Is Vegan Diet Safe During Breastfeeding

If you have decided to extensively breastfeed your baby, then you need to be aware of what you are eating. You can breastfeed and follow a vegan diet, vegetarian, or another sort of diet, as long as you include ample Vitamins and vitamins in your daily eating regime for healthy weight loss while breastfeeding. 

When you include a variety of healthy food sources in your diet no matter what form of diet you are following, you can count it as safe. Having said that, today, we’ll discuss how you can include a sufficient amount of Vitamins, minerals, iron, and zinc in your diet while following a vegan diet.  

How Can Dieting Affect Breast Milk Production 

Breast milk contains water, fat, sugars, protein, Vitamins, minerals, and more than 20 different types of amino acids. Some of these will be present in your breast milk despite the form of diet you are following, as they are drawn from your body if necessary. Others should come from the food sources you eat. 

For instance, regardless of whether you are not getting sufficient calcium in your eating routine, your breast milk will (as a rule) have enough for your child. Your body draws calcium from your bones and delivers it into the blood circulation system. This process is called calcium resorption. But in this process your own bones will get weak which can cause various problems. Your kidneys will also discharge less calcium through your urine so that you have more minerals that are accessible to your child through breast milk. 

Whenever, following a diet make sure that you are consuming food items that are rich in vitamin B12, iron, DHA, iodine, and zinc so that both you and your baby are getting sufficient nutrients and vitamins while following any diet for weight loss.

Your Caloric Requirements While Breastfeeding

Any diet that is based on plant-based food sources is low in calories, so you need to ensure that you are meeting your every day caloric requirements. A breastfeeding mother is required to consume 600 additional kcal during the first 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and 520 kcal for partial breastfeeding during 7-12 months more than the daily recommended limit of 1900 kilocalories daily. 

Kinds of Diets 

In case you've been following a vegan or vegetarian diet, you should understand how you will get your supplements without eating any meat products. Below we have mentioned different forms of vegan diets and what all nutrients they offer and lacks:

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian 

Lacto-Ovo is the most well-known kind of vegan diet. A Lacto-Ovo veggie-lover doesn't eat any meat or fish yet they eat eggs and dairy items. Since eggs and dairy items contain protein, Vitamins, and minerals, you shouldn't take any extra Vitamin enhancements if you follow this kind of diet. 

Lacto Vegetarian 

A Lacto vegan diet is a plant-based eating regimen that incorporates dairy items, however not eggs. Dairy items are loaded with Vitamin D that is essential for protein and calcium intake. The increase in dairy items gives you the Vitamin B12 that you need and makes it simpler to get enough calories every day. 

Ovo Vegetarian 

An ovo vegan eats eggs, however not meats or dairy items. Eggs contain various proteins, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, calcium, iron, riboflavin, zinc, and omega-3 fats. 

Semi-Vegetarian 

A semi-vegan has an eating routine that is generally plant-based with a periodic increase of meat items. In case you are semi-vegan and you follow a healthy eating regimen then you are getting all the supplements and calories you need every day.  

Pescetarian 

This form of diet is very similar to a vegan diet because you do not eat meat products here except fish, which is a perfect source of protein, and various Vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Vegetarian 

A vegan diet is a plant-based eating routine. In this form of diet, you do not eat meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or others. While a vegan diet is healthy, some of the vitamins, minerals, and protein are harder to get when you eat plant-based food sources. In case you are wondering what are those, below we have mentioned different types of nutrients and vitamins to include in your diet if they are not a part of your vegan diet:

Vitamin B12 

Since Vitamin B12 is found in animal meat products, chances are you might not be getting enough of this nutrient from your vegan diet. If that is the case, you can include meat substitutes, soy foods, and yeast products in your diet. A nursing mother must consume 0.4mg/day of Vitamin B12. 

Calcium 

Even though you have an ample supply of calcium stored in your body, however, your body doesn't produce it. You need to consume food that is rich in calcium to meet your daily calcium requirements. A breastfeeding mom must consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day and if you are on a vegan diet, you get your calcium from green vegetables, beans, freshly squeezed orange juice, and soy items.  

Vitamin D 

You should get 600 mg of Vitamin D each day, irrespective of whether you are pregnant or not. What's more, studies have shown that if a breastfeeding woman suffers from Vitamin D deficiency chances are her baby is also lacking in vitamin D as there is not enough vitamin in her milk. On a vegan diet, you can get your Vitamin day from exposure to the sun along with food items like cheddar, egg yolks, fish, dairy items, orange juice, soy milk, and oats. 

DHA 

Docosahexaenoic corrosive (DHA), an essential omega-3 fat found in fish is essential for the healthy development of your baby's mind and eyes. On a vegan diet, you can get omega-3 from food sources like flaxseed, hempseed, and pecans that also contain alpha-linolenic corrosive (ALA), which are essential for your body. As a breastfeeding mom, you need 1,500 milligrams of DHA each week.  

Apart from that, you should make sure you are getting sufficient Iodine, Iron, and Zinc to make up your day-by-day supplement requirements.  

Conclusion:

When choosing the right diet for yourself, you should keep in mind two things: your nutritional needs and personal food preferences. However, when you are taking care of another person, i.e, when you are breastfeeding, you need to make sure that you are getting enough nutrition to give your baby the nourishment they need.