Dr. Morice, an OB/GYN in Morgan City, LA, specializes in low-cost tubal reversal surgery The success rate of Dr. Morice’s tubal reversal surgeries is around 75%. Therefore, many of his patients need tips on how to maintain a healthy diet when breastfeeding.
Whether or not you have had a tubal reversal, it is important to eat right when breastfeeding.
1) Eat enough. On average, breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day. That is a lot of calories! Therefore, it’s important to eat enough when breastfeeding. Listen to your body: eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Choose nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to ensure you’re getting the full range of vitamins and minerals that you need.
2) Lose weight slowly. Some women will be anxious to start losing their pregnancy weight. However, your body needs adequate nutrition now just as much as during pregnancy. Cutting calories or exercising too much may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This can leave you feeling exhausted and inhibit you from producing the necessary amount of breast milk. Give yourself a year to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, and don’t start dieting for at least 2 months after giving birth.
3) Avoid contaminants: Chemicals that you eat while breastfeeding can make their way into your breast milk and be passed on to your baby. These include pesticides and insecticides often found on fruits and vegetables. Choose organic produce whenever you can when breastfeeding. Also, avoid the fatty parts of meat. Chemicals are naturally stored in fat, so cutting off these sections helps lower your contaminant exposure. Lastly, invest in a water filter such, such as a Brita, to ensure your drinking water is clear of contaminants. Tap water is supposed to be safe, but you never know what can be in there that could harm your developing baby.
4) Drink alcohol sparingly. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol altogether when breastfeeding. If you would like to have a drink, however, time it right. It takes your body about 2-3 hours to eliminate any alcohol that you take in. Therefore, if you’re going to have a drink, be sure to have it 2-3 hours before your baby will be hungry again. Alcohol is not permanently stored in breast milk. Therefore, after 1 drink, your breast milk should be alcohol free in 3 hours. You can also pump milk and store it for later before having alcohol. Be sure to eat a meal and drink a lot of water when having a drink to help keep your blood alcohol level low.
5) Drink twice as much water as usual. Your body needs 128 ounces of water a day when breastfeeding. That is 16 cups of water! Drink water regularly. The color of your urine will help tell you if you are dehydrated. Bright yellow means you need to drink more water!
6) Limit your intake of large fish. Large fish, such as shark, swordfish, mackerel, and tilefish should be limited to 6 oz per week. These fish can contain high levels of mercury.
Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to supply the most nutritious food to your baby and is a great way to bond with your newborn. The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous. Continue to maintain a healthy diet and you and your baby will both be happy.
If you have had a tubal ligation and are considering a tubal reversal, contact Dr. Morice. Dr. Morice specialized in low-cost, successful tubal reversal surgery at his state-of-the-art Atchafalaya clinic. Contact us at (985) 702-BABY or email us at drmorice@mybabydoc.com to learn more.
