Updated: 2-04-2025
Nothing can replace the highly nourishing and superior quality of breast milk.
That is the reason health experts advise exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months for the baby and thereafter as long as the baby and the mother desire.
Let us know more about how to increase breast milk immediately.
But to continue feeding the baby for six months or more, the nursing mother must take good care of her health and keep a close watch on her diet.
The diet of nursing mothers should be rich in nutrition so that the baby remains healthy and develops normally.
No one can argue on the point that the human breast milk is the best nutritional provision created by nature for the newborns and consists of all the ingredients required for the optimal growth of a child.
During the period of nursing, the need for nutrients for a woman is at an all-time high.
Eating the right food and taking adequate rest ensure that the baby receives the nutrients in the required amount from his mother.
Top 5 Foods to Increase Breast Milk Immediately.
1. Drink More Water at Regular Intervals
Breast milk constitutes 88 percent water by weight.
On the first day of the delivery, the breast milk volume is around 50 ml, and it goes on to increase up to 750 ml per day as the baby grows and his need for milk increases.
That is why the most critical nutrient for ensuring ample milk production in the mother is an adequate intake of water at regular intervals so that it is ready for the baby when he demands it.
How much water should a nursing mother drink to increase breast milk?
A feeding mother should drink at least 2 litres of water daily or even more, depending on the need.
If you are thirsty, it indicates that your body is short of water, and you should immediately fulfil your body’s need for fluid.
Apart from plain water, you can also drink a variety of nutritious fluids, including juice, soup, and milk.
2. Eat Healthy and Enough Food
You need to have enough nutrients and energy to provide properly balanced breast milk to your baby.
As a nursing mother, you must add around 500 kcal to your everyday diet.
Try to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, fibre, proteins, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, and dairy products, and increase a small portion of each in your meal to get that additional energy.
Also Read: Benefits of Breastfeeding
3. Essential Fats are a Must
Breast fat constitutes around 50% of the calories. So, a nursing mother should include unsaturated fats, especially those foods that provide the much-needed essential fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA).
These fats play a major role in the overall development of the eye and brain of the baby.
DHA is adequately present in tuna, salmon, and mackerel, whereas eggs, poultry, and meat are good sources of ARA.
4. Essential Vitamins
During breastfeeding, the requirement for various vitamins increases dramatically, especially vitamins such as C, A, and all the vitamins from the B group, including B12 and folate.
That is why the diet for nursing mothers must be rich with nutrients, especially vitamins that are soluble in water, such as vitamins C and B.
Eating a wide variety of wholesome food helps to increase the nutritional level of the breast milk.
5. Major Minerals
Breast milk should have various minerals, especially zinc and iodine, in significant amounts.
That is why a nursing mother should include seafood in abundance in her diet.
Food that is a rich source of zinc and iodine includes eggs, poultry, milk, meat, seaweed, beans, and nuts.
Calcium is one of the most important components of milk, and hence its requirement is higher in nursing women.
Apart from the everyday serving of dairy, including yoghurt and milk, the mother of an infant should also include other sources of calcium, such as cheese, fish with edible bones, soybeans, curd, legumes, calcium-fortified food, and green leafy vegetables.
Precautions and Foods to Avoid
The diet for nursing mothers should include a variety of foods, but it should be clean and safe so that the chances of infection or food poisoning are lowered.
- A nursing mother should avoid alcohol and smoking, as they affect the ability of the baby to suckle, making him less alert.
- Avoid or restrict the use of caffeine to less than 200mg a day, or it may cause restlessness in the baby.
- Do not eat large fish such as tilefish, swordfish, or shark, as they are dense in dioxins, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls that can affect the growth of your baby’s nervous system.
- Strongly flavoured foods such as onion and garlic should be avoided, as some babies can be sensitive to their strong flavour.
