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The New Mom — Healthy Eating now that Baby has Arrived

Even though your body has just gone through wondrous changes, healthy eating is as important as ever. Healthy eating will help provide you the energy to care for your newborn and will make it easier for you to lose the weight gained during pregnancy in a safe and healthy manner.

Healthy Eating While Breastfeeding

Choosing to breastfeed, even partially, is the best way to feed your baby. You may wonder if you have to follow a special breastfeeding diet or avoid certain foods while breastfeeding.

The good news is no. You no longer need to avoid the food you may have avoided during pregnancy. The only foods you should avoid are ones you already have a confirmed food allergy to.

There are many misunderstandings about how food effects breast milk. For example, food that may cause gas such a beans or cabbage, will not cause gas for your baby. Although it is true your breast milk will taste slightly different, depending on what you do eat, there is no need to avoid any food. Having your baby taste different flavours through your breast milk may make your baby a better eater later on.

Losing Weight after Pregnancy

Having a baby brings many changes, including changes to your body. Your body may not look the way it did nine months ago. If you are anxious to lose the weight gained during pregnanc, have patience; it will take time to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.

Remember fad diets don't work!

If you want to lose weight after giving birth, choose nutrient-rich foods more often and monitor your portion size. Follow your appetite to determine how much food to eat. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you feel full.

If you are breastfeeding, restricting your diet too much may lower your milk supply. Once breastfeeding is well established, you can reduce your calorie intake by about 500 calories per day compared to when you were pregnant without affecting your breast milk supply or quality.

Once your health care professional says it's ok to exercise, include physical activity on a daily basis. Ideas may include:

• Taking your baby for walk in the park or in the mall
  
  
• Joining a post-natal mom and baby fitness class
  

• Doing a yoga or low-impact fitness DVD at home
  
  
• Starting your own stroller walking group with local parents and friends

Combining exercise with healthy eating is the best way to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.

Additional Resources and Information

A complete listing of all fact sheets and resources on nutrition before, during and after pregnancy is available on the Nutrition Services Fact Sheets and Resources Page.

The following list of websites provides additional information on healthy eating and physical activity during pregnancy.

Motheris: Canada's experts on the safety of medications, infections, chemicals, and exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A service provided by the Hospital for Sick Children

Physical Activity Guid: Public Health Agency of Canada's Guide to Physical Activity for healthy active living

EatRight Ontari: Email a Registered Dietitian your nutrition questions or read one of many articles on healthy eating. You can also speak to a Registered Dietitian at 1-877-510-5102

To learn about parenting classes available at Ontario Early Years Centres throughout York Region visit the Ontario Early Years website