Congratulations! You just had a baby, or are ready to welcome your new arrival soon. Many mothers are choosing to breast feed their children because they want them to have the best nutrients and they want to bond with the baby more. I have looked into this myself so I thought I would inform other mothers about some nutrition tips for breast feeding mothers. I am sure you have your own suggestions too, so do not be too harsh on me!

First, it starts with healthy pregnancy tips. You need to start teaching them young about what foods are good for them, and what foods are not as good for them. A healthy balanced diet is key. When you are pregnant, you need to eat plenty of iron rich foods and lots of fruits and vegetables. I always recommend an orange in the morning, and to allow yourself a piece of steak about once a week. You need extra iron and extra vitamin c when you are pregnant so you do not get sick. This will also help you when you are breast feeding since baby will already be familiar to your diet.

When I was pregnant with my first child, all I craved were grapefruits and Butterfingers. With my second pregnancy, I craved honeydew melon and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I like to think that it was balanced with summer fruits and chocolate, but today people may not think that as much. I have never been much of a meat eater, and I only craved it during my first pregnancy. My oldest loves meat, while my youngest does not. My oldest is a bit sour, while my youngest is a bit sweeter. Is that because of the grapefruit as opposed to the honeydew? Who knows.

I tell my daughter that if she becomes pregnant to do some things differently than I did when I was pregnant with her. Listen to your cravings, but do not make them your primary food group. Eat a nutritious breakfast. A bowl of cereal or oatmeal with a piece of fruit and a cup of tea. For lunch have a salad. Remember, even though you are eating for two at this time, the second member is not a full-grown adult. For dinner, enjoy a health protein, a vegetable and a carbohydrate. For snacks, try to limit the junk food unless your body is craving it. Otherwise, have a piece of fruit. Splurge on cakes, pies and ice cream. It will just be easier to lose weight if you eat healthy.

Exercise is also great when you are pregnant and/or breast feeding. It teaches your child to be active and to be healthy. Some good pregnancy exercises that you can carry to breast feeding are walking, light jogging, special yoga classes and doing some light weightlifting if your body is already used to it. I personally stay away from treadmills and opt for trails and other outdoor places so it doesn't seem as boring and mandatory. Exercise should be a fun activity for you and baby, not something that seems forced. Nutrition is one thing our body needs, but it also needs exercise.

Another great nutrition tip for breast feeding mothers is to continue to eat healthy after baby is born. Breast feeding will help you lose the weight, but breast feeding will help you burn the additional calories so you can get back to being you faster. Continue to eat plenty of lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, but also enjoy the not so good foods as well. I once heard that you can burn up to 500 calories a day while breast feeding, so if you pair that with healthy food choices and light exercise, you should be back to your prebaby weight in no time.

One of my final tips about breast feeding is stay calm. I have known parents to be so upset that baby does not latch on and baby does not like their milk. Remember, breast feeding is not for every baby, but you just need to stay calm and try. Baby can sense your stress and that is not good for you or baby. They sometimes do not latch on due to many factors, and that could be one. Just do not think about it and it may happen. If not, then try pumping. Baby will still receive your milk, and you are still bonding when you hold baby in your arms. If you notice baby does not like your milk, remember they may be lactose intolerant. This happened to one of my friends and it nearly destroyed her until her doctor told her what was wrong. Do not feel defeated, just seek out the proper help that every mother needs.

I hope these nutrition tips for breast feeding mothers has helped you. Remember, listen to your cravings, eat healthy lean meats, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. If you begin to become sick when eating a certain food or foods, that may mean baby does not like or they may be allergic to it. If you notice you are sick when eating dairy, that could be a clue that baby is lactose intolerant. Just try to stay calm and be the best mother you can be.