Nutrition for Training & Breastfeeding
This week Lou posted about the benefits of resistance training on our Postpartum Project Instagram page. I am an advocate of resistance training for women. There is significant research that suggests that women who lift (heavy) weights before menopause see reduced muscle atrophy (wastage), reduced instances of osteoporosis, and reduced body fat gain as a result of the hormone changes that come with menopause. In summary, if we lift heavy now, we will increase our likelihood of being able to move well and lift a lot (e.g. our grandchildren) later in life. It took me 38 long years and the addition of a baby to our family for me to understand that training for longevity beats training for aesthetics any day.
I am also a breastfeeding mother. 8 months postpartum and I am still sharing my body with my gorgeous boy. Since training is a high priority for me, so is making sure I fuel appropriately to support muscle growth, muscular repair, and fuelling both me and my boy well. If you’re also lifting weights and breastfeeding and want to understand how to eat to support your baby, your training, and your lifestyle, this blog is for you.
Firstly, a caloric intake of fewer than 1800 calories can impact your milk supply. For any mother, fewer than 1800 calories is not enough to fuel you and your baby, even if you’re sedentary. If you’re training, your overall caloric intake is highly dependent on many factors, such as the type of training you do, how active you are throughout the rest of your day, your current weight, height, and age, and even your genetics. Caloric intake is not a one size fits all. If you choose to use a calorie counter, the US daily intake calculator is a good place to start, and enables you to select if you are lactating.
Once you understand your baseline calories required, you may wonder, ok, so what do I eat to get biggest bang for my buck from my training? i.e. what mix of protein, carbs, and fats do I eat?
Protein
Protein is the building block of life. It is important to consume an appropriate amount of protein to maintain or build your muscle mass while providing adequate nutrition to baby through breast milk. Healthy lactating women should consume at least 1.05g of protein/kg of body weight/day. But some studies suggest that requirements may be closer to 1.6g/kg/d – 2g/kg/d. This is particularly true of women whose chosen exercise is resistance training.
Fat
Essential fatty acids are important for bub’s neurological development both before and after birth, so adequate intake of fats, in particular unsaturated fats, is important.
Your intake of fat affects the fat content of your breastmilk as well as your mammary gland function, which impacts your milk supply. In particular, DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid found in fatty fish (e.g. salmon and tuna) plays an important role in infant development. As a result, fat intake should make up at least 25%, and ideally 30% of total calories for healthy breastfeeding mamas.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential for breastfeeding as you provide energy to bub and maximise your own physical recovery and energy. Carbohydrates are high in vitamins and minerals and support prime health for you and bub. Especially when looking to drop the baby weight, women are tempted to drop carbohydrates to low levels. This may impact milk supply, lowers energy levels, and destabilises moods.
Wholegrains, fruits, and vegetables are the best bang for your buck, however, when training, high GI carbs are an excellent option for quick energy prior to workout out. For example, I have a banana or an LCM bar if I’m short on food for the day, to give myself a quick boost prior to workout out, and to ensure I don’t tap into the energy stores reserved for baby.
The best recommendation is to work out your protein and fats, and then fill the rest of your calories with carbs. The best mix of fats and carbs is the one that works for you. I currently consume around 3,000 calories a day, with 140g protein (2.2g/kg of body weight), around 90g - 120g of fats (30%-35% of total calories), and the rest carbohydrates.
Summary
In summary, if you’re training and breastfeeding, it’s important to ensure you’re eating enough for you and baby. You may be surprised how much that is. If you’re unsure where to start, join our free Facebook group, and consider signing up for my self paced online course - The Well Nourished Mama (and get 12 weeks FREE membership to Why Tribe, my favourite online community of ALL TIME!).
