Many nursing mothers wonder if the food items they eat will affect their breast milk. While you should not eat for two but you must eat an additional 400 calories. If you are a nursing mother, you must pay attention to what you are eating for a 5-month-old baby. Make sure that it provides your 5-month-old baby with the essential nutrients that promote the overall growth and development of your baby and yourself too.
Now, you must be wondering that what you should include in your diet that will make a win-win for you and your 5-month-old baby when you are breastfeeding. You have even to make sure that rich-nutrient food must heal your body with post-delivery and must keep you healthy. It must produce enough milk to feed your 5-month-old baby on time. You have to eat enough proteins that help to maintain tissues after delivery and also build and repair them. Curd, eggs, milk, grilled fish and chicken are good sources of protein. So, legumes, pulses, soybeans, and dal, especially for vegetarians.
Calcium for nursing mothers has the storage of calcium in their bones. You should eat a diet that is rich in calcium. Calcium is essential for the overall development of the 5-month-old baby. If the mother’s diet lack calcium, she will surely lose the calcium from her body while nursing. Milk and dairy items like paneer, cheese, and curd are an excellent source of calcium. Also, green leafy vegetables and kale are rich sources of calcium, and you must eat them to avoid the indigestion problem.
A food item that mothers must consume if they are having a 5-month-old baby.
Let us discuss in more detail about the food items that are:
Ashwagandha:
Ashwagandha is a herb that is traditionally used in ayurvedic medicine. Ashwagandha is also called as winter cherry as well as Indian ginseng. It is considered a multipurpose herb that works on various body systems at once that includes the endocrine system, immune system, neurologic system, and reproductive system. It has not shown any particular lactogenic property, but it is the best for nursing mothers who experience stress.
It is shown in clinical studies that if 300 mg twice a day extract of ashwagandha is consumed. It reduced the stress level in the study participants of the study trial. Not only did the study participants felt better and got relief from their overall stress, but it also helped to increase the quality of their life. They found that their cortisol levels were low. Ashwagandha might have an effect on energy as well as endurance, although the reasons are yet not known.
Ashwagandha is a well-studies herb. It has more than 60 research articles on its variety of different processes of disease as well as the exact mechanism by which the way it works is still not known. When one thinks of the different ways that stress affects every system in our body, it is easy to see the impact of ashwagandha on stress hormones. It can influence the rest of the body too.
Seeds:
Seeds are an essential nutrient gift! They are the start of life for every plant on the planet. They offer a concentrated source of all the vital nutrients that are present in the mature plant. Also, the nutrients that are needed to grow on the little seed into a beautiful blooming plant. Seeds highly contain essential minerals like calcium, zinc, iron, healthy fats and proteins.
Similar to nuts, seeds are not yet clinically proven to have a lactogenic property. They are used for centuries to help nursing mothers because of their high mineral and vitamin content. Every seed has its specific and unique nutritional makeup so you must eat a variety that includes pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower
What food items you must avoid if you are having a 5-month-old baby?
Foods that you must be careful and have safety concerns are:
Herbs:
you must check with your doctor whether it suits you and your 5-month-old baby. Ensure that you take consultation with a doctor before consuming them.
Alcohol:
We all know that alcohol can enter breast milk. So, make sure that you avoid alcohol or occasionally drink in limited quantity if you want to consume alcohol
Fish:
Fish contains high levels of mercury. It will enter into the breast milk and affect your baby’s health. There are different syndromes that mercury causes so ensure that you avoid fish altogether for your 5-month-old baby.
Some of these food items that can bother a 5-month-old baby are:
Soy:
Your 5-month-old baby can have an intolerance to a protein in soy. So, make sure that you check whether it suits the 5-month-old baby if you are consuming it.
Cow’s milk:
Your 5-month-old baby’s health can get affected due to a protein present in cow’s milk
Caffeine:
Caffeine will overstimulate your 5-month-old baby. If you consume caffeine, then there are chances that it will enter into breast milk. It will ultimately hamper your 5-months-old sleep.
Chocolate:
Chocolate also overstimulates your baby, so make sure that you avoid it.
Most of the nursing mothers eat whatever they like without affecting their 5- month-old baby. Food items that make you gassy would not make your 5-month-old baby gassier than usual.
But every baby is different and unique. You must notice that your 5-month old baby seems to gassy, sleepless or gassy after you eat any specific food then you can consult your baby’s doctor in such a case.
Lifestyle and healthy changes tips for a mother with a 5-month-old baby:
You must eat at short intervals. Your 5-month old baby needs to feed many times a day. It increases demand and needs extra energy. When nursing, you must eat at least three to four nutritious meals every day with two to three light snacks like soups, dry fruits, nuts, fruits, and healthy soups and porridges.
Let us discuss a simple diet chart for you if you are having a 5-month-old baby:
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Day 1 | Chilla with milk | Curd, vegetable curry and roti | Spinach soup and fried rice |
| Day 2 | Poha with green tea | Mix vegetable curry with rice and roti | Mushroom soup and egg curry with roti |
| Day 3 | Dry fruits and slices of banana and oranges | Dal, roti and rice | Salad and vegetable pulao |
| Day 4 | Upma with cinnamon tea | Raita, salad and dry fruits | Mushroom curry with roti |
| Day 5 | Mixed dal chilla with ginger tea | Spinach curry with roti and rice | Salad with soups |
| Day 6 | Scrambled eggs with green tea | Kale curry with rice and roti | Fish curry with roti and rice |
| Day 7 | Oatmeal with ginger tea or turmeric milk | Chicken curry with roti and rice | Dryfruit smoothy, dal and rice |