Eat well, Nurse right!

While many foods contribute to the development of the breastfeeding mum and baby, others can cause adverse effects. Dr Sreeja Rani V R shows you how to maintain a balanced diet for the healthy development of your newborn..

- Dr Sreeja Rani V R

Giving birth to a baby is a beautiful process. The magic when everything goes right, and the tiny, delicate newborn lies snug in your loving arms after nine long months. However, in the run-up to this moment of joy, expectant mums have to change their entire lifestyles— giving up alcohol, raw eggs, and artificial sweeteners to ensure that the new life in the womb enters the world in good health.

While prenatal diet holds the key to avoiding complications such as anemia (deficiency of oxygen in red blood cells), low birth weight and birth defects, postnatal diet is equally important for the healthy development of the newborn. By the second trimester of pregnancy, expectant mums crave for more calories, simply because the baby in the womb demands it from inside. Once a mum takes in her food, it is broken down in her stomach by various enzymes before the blood absorbs the various nutrients. These nutrients are then transferred to the fetus through the placenta. So, when a newborn finally comes out into the world after nine months of being in the mum’s womb, the best way for her to consume food is through breastfeeding.