Does What i eat affect how much breastmilk i produce, or is it not healthy to restrictively diet during?

Question

my son was born august 9th, and im breatfeeding. Can i go on my old restrictive diet while im breastfeeding, or is it bad for him?

Answer 1

While breastfeeding, I was ravenous and would get faint so there was no way I could go on a diet. That being said however, while you do need extra calories, eat a well balanced, healthy diet and stay away from the cookies and other such cravings if you wish to get back to your prepregnancy weight quickly. Wish I had been more careful.

Answer 2

Eat a well rounded meal and drink a lot of water and fluids.

You need about 600 extra calories a day to feed baby with your milk.

Restricting your diet is not good for you or your baby.

Eat healthy foods and exercise....starvation is starvation for both of you.

Answer 3

You need extra calories while breastfeeding.  You also need to lose weight slowly.  Sorry, but your body's been through a lot.  Let it carry a few extra pounds for a little while.  It won't last long.

Answer 4

Restricting your diet will probably not affect the quality of your milk.  However, it WILL affect the nutrients your body has for yourself.  

The way your body works is that it gives whatever calories and nutrients you take in to the part that is most needed.  So if you were pregnant and nursing, it would go like this:

The unborn gets first 'dibs"

The milk for the nursing child comes second.

Your body is last.

Since you're nursing, if you don't consume enough calories/nutrients, it's unlikely the milk would be affected because it's first in line - so to speak-, unless you were really eating next to nothing, but your own personal health would definitely be affected.  So it's not good to really diet at this point because you need to be in great health to take care of your baby.

Put off ultra-restrictive diets until much later, if at all.  Lose the weight slowly.