Physical-consequences
Weight loss
During pregnancy you store about five to ten pounds of body fat. This fat is used for breastfeeding during the first three to six months. The other calories must come from your daily diet. How many calories you need depends on the age of the baby, whether you are active, and on how much breast milk you give.
Usually it is recommended to eat about 300 to 500 kcal extra per day. And let those extras consist mainly of fresh and full products: lean meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruit, fish, vegetable oil and nuts.
Safe weight loss during breastfeeding
A breastfeeding mother can safely lose weight by combining healthy nutrition with moderate exercise. One pound per week of weight loss is considered safe.
If you lose weight faster, waste will be released in your body that ends up in your breast milk. And that is not good for your milk production, nor for the milk quality.
What if you do not eat healthily? Your body takes good care of the baby, by making high quality breast milk. Even if you do not eat healthy enough. If you eat too few calories, vitamins and minerals, they are withdrawn from your body to produce the milk. As a result, you can become nauseous or limp, and more susceptible to infections, but the milk for your child remains of excellent quality.
Painful nipples
Most women suffer from "normal" painful nipples in the first few weeks. That is because the nipples have to adapt to breastfeeding. Normal pain is usually not severe and will not affect the desire to breastfeed. However, a number of women will experience problems with their nipples, which may be particularly painful. Then we talk about nipple holes; small wounds on the transition from nipple to areola. These wounds are often caused by a wrong technique and / or posture during breastfeeding.
Normal nipple sensitivity and discomfort:
- the pain is short-lived
- the pain comes especially during the beginning of the diet
- the pain disappears quickly again
- the pain is reduced every day after the colostrum has given way to mature breast milk
- the pain disappears after the second week of breastfeeding
Unusual nipple pain:
- the pain keeps on during the entire time
- the pain worsens during over time
- the mother has severe pain
- visible nipple lesions such as cracks and bleeding nipples or flattened nipples
- itching or burning sensation after feeding or a sharp stabbing pain.
Also see these information articles: · Breastfeeding · Benefits · Bottling · Breastfeeding diapers · Changing food · Clustering · Duration · Empty days · Let down reflex · Menstruation · Milk channels and breast inflammation · Milk production · Nipples · Positioning · Quickly stopping · Reasons to stop · Tandem feeding · Thrush
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