Pregnancy And Baby Care Articles Breastfeeding

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This may be because of excessive intake of a particular food or even extreme deprivation of essential foods. One of the important breastfeeding advice that doctors would give nursing mothers is to increase their consumption of water per day because a part of the water consumed is directly used in the production of milk. Nursing mothers are also advised to increase their meals during the day and snack on healthy foods such as salads and fruits.


A breastfeeding diet should not include tobacco as the nicotine present in cigarettes is directly passed on to the nursing child via the mother’s milk. Similarly women who are breastfeeding should also not consume alcohol as alcohol enters into the mother’s milk within an hour of being consumed and this will put excess pressure on the baby’s developing liver as well as retard the mental and physical growth of the baby.

Breastfeeding and medications are a tricky combination and hence it is advisable that no medications should be consumed without the knowledge and consent of the doctor. This is because most of the usual antibiotics, chemical laxatives, sulfa drugs and even medicinal products that contain iodine can tend to be hazardous to the baby. Additionally medications that are taken over a long period of time while breastfeeding are also known to be hazardous to the baby and its growth and development. There are however some medications that may be consumed by a breastfeeding mother after prior approval from the doctor such as medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and epilepsy. However even in these medications, it is advisable to first nurse the child and then have the medications so as to minimize the exposure of the baby to the medication. There are also certain medications that need to be strictly avoided while breastfeeding a baby as they tend to reduce the production of breast milk and may also harm the baby.

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