Deciding whether or not to breast feed is an important choice all mothers have to make. There are many factors that determine if breastfeeding is right for you. But if you have the ability to breastfeed your child, you should choose to do it, even though it can be a real inconvenience at times. Your baby is made to drink breast milk – that’s why the mother produces it. Breastmilk has all the vitamins and minerals your child needs in the first 6 months of its life. It is also filled with natural disease fighting substances that play an important role in protecting your child from illness at this extremely vulnerable stage of life.
Besides that, breastfeeding has some other crucial health benefits for both the mother and child:
- Protects your child from developing allergies
- Boosts your child’s intelligence
- Protects your child from obesity
- Lowers your child’s risk of succumbing to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Reduces the mother’s stress level and risk of developing postpartum depression
- Reduces the mother’s risk of developing certain cancers, especially breast cancer
One of the most important things to regulate when breastfeeding, is your hydration levels. You cannot expect to breastfeed properly if you do not stay hydrated; breast milk is composed of 90% water. You can ensure you’re staying hydrated by paying close attention to your diet and prioritizing some water laden foods.
Foods to Drink and Stay Hydrated
Water
Water is the best thing to drink while breastfeeding. It is the number one way to stay hydrated, because water is obviously the source of all hydration.
Bananas
Bananas are some of the best sources of potassium you can find, and potassium is crucial to absorbing and retaining water. There is no point in drinking water if you can’t retain it.
Sodium
Salt is in a lot of things we eat, so most people don’t have to go out of their way to include salt in their diet. But it is worth mentioning because sodium works in tandem with potassium to help you retain water. You cannot have one without the other.
