The minerals and vitamins for nursing moms that we have put together here are necessary for every lady to know.
Really, we often advise that you know these things before you begin to give birth.
Our recommendation often comes in form of preparing your body for pregnancy.
The truth is that you will need these minerals and vitamins for nursing moms when you get to that stage.
Basically, once you get pregnant, your body uses up the store of nutrients to form your baby.
Furthermore, these nutrients are necessary to maintain the growth, development, immunity and day-to-day physiological function of the baby and the mom.
Remember, your baby relies on the nutrients from the breast milk to grow.
As such, these vitamins and minerals for nursing moms must be in your diet.
We will also add natural sources of these vitamins to help you get them in their natural state.
The more natural they are, the better.
Vitamins For Nursing Moms
1. Folic Acid/Folate [Vitamin B9]
Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential nutrient that is required for DNA replication.
Also, it helps in the absorption of other vitamins and amino acid.
This is one of the essential vitamins for nursing moms because it helps in producing and maintaining new cells.
A study says during lactation, women are at risk of folate deficiency due to increased demands to accommodate milk folate levels (1).
In fact, this is one reason we recommend that a woman should begin loading her body up with this mineral before pregnancy.
According to the study, folate is well known for its role in preventing neural tube defects during the periconceptional period.
Furthermore, folate is also needed throughout pregnancy to support optimal growth and development of the fetus.
Also, it helps in blood volume expansion and tissue growth of the mother.
Another study says folate deficiency could cause abnormalities in both mothers and the foetus.
The recommended amount per day is 600 mcg for pregnant moms or 500 mcg for nursing moms.
Foods High In Folate
Green vegetables – turnip greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, brussels sprouts and broccoli – are high in folate.
Also, beans – black beans, red kidney beans, lentils are high in folate.
Other foods high in folate are peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fresh fruits, whole grains, liver and seafoods.
2. Vitamin B12
This vitamin helps to create and maintain DNA and RNA. These are the generic templates from which our cells are formed.
Basically, a growing baby’s body makes new cells very fast.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infants need vitamin B12 for supporting brain development and producing healthy red blood cells (2).
The CDC states that infants who do not get adequate vitamin B12 can become deficient.
If left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency in infants can lead to permanent brain damage.
The recommended daily amount is 2.4mcg.
Sources Of Vitamin vitamin B12
To get a load of this vitamin during breastfeeding, moms should eat beef, liver, and chicken.
Others foods high in this vitamin are fish and shellfish such as trout, salmon, tuna fish, and clams.
Yoghurt, egg and cheese are also rich in this vitamin.
3. Vitamin B6
Also, this vitamin plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous and immune system.
This is indeed one of the essential minerals vitamins for nursing moms. But most mothers do not get enough of it.
The deficiency could result in low energy since it helps in turning food into energy.
Also, vitamin B6 helps create neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. It is one of the eight B vitamins that are important for proper cell function.
However, it is important to note that a study says, for some infants, human milk alone, without supplementary foods, may be insufficient to meet vitamin B6 needs after 6 months of age (3).
The recommended daily amount is 2.0mg.
Sources Of Vitamin B6
You can get vitamin B6 from fish, beef liver and other organ meats.
It is also in sweet potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and non-citrus fruits – avocado, banana, pistachios.
4. Vitamin D
Here, again is one of the essential vitamins for nursing moms.
Unfortunately, some nursing moms could slip into a deficiency of vitamin D.
The reason is because some of them avoid being in the sun.
Vitamin D is essentially made in the skin from the combination of cholesterol and ultraviolet rays from the sun.
You see, the ultraviolet rays are not that bad for you.
A woman who is exclusively breastfeeding her child, but kept completely out of the sun could become deficient in Vitamin D.
However, adequate amount of this vitamin for a mom and her baby could come by just getting 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine 2 or 3 days in a week.
Also, if a nursing mom gets adequate exposure to sunlight, her baby will get adequate amount of vitamin D from breast milk.
Note that lack of this vitamin could lead to bone deformities in children.
In adults, it could lead to bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
The recommended daily amount is 200 IU.
Other Sources Of Vitamin D
Also, you can get vitamin D from liver, oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Other sources are red meat, liver and egg yolks.
5. Vitamin C
This is one of the essential minerals and vitamins for nursing moms.
It is important because it helps in the functioning of the immune system of both the mom and baby.
This vitamin also doubles as an antioxidant, warding off antibodies from being harmful to both the mom and baby.
The recommended daily amount for pregnant women is 80mg.
Sources Of Vitamin C
You can get vitamin C from citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet red pepper, broccoli.
6. Vitamin A
According to the National Institutes of Health a breastfeeding mom needs 1,200 to 1,300 mcg of vitamin A daily.
However, this depends on the age of the individual.
You can get this vitamin from eggs, butter, milk, and fruits like apple, mango and pink or red grapefruit.
Other fruits are papaya, watermelon and tangerine.
7. Vitamin K
This is one of the vitamins for nursing moms that you need to get from your foods as well.
Due to the importance of this vitamin and the chances of a newborn getting a low amount of it from breast milk, babies are given 1 mg of vitamin K, intramuscularly at birth (4).
However, a mother can provide a reasonable amount of this vitamin for her baby if she takes foods that are rich in it.
Green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and lettuce are high in this vitamin.
Minerals For Nursing Moms
Added to these vitamins for nursing moms are other minerals that are essential.
They help in the development of your baby and your good health before conception, through the stages and after birth.
1. Iron
Basically, for the first 6 months after birth, a baby relies on her mother’s iron store.
However, after 6 months, it is important to add foods that are high in iron in the baby’s diet.
A study says the amount of iron from breast milk is sufficient to meet requirements in breastfed infants during the first 6 months of life.
However, for a mother to get enough iron to share with her baby, she needs to load up on iron-rich foods.
Sources Of Iron
Red meat, pork and poultry, seafood, beans and dark leafy green vegetables are rich in iron.
Also add to your diet, dried fruit, such as raisins, apricots and peas.
2. Calcium
Indeed, this is another mineral necessary for nursing moms.
Basically, the suggested daily intake of calcium for breastfeeding mothers is between 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams per day.
You can boost your calcium level for your baby to benefit from it by taking milk or yoghurt.
Other foods high in calcium are soy beans, dark leafy greens, figs and cheese.
3. Selenium
Every nursing mom needs to increase the amount of selenium that the child can get from breast milk.
Your best chance is relying on your diet. If you begin to consider this before conception, these amounts of nutrients are often available to the baby.
However, you may consider adding Brazil nuts, tuna, halibut, sardines, roasted ham and shrimps to your diet.
You should also look at eating more of turkey meat during your nursing period.
4. Iodine
Finally, here is a mineral that nursing moms need.
According to the CDC, iodine is a vital component of thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine.
The mother’s thyroid hormone levels affect proper fetal growth and neurological development during pregnancy and after birth (5).
The CDC says although breast milk contains iodine, concentrations can vary based on maternal iodine levels.
“If a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is deficient in iodine, the fetus or infant may be at risk for iodine deficiency and associated cognitive and psychomotor impairments.”
To be sure your baby is getting sufficient iodine, you could add seaweed (nori, kelp, kombu, wakame), fish and shellfish (cod, canned tuna, oysters, shrimp).
Other sources are table salts labeled “iodized”, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) and eggs.
You can also get iodine from beef liver and chicken.
Basically, breastfeeding moms need at least 290 µg per day.
Remember that being intentional about what you eat before pregnancy is key.
It helps ensure that your baby forms well and comes healthy.
Having sufficient amount of this minerals and vitamins for nursing moms will help load your body with the nutrients that you need to carry your baby to term.
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