And The Stomach Grunts Again🙄🤔

Is breastfeeding making you more hungry and thirsty all the time? 

Always thinking what should you eat next?

Breastfeeding has all sorts of benefits for both mom and the baby.

Breast milk is very nutritious and contains most of the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months. 

Breastfeeding burns more fats than any other exercise could.

Therefore, your needs for most nutrients are increased in order to meet this demand.

Do eat, don't think about your body shape or post-pregnancy weight. It will shred when the time comes.

Post-pregnancy, the nights are always long and the day quite a bit sleepy.

So, if you are awake the whole night feeding your baby, you definitely must be feeling hungry and thirsty most of the time.

It is incredibly important to eat healthy while breastfeeding.

Healthy eating will also give you the energy you need to take care of yourself and your baby.

You also have an increased need for most nutrients, so it's very important to eat a healthy and full nutritional diet.

You might be tempted to lose weight quickly after delivery, but you need to be patient. It is completely normal not to lose any weight or even gain some, during the first 3 months of breastfeeding.

Due to hormonal changes in your body, you may have a bigger appetite and be always hungry. 

Food and sleep are the only few things always on your mind?

Restricting calories too much, especially during the first few months of breastfeeding may decrease both your milk supply and much-needed energy levels.

The need for calories and food will always be high, meeting the required amount of nutrients the body is demanding is very important to maintain and develop your milk supply.

Not meeting the nutritional need of the body will give you less milk supply and not increase the weight of the baby.

So the question arises what to eat when you are hungry-

• Keep a water bottle basically warm one to reduce your tummy, I had done this. It did help at some point.
• Keep some nuts fried in butter with salt, near your bed.
• Example - Almonds, cashew nuts, dates, walnuts, which are very rich in proteins. These are easily available snacks and best to munch on a long awake night while breastfeeding.
• Keep some besan or fenugreek laddus. Fenugreek laddus help in increasing milk supply.
• Have some fox nuts fried in desi butter (ghee), these are the best snacks during the night with lots of calcium in it.
• Have a glass of hot milk.
• Make some snacks of whole wheat grains, like chips or small fried pooris.
• Have ample and variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Have Aliv kheer which is known as (garden cress seed)
• Recipe -Soak them in milk for 1hour. Then take a pan and add those soaked seeds to the pan and let the milk boil for few minutes. The seeds will become fluffy and soft. Add some jaggery and dry fruits for taste. Serve it hot. This is a very good food to increase your milk supply.
• Gond laddu (edible glue laddus) made in desi butter (ghee).

Try eating the food which is slightly heavy and filled with ample nutrients.

Remember to eat as much as your body is asking for, don't overeat or don't starve yourself.

The main concern during that time should be feeding your baby and eating a healthy nourished balanced diet.

This is what I ate when I was hungry during those long nights.

Please let us know for any other suggestions for the same.

Happy Parenting.

Do read my next blog on how to increase your milk supply.