How to Breastfeed on a Vegan Diet
Get at least 1300 mg of calcium a day to make your baby’s bones strong., Go for walks in the sun to make sure you are getting around 0.10 mg of Vitamin D each day., Take iron supplements so that you are consuming 10 mg of iron a day., Make sure...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get at least 1300 mg of calcium a day to make your baby’s bones strong.
As a vegan mother who is breastfeeding, you need to ensure you're getting enough calcium in your diet.
Calcium is one of the most essential nutrients to get while breastfeeding as it will help your baby to grow up with strong bones.
You can take a calcium supplement or eat calcium-rich foods like:
Dark green leafy veggies like kale, spinach, and bok choy.
Calcium-fortified soy milk.
Tofu made with calcium sulfate. -
Step 2: Go for walks in the sun to make sure you are getting around 0.10 mg of Vitamin D each day.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.
Unless you live in a very cloudy area, you are most likely getting enough vitamin D simply by spending time in the sun.Going for walks in the early morning hours is the perfect way to get your daily intake of vitamin D. , Iron has many important functions: it helps build blood cells, transports other nutrients to vital organs after metabolism and helps your baby to grow at a regular rate.
Good sources of iron include:
Pumpkin seeds, tofu, raisins, whole wheat breads, sunflower seeds and parsley.
Your doctor may also recommend that you take an oral multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement, containing 18 mg of iron daily while you breastfeed to prevent anemia.
These supplements generally contain ferrous, ferrous sulfate, ferrous citrate, ferric gluconate, or ferric sulfate that are types of elemental iron. , Folic acid, which is also known as vitamin B9, plays a role in helping the body to make new cells.
Often, doctors will recommend that breastfeeding women keep taking their prenatal multivitamins while they are breastfeeding because this is one of the easiest ways to get folic acid every day.Foods that contain folic acid include:
Dark greens like collard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, and turnip greens.
Asparagus and broccoli.
Citrus fruits like papaya, grapefruits, and oranges.
Beans, peas, and lentils. , Vitamin B12 plays a large part in the development of your baby’s brain.
Because of this, it is important that you get a good amount of this vitamin each day.To get enough vitamin B12, you can take supplements or use yeast or fermented soy beans.
You can also eat B12 fortified cereals, whole-wheat breads, and whole-wheat pasta. , Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is not stored in the body for very long.
Water-soluble vitamins can get removed from food when the food is boiled, so it is best to grill or steam vitamin C-rich vegetables (if cooking them at all).
You can take a supplement or eat foods like:
Yellow bell peppers.
Guavas.
Dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, and spinach.
Kiwi.
Broccoli.
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. , Iodine is a nutrient that you need in very small quantities but that is still important.
It plays a role in the proper development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.
The best way to this is to take an iodine supplement that contains exactly 250 μg.You can also eat foods that contain traces of iodine like:
Sesame seed butter, onions, artichokes, garlic, and vegetables grown in iodine rich soil, to increase your iodine intake. -
Step 3: Take iron supplements so that you are consuming 10 mg of iron a day.
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Step 4: Make sure you’re roughly 500 mcg of folic acid (vitamin B9) daily.
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Step 5: Consume 2000 mcg of vitamin B12 every day.
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Step 6: Increase your vitamin C intake to roughly 40 mg a day.
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Step 7: Eat foods that are rich in iodine to keep your iodine levels at around 250 micrograms a day.
Detailed Guide
As a vegan mother who is breastfeeding, you need to ensure you're getting enough calcium in your diet.
Calcium is one of the most essential nutrients to get while breastfeeding as it will help your baby to grow up with strong bones.
You can take a calcium supplement or eat calcium-rich foods like:
Dark green leafy veggies like kale, spinach, and bok choy.
Calcium-fortified soy milk.
Tofu made with calcium sulfate.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.
Unless you live in a very cloudy area, you are most likely getting enough vitamin D simply by spending time in the sun.Going for walks in the early morning hours is the perfect way to get your daily intake of vitamin D. , Iron has many important functions: it helps build blood cells, transports other nutrients to vital organs after metabolism and helps your baby to grow at a regular rate.
Good sources of iron include:
Pumpkin seeds, tofu, raisins, whole wheat breads, sunflower seeds and parsley.
Your doctor may also recommend that you take an oral multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement, containing 18 mg of iron daily while you breastfeed to prevent anemia.
These supplements generally contain ferrous, ferrous sulfate, ferrous citrate, ferric gluconate, or ferric sulfate that are types of elemental iron. , Folic acid, which is also known as vitamin B9, plays a role in helping the body to make new cells.
Often, doctors will recommend that breastfeeding women keep taking their prenatal multivitamins while they are breastfeeding because this is one of the easiest ways to get folic acid every day.Foods that contain folic acid include:
Dark greens like collard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, and turnip greens.
Asparagus and broccoli.
Citrus fruits like papaya, grapefruits, and oranges.
Beans, peas, and lentils. , Vitamin B12 plays a large part in the development of your baby’s brain.
Because of this, it is important that you get a good amount of this vitamin each day.To get enough vitamin B12, you can take supplements or use yeast or fermented soy beans.
You can also eat B12 fortified cereals, whole-wheat breads, and whole-wheat pasta. , Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is not stored in the body for very long.
Water-soluble vitamins can get removed from food when the food is boiled, so it is best to grill or steam vitamin C-rich vegetables (if cooking them at all).
You can take a supplement or eat foods like:
Yellow bell peppers.
Guavas.
Dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, and spinach.
Kiwi.
Broccoli.
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. , Iodine is a nutrient that you need in very small quantities but that is still important.
It plays a role in the proper development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.
The best way to this is to take an iodine supplement that contains exactly 250 μg.You can also eat foods that contain traces of iodine like:
Sesame seed butter, onions, artichokes, garlic, and vegetables grown in iodine rich soil, to increase your iodine intake.
About the Author
Zachary Perez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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