Today we are celebrating #kidseatright by highlighting #worldbreastfeedingweek!
Breastfeeding is a complex choice and may not always be the best choice for baby, mother or the family unit due to a multitude of reasons. And while choosing to breastfeed isn’t an easy decision, it is a nourishing one (just as formula feeding is).
Breastmilk contains up to 50% calories from fat, 40% from carbohydrate and 10% from proteins along with all essential vitamins and minerals. While breastmilk contains Vitamin D and iron, there may not be enough content to meet the infant's needs. Vitamin D should be supplemented to baby at 400 IU/d or a breastfeeding mother can supplement herself with 6400 IU/d to increase the Vitamin D content enough in her breastmilk that it will suffice baby's needs. Iron on the other hand is not needed in an infant's diet until 4-6 months as stores from in-utero will provide sufficient blood levels of iron during the first few months of life. Considerations for early iron supplementation should be considered for pre-term and early term infants as well as infants of mothers with poorly controlled anemia of pregnancy. Iron foods should be introduced and consumed regularly by the 6 months of age, or supplementation should be considered if baby is still 100% breastfed.
Breastmilk is diverse in its composition with types of proteins changing as the infant matures. Early term breastmilk consists of mainly whey protein (80%) which decrease over time towards 50% of whey protein. (Comparatively, most infant formulas are 50:50 whey to casein proteins and therefore may be less tolerated over the first several weeks to months as casein proteins are harder to digest).
When directly breastfeeding, the beginning stages of breastmilk consumed is called foremilk and is primarily lactose; this helps hydrate baby. After foremilk, hindmilk is expressed, which is high in fat content. For this reason, it is important to feed fully on one breast before offering the second breast. If each breast is offered for a limited number of minutes and baby primarily consumes foremilk, they may have more gas, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Additionally, fat found hindmilk is important for growth, inflammatory responses, immune function, brain development and more! Fat content/type of fats in breastmilk are first dependent on weight gain during pregnancy and later on mother’s diet with a diet high in fish, nuts and seeds producing higher concentrations of DHA in breastmilk.
It is important to note that breastmilk typically remains consistent in its nutrient content and will supply sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals despite mother's nutritional status. Because of this, breastfeeding mothers who are not prioritizing their nutritional intake may become deficient in nutrients themselves as our bodies will pull from stores to provide adequate breastmilk content to baby. Breastfeeding mothers are recommended to continue a prenatal vitamin regimen throughout breastfeeding to help combat nutrient deficiencies. It is also estimated that breastfeeding burns 400-600 calories daily; this can be useful for postpartum weight loss when a good nutrition and exercise plan is in place.
There is so much more to learn about breastfeeding and the nutrition behind breastmilk, it is a fascinating thing that our bodies do! Learn more about yours and your infants unique nutritional needs throughout breastfeeding by scheduling and appointment today: https://www.panhandlenutritiontherapy.com. And happy #worldbreastfeedingweek!
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