We all embrace new motherhood with lot of love and tenderness. This Indian diet plan for lactating mothers will help you in your journey. “Now you need to eat for two!”, we have often heard this statement in Indian Households after a woman gives birth. Well, a lactating mother does need to eat both for herself and her baby. This Indian diet plan for lactating mothers will help you clear the air .
Image :Copyright: Copyright: 123RF Stock Photo
Needless to say that a mother’s body is really weak after delivery; she also needs to get extra nutrition to be able to deliver nutrients to her little one. An infant is completely dependent on the mother for all his/her needs, be it food, hygiene, sleep or attachment. The child gets all the nutrition from the mother’s milk unless the mother isn’t able to secrete milk due to a problem. The child eats whatever goes in his mummy’s tummy! Often, the child is even able to taste the food in the mother’s milk.
It is true that a lactating mother needs to eat for two people as long as she’s going to be feeding the baby. The mother must get sufficient nutrition else the baby will derive nutrients from the mother’s body and she may suffer from nutritional deficiencies and many other problems.
Lactating mothers feel hungry more often and they should eat whenever they feel so. When a baby doesn’t get nutritious milk, She will become unhealthy and also demand frequent feeds. The stress should be on getting extra nutrition and not extra calories. This is important both for the mother and the baby. Extra calories are only going to add on the weight and will not help with the growth of the baby nor will they give strength to the mother. Our Indian diet plan for lactating mothers will give you an insight on the right food choices you need to make.
Before we move on to see the Indian diet plan for lactating mothers, Let us first see the list of foods that you should include and those you should avoid while lactating .
Foods to include in Indian diet plan for lactating mothers-
When a mother is breast feeding, she needs to include galactogogues in her diet. Galactogogues are those foods that facilitate milk production and increase it. You must eat foods that give strength and speed up the process of healing. In the earlier times the mother was made to eat khichdi more often but nowadays doctors recommend eating a normal diet after 2-3 days of delivery. Here are some foods that should be included in the Indian diet plan for lactating mothers:
-
Proteins-
The baby is in the growing stage and needs lots of proteins. Mothers must eat lots of proteins for 2 reasons . one to meet the growing baby’s requirement and for self healing .
Protein Foods to include in a lactating mothers diet – soy bean, chicken, grilled fish and egg whites can be included in less spicy and grilled form after 15 days of delivery . Mothers can also get proteins by drinking a glass of milk with a spoon of protein powder recommended by the gynecologist.Take Milk 2 times a day. Soaked Almonds (15 pieces per day). Vegetarian moms can include a lot of orange masoor dal as it helps in increasing the milk supply. you can also include Mung dal , Paneer and cheese in your diet .
Avoid Curd intake in the first 2 months after delivery . You can start eating curd from 3rd month onward.Consume Chickpeas and lentils in lesser quantity. Introduce these foods in mothers diet after 20 – 25 days of delivery . If you feel that lentils are hard on your digestion or your baby’s digestion . Skip it till you baby turns 3 month old. then reintroduce these foods. Lentils are gas causing foods and a little harsh on digestion of the new born.
-
Liquids –
A lactating mother should drink ample liquids since it helps in milk production. Less intake can lead to dehydration and decreased supply of milk. (Read – Benefits of Beetroot Juice)
-
Whole grains –
Eat lots of whole grains and whole grain foods since these are highly nutritious and easily digestible.
-
Vitamins –
Consume Green leafy vegetables and fruits periodically in order to get lots of vitamins and minerals. They help in better milk production and a good let down effect. Vitamins are essential for proper growth of the baby and to get the systems to function normally in a mother after delivery .
-
Herbal teas or Herbal Infusions –
One can drink herbal teas prepared with ingredients that are safe to take while breast feeding. The biggest advantage of drinking herbal tea is that it doesn’t contain caffeine. you can buy ready herbal mix or make your own at home .
Ingredients to use for Home made herbal Infusions –
- Ajwain or Gondh katira – Ajwain infused water is beneficial in correcting the digestion issues and getting the entire digestive system to work right after the baby’s birth . It helps the mother shed some fat and clear the blood clots with easy .
- Mint leaves and some Cloves or sounf / fennel seeds – This drink increases the milk secretions and thus facilitates lactation.
- Lemon grass and Ginger – Ginger helps a lot in healing and as a pain reliever in women after delivery .
You may be interested in reading –
-
Iron and Calcium –
A lot of women stop taking their Iron and calcium medicines after delivery . If you do so , Eat foods that are rich in iron and calcium. The mother loses lots of blood during delivery and needs to renew her iron stores. Calcium is needed for the healthy bones and teeth of the baby. It is also needed to replenish the lost calcium from he mother body.
Sources of Iron food in lactating Mothers diet – Non vegetarian mom can include liver and organ meat of chicken and duck. meats like pork , lamb and beef. Sea foods like oysters, sardines, mussels and shell fish . Vegetarian moms can include dry beans , black eyed peas and green peas. cabbage, broccoli, kale and turnip greens.Foods cooked in iron vessels with tomatoes will also provide some iron . Pressed rice (Poha ) and Puffed rice are good sources too. Jaggery is a good source too.
Sources of Calcium food in lactating Mothers diet – Milk and milk products like curd , cheese and paneer . Fishes with soft bones like salmon , anchovies and sardines. Leafy vegetables like Spinach, kale, mustard greens, and turnip tops.
-
Galactogogues –
Galactogogues are an essential part of a lactating mother’s meals. They help to increase the milk supply and meet the growing needs of the baby. These can be easily incorporated in our day to recipes and given to the mother. We have incorporated these Galactogogues in our Indian diet plan for lactating mothers
Foods to avoid in Indian diet plan for lactating mothers
A lactating mother needs to eat carefully. She cannot eat certain type of foods yet since some foods are difficult to digest and some foods are not good for the baby. Here are some foods that are better avoided Indian diet plan for lactating mothers.
-
Spicy foods –
Your child does get a taste of everything you eat so it is better to avoid spicy and strongly flavored foods. If your child drinks spicy milk, he/she might not like to take a feed again.
- Oily foods –
Avoid having too many fried and oily foods. Oily foods are heavy and hard to digest. Ghee and oil should be used in moderation while cooking food for a breastfeeding mother since she doesn’t have much activity and this can lead to weight gain.
- Cruciferous vegetables –
Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and asparagus are cruciferous. Avoid them. These are difficult to digest and can cause infant colic and gas. Legumes like rajma, chana and soya beans should also be avoided for the first 2-3 months after .
-
No aerated drinks –
Try not to rely on aerated drinks to quench your thirst as they only contain artificial sugar and calories. Packaged juices are fattening too. Hence it is better to have home made fresh juices instead of buying packaged juices..
-
Caffeinated drinks –
Caffeine is best avoided as it is a diuretic and will only make you rush to the washroom more often. They also cause heartburn and nausea. If you really want to have tea, try herbal tea.
-
Cigarettes –
Cigarette smoking can affect the growth of the baby. Hence it should be avoided.
-
Alcohol –
Alcohol contains nicotine and toxins which can prove to be harmful for the baby , thus it is better to avoid drinking while you’re breastfeeding. Alcohol can pass on from the blood in to your breast milk and thus it can affect the baby adversely.
It is very important to not give up . There will be instances where you will feel or others in the family will make you feel that your milk is not sufficient for your baby. The baby will become cranky or demand more often for feeds . But these are all phases. According to the baby sciences , every baby gets cranky and more demanding once in a month or 45 day on account of the sudden growth spurt. Deal with it. Be patient and don’t give up on breast feeding. These are the times when you get desperate and seek help and support. Our Indian diet plan for lactating mothers is planned in such a way that it will pacify you through such situations with ease.
Now we know of what food to eat and what food is to be avoided. Let us now see the detailed Indian diet plan for lactating mothers.
Indian diet plan for lactating mothers –
Here is an Indian diet plan for Lactating Mothers for reference.
| Food Item | Calorie (Kcal) | Protein (Gms ) | Nutrifact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Morning : (7.00 Am) | |||
| Hot Milk (1 glass) with 1 tsp shatawari powder | 150 | 4 | Milk Is the best way to start your day, It will cool the acid rush down, and the calcium and protein in milk will be are absorbed better on empty stomach |
| Soaked Almonds (6 – 10 pieces) | 100 | 8 | It is a good source of protein and omega 3 acids |
| 1 tsp Flax seeds / sunflower seeds | – | – | omega 3 mix |
| 2 tsp carom seeds | – | – | This will help in digestion and lactation |
| Breakfast (9.00 Am) | |||
| Broken wheat upama / Daliya with lots of veggies | 150 | 4 | Provides essential nutrients to baby through breast milk. helps in healing and replenishing mother’s Vitamin stores. cashew helps in lactation. |
| Curd 1 small Bowl
(Optional . take at room temp.) |
75 | 4 | curd Provides calcium, protein, Vit A and D very beneficial during recovery from delivery . just make sure it is fresh and at room temperature. |
| OR | |||
| Egg Omlette(2 No.) | 160 | 10 | Eggs are easy to make and best sources of proteins that helps in baby’s growth when you feed. |
| Toasted Brown Bread(2 slices) | 100 | 3 | – |
| OR | |||
| Oats and apple porridge with raisin and Almonds (1 soup bowl) | 250 | 3 | Multi nutrients from apple and oats and good fiber to tackle constipation and help your bowel functions back to normal. |
| 11.00 Am | |||
| Apple Or Pomegranate (1 medium size) | 40 | – | These fruits help in maintaining hydration and Ph balance. |
| 12.00 Pm | |||
| Coconut water / Ajwain water / herbal tea | 30 | – | It Benefits in constipation, sluggish digestion, heart burn and urinary tract infections. |
| LUNCH(1.00 Pm) | |||
| Chapati / Phulka(2 no) | 200 | 6 | – |
| Red lentil / Masoor Dal with jeera | 150 | 6 | Red Lentils helps in increasing milk productions and over all lactation |
| Palak Paneer(1 small bowl) | 150 | 6 | Spinach is rich in folic acid and iron and helps in maintaining healthy lactation and increases milk secretions. |
| Steamed parval / Bottle gourd/ Ridge gourd – 1 bowl | 60 | Raw salads can be hard on digestion , stirred parval is helpful in changing taste and providing fiber to the new mother. | |
| Chew on fennel seeds | – | – | helps in digestion and lactation |
| 2.30 Pm | |||
| Ajwain water(1 glass) | 40 | 1 | Helps in hydration and heart burn |
| 4.30 Pm | |||
| Milk (1 glass) | 50 | 2 | – |
| 1 Mix Ladoo (coconut,almond and poppy seed ) | 150 | 4 | Helps in lactation. provides calcium and other essential nutrients required for brain development of baby. Poppy seeds helps in keeping headaches at bay. specially if you have migraine problem. |
| 6.00 Pm | |||
| Mix vegetable soup (bottle gourd , beetroot ,carrot , toru, 1/2 tomato) | 100 | 1 | Helps in providing Iron , required to cover up the blood loss. fluids helps in increasing milk secretions. , |
| Dry fruit chikki (made in gurr )(2 small pieces) | 50 | 2 | Good combination of iron and protein |
| 7.00 Pm | |||
| Ajwain water | – | – | Helps in digestion |
| DINNER (8.00 Pm) | |||
| 2 Phulka | 100 | 4 | – |
| Mung / masoor dal with chopped carrots and fenugreek leaves (1 bowl) | 100 | 4 | good combination of protein and iron for baby’s growth and mother’s recovery |
| Toru / parwal / bottle gour sabji (add little milk / paneer while cooking) | 100 | 2 | These veggies are easy on digestion and helps in lactation |
| chew on fennel seeds | – | – | – |
| Walk for 10 – 15 mins at home | – | – | – |
| 10.00 Pm | |||
| Milk(1 glass) | 150 | 4 | Along with good nutrition, a glass of warm milk at bedtime helps in getting a good night sleep. and helps in lactation |
| 10 soaked almonds | 100 | 8 | helps in baby’s brain development and lactation |
| TOTAL | 2155 | 78 | |
Word of Caution –
Above mentioned chart is a reference chart. It may or may not suit your requirement. Hence it is better to use the mentioned items in small quantities to check the suitability before you adapt it completely.
Along with this Indian diet plan for Lactating mothers it is important to walk for 45 mins every day after 3rd month of your pregnancy will ensure you do not put on weight. so dont worry. Eat healthy and walk the walk to keep fit.
The mother should eat something every few hours and also include some moderate exercise in her routine. Each child is different and some need to be fed more often than others. If the mother is unable to digest any food or if the child cries excessively, it is better to consult your gynecologist and pediatrician for advice.Hope our Indian diet plan for lactating mother be of help to you. Happy Breastfeeding !
Hi Payal
In the diet plan you have suggested consumption of flax seeds and carrom seeds with hot milk at 7.00.AM.
Do these need to be taken separately with some time interval or how exactly.
you can take 1 by 1 , take seeds first and then drink milk on top .
Hi….my son is 9 month old now and still breast feeding him. I started weaning him since from six month. And I started dieting along with that. Now i lost nearly10kg by 3 months. Is there any problem for that…?
None , as long as the baby’s growth is up to the mark and he takes top feeds too .
Can you post south indian diet plan for increasing breast milk secretion.how to prepare mix ladoo(coconut,almond and poppy seeds)please share the process of making it.
My baby is almost two months old and weighs 4 kgs.She is only breastfed as of now.Is her weight all right? What are the fruits and dry fruits which can be eaten in the coming months June to September?
Hi Bhavana ,
Bbaies need to be breast fed exclusively till they are 6 months old . you can have all fruits and dryfruits now , just dont over eat any of it . or it will result in lose motions in the baby
Hi Payal,
I am breastfeeding my 1 month baby. However , i feel like my breast milk supply is not much. My family insitsted to eat patla. I started following your diet from today. However, i could feed him formula milk for thrice. And rest of the time tried to bf. once he did try to suck, but he could not suck milk. When i hand expressed , milk came in drop. I was frustrated. What to do
Hi Sneha ,
dont worry , just eat healthy and drink plenty of water … think positive , all this will help you in increasing your milk supply. try to feed him as much as possible . the sucking reflex increases the milk supply . so no matter what you feel you continue to breast feed .
Pls reply
I am a breastfeeding mom of a 21 months old son and a 2+ months old daughter. O have gained a lot of extra pounds. If I reduce rice from my diet chart, will it Affect my milk flow?
no it will not . you can leave it
Very informative article..thank you payel for this blog..i am breastfeeding mom of 2.5 month old baby. I have a question… Can I have icecream..does it harm my baby?
yes wait for another mnth before yopu have ice creams .
Hi Payal,
My baby is 2 months and 15 days old. I am breastfeeding and also giving formula milk. My weight became stagnant at 84 post pregnancy. However I am doing yoga with Surya namaskar for 30min starting from 3 Rd month. My diet includes currently 2 dosas for bf, one glass of milk for mid bf, Rice + Dal+subji+curd for lunch, Evening 1 cup of tea+ 1 biscuit, After 1 hour milk 1 glass and at 10 pm Rice n sabji for dinner. However with the above diet n 30 min rigorous workout from past 20 days my weight was stagnant. I am depressed. Can you please suggest me in losing weight while breastfeeding .
Thanks
increase your workout timings to 45 mins instead of 30 mins . cut the rice , have daliya , roti oats . etc , no fruits in your diet ..
Hi! I am a lactating mother of 7 month old .I want to know how long I have to maintain the do s and don’t the diet you mentioned and how to shape my belly?
for as long as your child is depoendent on breast feeds … you can let loose from these rules slowly and steadily as the baby starts on weaning
Hi Mam, I am a breastfeeding mother , I have 3 months old boy kid. I have below listed few doubts please give me some remedies.
1. He is too gassy . I am having hink n jeera daily.
2. He is getting rashes on n off ( especially on face n around neck) I am using almond oil before bath. Galenco body wash. I stopped eating nuts too.
3. I am drinking lemon n honey with water in the morning, and I m craving chocolates after my meal .will these affects my little one in anyway ?
Hi Shanti ,
1] hing and zeera is gud . watch other foods you eat there must be something in your diet that is not suiting him .. check for urad dal items , say idli … or channa dal , sprouts , channa, chola , rajma ,
2] a doctor has to check this .. may be the oil is not suiting him .. or the cream that you are using …
3] dont feed him immediately after lemon water … choclates wil not matter much if you use only a piece , normally dark chocolates have caffeeie which reaches the baby through milk and may affect on the long run .. the babies become hyperactive and sleep less .
Very informative. Thanks a lot. My 5 months old baby is burping a lot and has stomach pain frequently. What should I eat or drink to avoid my baby’s suffering completely.. or can I give ajwain water to my baby..please help.
if you are breastfeeding your baby , you will have to watch the food you eat … try to avoid the foods mentioned as avoid or restriced in the abpve mentioned article . a breastfeeded baby;’s digestion is weak and the symptoms mostly depends on what the mum eats . try to avoid urad and channa dal , chaanna chola , rajma , it will cause trouble to both of you . eat simple and easy to digest food .
i am breastfeeding my 5 month baby. i am not taking fruits at all.will it hamper baby’s growth & due to cold i have to take 2-3 cups tea.
is it ok?
no no , just eat a lot o veggies . and instead ofo tea take vegetable soups
very much informative article. Diet plan of pregnant or lactating mother is very important to maintain. As a doctor i really appreciate this post. thanks for sharing this huge information with readers.
My baby is 15 months old and I am breastfeeding him along with solids.
I feel always hungry.how to loose wt
check this – https://www.dietburrp.com/how-to-lose-pregnancy-weight/
Hi Payal,
I am 31 years old, married for 2 and a half years. We are planning for a baby since 3 months. Can you suggest a good diet for me and my husband. My weight is 140lbs and height is 5″4
My husband is 34 weighing 205lbs, his height is 5″10
Hi Divya ,
I am working on a diet to take while planning for baby … will post it soon . Thank you for your patience .
Hi Payal,
We have been married for 2 and half years now, and are planning for baby since 2-3 months. Can you please suggest a good diet for both me and my husband. I am 31 and my husband is 34 and he is bit overweight. My periods are also regular generally about 25-28 days.
Thanks in advance
Hi ,
I am working on a similar article with a detailed diet plan .. will be posting it soon ..
My doc and the paediatrician told me that i can eat anything i want. However my baby is very gassy and passes poop almost 20 times a day– a little bit whenever she passes wind. She is unable to sleep because of the constant urge to poop. Every feed is followed by an hour of crying and severe wind passing. Please help!
Hi Rems ,
stick to simple phulka and mung dal diet for a bit .. if she faces problem even with this , then she has colic … please give her gripe water . also add hing to your food while cooking. it will help . eat fresh and hot food .
Best time to take calcium n iron tablets during breast feeding
iron tablet at night with a glass of warm lemon water (just 3-4 drops of lemon, avoid if baby is below 4 months ) and calcium tablets in the morning with a glass of milk .
I’m 70 kg weight with 5.3 inch ht. I’m breastfeeding mother for 3 month old baby..Can I follow ur diet for loosing weight n also good weight gaining for my baby.. please suggest me..can I start yoga ..in delivered normally
check this – https://www.dietburrp.com/how-to-lose-pregnancy-weight/
all your questions are neatly answered here in detail
Man, I’m a breastfeeding mother … my 3. Moth baby.she z not gaining weight as much as she has to. Bcz my milk is not thick.. it’s like water only.. how to make my milk thick n nutritious…
There is nothing like thick milk and thin milk . dont worry . keep feeding the baby . and eat healthy nutritious food . you can folow the diet and the diet tips mentioned above.