Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can be a very difficult and emotional journey with mums just wanting to do their absolute best for their baby. Our dietitians that specialise in postnatal nutrition are mums too and understand how overwhelming the misinformation on this topic can be! We strive to support mum and bub on their breastfeeding journey by giving you the latest evidence-based information in a practical, non-judgemental way to take some of the stress out of this time and ensure you’re optimising your nutrition to give yourself the best chance at a positive and successful breastfeeding journey! We will typically look at mum’s energy intake, macro and micronutrient intake and fluid and adjust things to optimise breast milk supply and quality. Ensuring mum’s energy and macronutrient requirements are being met will help to increase milk supply, keeping baby satisfied and happy! It is also very important to ensure your fluid intake is increased and this is dependent on the age of your baby, your weight, activity levels and climatic factors. When breastfeeding, certain micronutrient intakes also need to be increased. Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, Iodine and Zinc are the main ones we will look at increasing in your diet during this time. Bites dietitians can take the guesswork out of things, calculate your specific needs and incorporate these needs into a tailored dietary plan that is quick and easy to follow!

Alternatively, some foods consumed can decrease breast milk supply if eaten in large quantities and we can guide you to make adjustments to your diet if necessary. If infants are allergic or intolerant to a food that has been consumed by the mother, reactions can occur between 4-24 hours after the mother has consumed the food and we are able to help you navigate the world of food allergy intolerance and refer you to local allergy specialists, paediatricians and/or immunologists if we think you need more help here! We understand that breastfeeding can be a difficult time for some mums and hope that we can help to support your journey in a positive way.