“Is my child well nourished?” “What is the best diet for him?” "Do I know it all about lactation?"
These questions are by far the most important ones on a new mother’s mind.
As a mother of two sons and a grandmother of two lovely grandchildren, I look back at my journey of motherhood and realise that while these questions are relevant, the answers to them are rather simple.
First of all, stop worrying. Nature has the answer to everything. Mother’s milk is “Amrit”, a complete meal for new born children with the perfect balance of nutrition, hydration and antibodies. Focus on giving your child this perfect natural food – no other supplements are required. If possible, a strict no to formula milk!
Spend time cuddling with your baby, hold her in your arms and be patient. Children take time to learn the art of latching. Do not give up and resort to using a bottle. I know the journey can be hard initially, leading to sleepless nights as children feed frequently. The patience is worth it.
The more you feed your child, the more milk you will produce, the stronger your bond will get with your child and the more effortless breastfeeding will become.
Breastfeeding is a special journey, an exclusive bond between the mother and the child. Cherish this journey and see your child grow in health.
One question that I get asked often is, “How can I increase milk production?”. Again, don’t worry. Nature has got your back. All you need is a good diet and nutrient dense food. So long as you are eating well and including nutrient dense foods in your diet, you should be fine.
As mothers we usually do not keep sight of our own health and well-being. Self-care is most important. If you are healthy and happy, you will be able to make your family healthy and happy. A healthy and strong mother will keep her child healthy and happy. A physically healthy mother will also be able to produce more milk.
Along with adequate rest and a good diet, including some traditional nutrient rich foods is also important. The following foods may help you:
- Ghee: The benefits of pure cow ghee need no explanation. Consume lots of this. Do not bother about weight gain for some days. Lots of lubrication of joints and strength is what you will gain.
- Methi (fenugreek seeds), Ajwain (carrom seeds) and saunth (dry ginger): Excellent for detox of the body, getting good blood flow and increasing milk production.
- Gond / Gond Katira: A super food that’s a powerhouse of minerals. Gond is helpful in increasing milk production too!
- Almonds and cashews: Nuts have super healthy fats and rich in nutrition. Great for increasing milk production and helping your body regain strength.
A great way of including these ingredients in your diet is by making laddoos. These post pregnancy special laddoos should be consumed for at least 2-3 months post delivery.
In today’s time it is very hard for everyone to make these. To make the lives of new mothers easier, we make these laddoos on special request.
So, in case you have any questions about your journey as a new mother or would like a batch of these laddoos, drop me a note on neenusnatural@gmail.com
Lots of love and wishes
Neenu
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