Introduction
Nutrition needs change for nursing mothers and sadly, there is not a lot of information out there for this. This NutriWiki will provide insights for mothers to know how to adjust their macros while nursing.
Summary
When calculating macros while nursing, most data indicates that nursing mothers generally need 500-1000 calories more than usual. Refer to a medical professional for more exact recommendations and for understanding the implications of nutrition on lactation and breastfeeding as we are not licensed, practicing, medical providers.
Discussion
Due to milk production, nursing mothers have additional caloric requirements over the average person. While there isn’t an exact value for additional necessary intake, approximately 500-1000 additional calories should usually be sufficient [1-3].
One way to know where you fall on this chart is to track your body weight and adjust based on how much your body weight is changing. If you are losing more weight than expected you might need to be closer to 1000 calories per day. If you are gaining more weight than expected you might need to be closer to the 500 calories per day mark.
It is important that we make sure to communicate that it is outside the scope of practice for Macros Inc. to provide exact nutritional recommendations for nursing mothers. As such, we highly recommend consulting with a medical professional in order to have your personal nutritional needs tailored.
References
- Dewey, K.G. (1997). Energy and protein requirements during lactation. Annual review of nutrition, 17, 19-36.
- Kominiarek, M. A., & Rajan, P. (2016). Nutrition Recommendations in Pregnancy and Lactation. The Medical clinics of North America, 100(6), 1199–1215. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.06.004
- Whichelow M. J. (1975). Letter: Calorie requirements for successful breast feeding. Archives of disease in childhood, 50(8), 669. doi:10.1136/adc.50.8.669