Sarah Alarid

CLEC Nutrition Assignment

May 4, 2018

List and explain 3 reasons why a Lactation Educator should know about the nutritional status of
the breastfeeding woman. (Does not need to be referenced)

1. To understand how specific foods in the mother's diet affect the baby. For example, bovine
proteins in milk can cause fussiness in a baby so if a mother is "drinking milk to make milk" this
can cause a very fussy baby.
2. If a mother is on a restrictive diet and could become nutritionally deficient. For example,
many Hmong mothers only eat chicken, rice and warm water for the first month postpartum
and can become deficient in many essential vitamins and minerals.
3. If a mother is in the process to lose weight after pregnancy, a lactation educator will want to
make sure the mother is not losing weight too quickly because this could negatively affect her
milk supply.

Discuss 3 common fallacies/myths regarding food and food sensitivity in the breastfeeding
mother and infant. State the fallacies or myth and then state your response to the
client/participant/patient. (Does not need to be referenced)

1. "I can't eat any nuts when breastfeeding because my baby will become allergic"- Unless the
mother has a nut allergy it is perfectly safe to eat nuts while breastfeeding. Research shows
that it is beneficial to eat nuts because it exposes the baby in small amounts early on while their
immune system is developing. This means the body will recognize that food as "safe" and not
have an allergic reaction when the child has larger amounts later in life.
2. "I can't drink any coffee"- up to 375 mg of caffeine is safe for a breastfeeding mom, so think a
"tall" Starbucks cup of coffee. Consume your coffee or tea right after breastfeeding as to give
your body a couple of hours to metabolize the caffeine.
3. "I need to drink milk to make milk"- Drinking cow’s milk while breastfeeding does not help
increase milk supply. It may however make your baby extra fussy because the bovine protein in
cow's milk will get into the breastmilk and irritate the baby's stomach because it is harder to
digest. To keep your supply high breastfeed your baby 10 or more times in 24 hour day, eat a
healthy diet, and stay hydrated.

Weight Loss: Please reference your answers

Describe the weight loss recommendations for the breastfeeding mother after 3 months
postpartum.

A weight loss of 1.1 lb. a week is safe for a breastfeeding mother and should not experience any
adverse effect on her milk production (source: Counseling the Nursing Mother, page 167).
Another source says up to a 6 lb. weight loss a month is safe for the breastfeeding mother after
3 months (Source: https://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/).
State what you would say to a client/participant/patient when they ask you about
breastfeeding and dieting. Remember to include minimum number of calories; at least 2
strategies for calorie reduction … Please reference your answers

1. Caloric intake should not go below 1800 kcal a day. (Source: Counseling the Nursing Mother
page 167). A healthy diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein is compatible with
breastfeeding. A breastfeeding mother should continue to eat vegetables and a limited amount
of whole grains and fruit. To lose weight, she can reduce foods such as sugar, flour, bread,
pasta, potatoes, rice, junk food, and desserts (source: Counseling the Nursing Mother page
167).
2. Exercising to lose weight is perfectly safe. Start slowly at a moderate level and drink water to
replace fluid lost through sweating. Keep an eye on your milk supply after exercise. If you notice
your supply has been affected then the exercise was too strenuous and needs to be moderated.
Remember to wear a supportive bra or a comfortable sports bra (but make sure it's not too
tight). Walking briskly for up to 30 minutes 2-3 times a week is a great exercise for beginners.
You can also wear your baby while doing this (Source: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-
info/exercise/).

Discuss 2 practical ways (hood advice) for a breastfeeding mother to get exercise.
1. Carry your baby and go for walks. This is great way to get exercise and bond with your baby
2. Watch a YouTube yoga video of your choice. Following along to a yoga video is a great way to
relieve stress and strengthen your body

Discuss Weight Watchers AND at least 1 other commercial or advertised breastfeeding diet
plan … Please reference your answers
1. Weight Watchers:
This weight loss program can be a great way for breastfeeding mothers to lose weight at a
healthy pace while learning healthy eating habits. Instead of counting calories, it gives the
participant point values to keep track of. The points are given to a food based on nutritional
value and caloric value. WW appears to care about the breastfeeding mother and gives more
points to a breastfeeding woman as to not encourage excessive weight loss which is very
beneficial to milk supply (source
:http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=31271).
WW has also introduced the "Freestyle" program which gives 0 point values to over
200 nutritious foods like eggs, beans, lean meats, fruit and vegetables. This encourages mothers
to eat more of these foods without having to worry about the calories (source:
https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/article/how-ww-freestyle-works).

2. Jenny Craig: Jenny Craig offers consultation with a counselor for breastfeeding mother to
establish an individualized plan. They have a baseline 2300 calorie plan to start which can then
be modified according to individual results and needs working with the counselor.
Jenny Craig appears to be quite cautious with breastfeeding moms and committed to
protecting milk supply while supporting gradual weight loss. However, Jenny Craig was bought
in 2006 by Nestlé. Their artificial baby milk division is in conflict with many breastfeeding
professionals and advocates due to their questionable marketing practices in developing
nations. A breastfeeding mother with need to decide if they wish to financially support this
company (Source: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art64810.asp).

Discuss breastfeeding and vegetarian diets. Be sure to include the vitamin a breastfeeding
mother must have in her diet … Please reference your answers

The key to successful management of a vegetarian diet is to plan combinations of foods that
provide proper balance of amino acids. This will allow the body to synthesize to proteins
essential for building tissues. Vitamin B12 is available primarily from animal sources. Vegetarian
mothers may be deficient in this vitamin. Low B12 intake by the mother leads to low levels in
her milk. (Source: Counseling the Nursing Mother, page 170-171) If you don’t eat dairy
products, check to make sure that you’re getting sufficient calcium and zinc (this is for mom's
health – the baby will get enough of these minerals through milk even if mom's diet is deficient
in calcium and zinc). Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers do not need more calcium than
normally required for their age group –the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for calcium for
women aged 19-50 is 1000 mg per day. The DRI for zinc for breastfeeding mothers is 12 mg per
day. (Source: https://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/vegetarian/)

Give your recommendation for the use by lactating woman of the following:
("Don’t do it", is not an appropriate answer and DO NOT COPY and paste from the Internet.
What would YOU say to the client … Please reference your answers).

Alcohol (Include minimum 2 points covered in class)

Points covered in class:

1. It is important to first define the type of drinker the mother is. Is she a social drinker,
binge drinker, or a problem drinker?
a. If mom is a social drinker (1-2 drinks one at a time 1-2 times a week): It is
recommended that you do not need to pump and store but baby may become
sleepier after breastfeeding,
b. If mom is a binge drinker (a lot of drinks in a short time once a month or on the
weekends): It is recommended that you pump and store breastmilk before
drinking. Wait 2 hours per drink to breastfeed.
c. Problem drinker (moderate amount of drinking every day): It is recommended
that you do not breastfeed due to the amount of alcohol you drink every day. If
you wish to breastfeed then you will need to decrease the amount of alcohol you
drink.

Pumping and dumping is not required. The alcohol in breastmilk does not stay in it forever. It
will leave the system after 2 hours per drink. If you no longer feel the effects of the alcohol it is
safe to breastfeed. By this time, the levels of alcohol in your bloodstream and milk will be very
low. I suggest that if you are to drink an alcoholic beverage, eat a meal at the same time. Eating
food with alcohol lowers alcohol absorption. (Source: Counseling the Nursing Mother, page
240) But please keep in mind that while the amount that's transferred if you drink a serving of
alcohol is relatively small, your baby is tiny and has an immature liver. That means your baby
can't process the alcohol as well as you can. Infants younger than 3 months process alcohol at
about half the rate of adults. That means drinking and breastfeeding can affect your baby’s
sleeping and eating. So it is important to take the necessary precautions when it comes to
drinking and breastfeeding (source: https://www.babycenter.com/0_alcohol-and-
breastfeeding_3547.bc).

Cigarettes (Include minimum 3 points covered in class)

Points covered in class:
When it comes to smoking and breastfeeding I suggest smoking after the breastfeeding session
has ended, smoke only outside away from your baby, and to have a smoking jacket to wear
over your clothes. The smoking jacket will help prevent the smoke from seeping into your
clothing.

Breastfeeding provides immunities that help your baby fight illness and can help counteract
some of the effects of cigarette smoke on your baby. Breastfeeding has been shown to
decrease the negative effects of tobacco smoke on your baby’s lungs. It is better if you do not
smoke, but if you can’t stop or cut down, then it is better to smoke and breastfeed than to
smoke and formula feed (https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/smoking/).

Nicotine gum or patches are safe to use while breastfeeding. (Source: Counseling the Nursing
Mother, page 238)

Marijuana (Remember to include your advice to the once a week user and don’t do it is not the
answer, rather IF you are going to use then ---!)

Marijuana use has shown to lower or inhibit prolactin levels compromise milk production.
Research has suggested that marijuana use can cause developmental delays in children. If you
are to use marijuana then use in moderation and away from your baby (Source: Counseling the
Nursing Mother, page 241)

When a mother only smokes weed occasionally, the many benefits of breastfeeding—which can
lower some of the side effects of smoking—must be weighed against the risks of using the drug
and the risks of using formula (source: http://breastfeeding.support/smoking-weed-while-
breastfeeding/).

Caffeine (Be practical in your advice, how will a mom know what amount is ok and what
should she do?)
Watching your baby is the only way to get an individual answer to this question. The amount of
caffeine that might affect baby will vary widely depending upon the specific baby and the
baby’s age and health. The estimate is usually less than five 5-oz cups of coffee or 500 mg/day
of caffeine. Various sources suggest an upper limit for caffeine intake ranging from 300-750
mg/day (Source: https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/caffeine/).
Wakefulness, hyperactivity, and colicky behavior may indicate an excessive amount of caffeine
in your milk (Source: Counseling the Nursing Mother, page 239).

Chocolate (Look up Theobromine … Be practical in your advice, how will a mom know what
amount is ok and what should she do?)
Theobromine is a compound found in cacao seeds and has a similar chemical structure to
caffeine and can has a similar effect on your baby. If you consume over 750mg of theobromine
a day, your baby may become fussy, irritable, and have trouble falling asleep (Source:
http://www.momjunction.com/articles/side-effects-of-eating-chocolate-while-
breastfeeding_00353153/#gref). Whenever you eat chocolate watch how your baby is
affected. If they seem fussy and irritable then decrease the amount of chocolate you are eating.

NutraSweet

NutraSweet contains Aspartame and according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
Aspartame is safe for use during pregnancy and lactation. It is recommended to limit
consumption to a moderate level (source: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-
health/artificial-sweeteners-and-pregnancy/).

Prescription Medications
When taking medications, you should watch out for unusual changes in your baby’s behavior,
feeding, and sleeping patterns. You can minimize the effects if drugs in your milk by scheduling
medications around breastfeeding to achieve the lowest amount if drugs possible entering the
milk (Source: Counseling the Nursing Mother, page 235).

Recreational drugs
The benefits of breastfeeding and risk of drug transfer need to be weighed. It is recommended
that all recreational drug use be avoided while you are breastfeeding (Source: Counseling the
Nursing Mother, page 241)

Diet analysis: Please reference your answer. You may want to use
… choosemyplate.gov, www.calorieking.com, myfitnesspal.com
List your own 24 hour intake of food and beverages.
Breakfast:
2 large scambled eggs with half tbsp. butter
2 strips turkey bacon
16 oz. unsweetened green tea
1 centrum women's multivitamin
Lunch:
1 boneless chicken breast cooked in 3 oz. Marsala wine and 4 oz. cream with salt and pepper
and 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
3 oz. cremini mushrooms, 3 oz. broccoli, 3 oz. peas, and 1 half small yellow onion cooked in 0.5
tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 8.5 oz. can lime flavored sparkling water- unsweetened
Dinner:
6 oz. pork tenderloin cooked in 1 oz. Dijon mustard and 4 tsp chicken demi-glaze and 1 tbsp.
grape oil
6 oz. green beans steamed
16 oz. pineapple flavored sparkling water- unsweetened
Snacks:
1 chicken sriracha protein bar
1200 ml water thru out day

Include the following information:

Calories total: 1260 kcals

Grams of fat: 52g fat total
State food group: 44g (15%) CHO, 52g (40%) fat, 131g (45%) protein
(Source: myfitnesspal.com)

Evaluate this list and make a recommendation, to balance this intake as though you were a BF
woman that is 3 months postpartum.

Based off of your height, weight, age and activity level you should be eating about 2,000
calories a day (source: caloriecontrol.org) plus an additional 200-500 calories a day because
you are using calories to breastfeeding (source: Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple, page
514).
Caloric intake should not go below 1800 kcals a day (source: Counseling the Nursing Mother
page 167). It is important to maintain this caloric need to keep your milk supply at a good level
and losing weight too quickly could end up hurting your supply as well.
I would adjust your macronutrients to consist of 45% carbohydrates, 20% fat, and 35% protein.
This will give me a more balanced diet to maintain breastfeeding. It is good to continue to eat
high protein foods but it is also important to add whole grain choices such as bread and brown
rice to add more fiber. I noticed that you chose unsweetened beverages and drank water
throughout the day. Hydration is very important as well as staying away from added sugar.
(Source: myfitnesspal.com)

Be sure to use at least one text reference AND one internet reference and clearly list them at
the end of the question. You MUST include this in the assignment