rich in vitamin E, iron and calcium
Turmeric (huang jiang 黄姜)  for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties