Healthy Eating for Breastfeeding Mothers
Transcript
Heading: Healthy Eating for Breastfeeding Mothers
Narrator: Healthy Eating for Breastfeeding Mothers
Narrator: Breastmilk provides natural nourishment for babies. Maintaining good eating habits not only helps you to stay healthy, but also helps your baby to grow and develop healthily.
Heading: What should breastfeeding mothers eat?
Narrator: What should breastfeeding mothers eat?
Subheading: Eat a Variety of Foods
Super: Grains; Vegetables; Fruits; Meat, Fish, Egg and Alternatives (including dry beans); Milk and Alternatives
Narrator: You should eat a variety of foods from the five main food groups in your daily diet. These include grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, egg, dry beans and milk or their alternatives.
Subheading: Follow a Low-fat Diet
Super: Trim fat off and remove the skin from meat; Scoop off oil from soups
Narrator: To avoid excessive weight gain, you should follow a low-fat diet. For instance, trim the fat off and remove the skin from meat before you eat. Scoop off oil from soups.
Subheading: Ensure Adequate Fluid
Narrator: Quench your thirst with water or clear soup, not sweet drinks.
Heading: Do breastfeeding mothers need nutritional supplements?
Narrator: Do breastfeeding mothers need nutritional supplements?
Super: Iodine
Narrator: Iodine is essential for your baby's development. Iodine deficiency may not only affect the brain development of your baby, but also your secretion of thyroxine.
Subheading: Take an Iodine-containing Supplement Daily
Narrator: It can be difficult for mothers to get enough iodine for breastfeeding from their diet alone. So you are recommended to take an iodine-containing prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplement daily. Check the iodine content on the product label when selecting your supplements.
Subheading: Choose Foods Containing Iodine
Super: Seafood, marine fish; Eggs; Milk and milk products; Seaweed
Narrator: Meanwhile, the whole family should also consume foods containing iodine, such as seafood, marine fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt and seaweed.
Subheading: Replace table salt with iodised salt
Narrator: Use iodised salt to replace table salt when you cook.
Subheading: Notes on Choosing Fish
Super: Oily fish generally contain more omega-3 fatty acids; Eat different kinds of fish 2-3 times a week; Avoid large predatory fish with high levels of methylmercury; Consider taking a supplement with omega-3 fatty acids
Narrator: Oily fish usually contain more omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for your baby's brain and eye development. You should choose different kinds of fish and consume fish two or three times a week. Avoid eating large predatory fish as their high levels of methylmercury can damage your baby's nervous system. You can consider taking a supplement with omega-3 fatty acids if you do not eat fish.
Heading: Which snacks can breastfeeding mothers choose when feeling hungry?
Narrator: Which snacks can breastfeeding mothers choose when feeling hungry?
Subheading: Choose Nutritious Snacks
Super: Low-fat milk, plain yoghurt and calcium-fortified soy milk; Whole-meal bread; Sweet potatoes, corn, fruit
Narrator: You can choose snacks which are packed with nutrients, but low in fat and sugar. For example, low-fat milk, plain yoghurt and calcium-fortified soy milk are all rich in calcium. Whole-meal bread is a good source of dietary fibre. Sweet potatoes, corn and fruit are good sources of dietary fibre. They provide you with various vitamins and minerals.
Subheading: Avoid Fried, High-fat and High-sugar Snacks
Narrator: You should eat less snacks that are fried, and high in fat or high in added sugar.
Heading: Are there any foods or substances breastfeeding mothers should avoid?
Narrator: Are there any foods or substances breastfeeding mothers should avoid?
Subheading: Don't Smoke or Drink Alcohol; Limit Coffee and Strong Tea
Narrator: Do not smoke, and avoid alcohol which can pass to the baby through breastmilk. As caffeine can affect your baby's central nervous system, you should limit coffee and strong tea. Try decaffeinated ones as alternatives.
Heading: Are there any food restrictions for breastfeeding mothers?
Narrator: Are there any food restrictions for breastfeeding mothers?
Subheading: Food Restrictions in Breastfeeding Mothers Cannot Lower the Risk of Developing Skin Allergies in Babies
Narrator: Some breastfeeding mothers restrict their diet to prevent their babies getting allergies. However, there is no scientific evidence that shows food restrictions can lower allergy risks. In fact, following an overly restrictive diet can result in nutritional deficiencies.
Subheading: Vitamin D Facilitates Calcium Absorption
Super: Being active helps promote good health and mental well-being
Narrator: Apart from eating a balanced diet, breastfeeding mothers should enjoy regular outdoor activities with their babies. Casual sun exposure on your skin produces vitamin D and this helps calcium absorption from intestines. Being active with your family outdoors is also beneficial for everyone's mental health including your baby's.
Super: Please visit www.fhs.gov.hk for more information on healthy eating during breastfeeding
Narrator: For more information on healthy eating during breastfeeding, please visit the website of the Family Health Service, Department of Health at www.fhs.gov.hk. This video is produced by the Family Health Service, Department of Health.