What to eat when you're breastfeeding

It's easy to find advice for what to eat when you're pregnant, but many new mums forget that it's also important to make sure you eat the right foods, once your baby is born and you're breastfeeding.

We spoke to dietitian Angie Jefferson and consultant to Pregnacare, who gave us these tips on making sure a mum's breast milk flows properly.

Why it's so important

The nutritional needs of infants are high - in the first year a baby will triple its birth weight and increase its length by 50%, so it is important that the food a baby receives contains sufficient nutrients to meet its high demands.

Breast milk not only provides complete nutrition for the first 6 months of life, but also mirrors how healthy the mother is and the diet she is eating, so concentrating on a healthy balanced diet is really important.

- Next: Find out what exactly you should be eating

More help and advice

- How much milk should I be producing?
- Tips on coping with breastfeeding
- What to expect in the first few weeks after the birth

By Angie Jefferson, Pregnacare consultant and dietitian