There are some nutrients for breastfeeding women to consider to support baby's growth and development as well as their own wellbeing.

Iodine is used for the development of the nervous system during pregnancy so mums can become a little low in iodine after the birth which can impact thyroid function. Even though some degree of fatigue is to be expected post-partum, optimising thyroid function by ensuring good iodine intake can surely help. Iodine is rich in seaweed such as you find in Japanese food. Seaweed salads, nori (around sushi) and Wakame (in miso soup) are good sources and we have our own NZ Karengo and the fronds are tasty enough and mild enough to sprinkle over salads or all kinds. It even tastes good over a roast vegetable salad with sliced avocado and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Fish Oil is an important nutrient for the brain of the baby. Because it is used up during pregnancy, some women find their skin becoming dry and itchy post-partum - this is a good indicator that you need to top up. Good food sources include sardines, kahawau, wild salmon and kingfish.

Protein is especially important for breastfeeding women as they commonly snack throughout the day and mealtimes can be interrupted. As a result protein intake can be sporadic in the first few months post-partum. Good pretein intake is important for energy, mood, tissue repair, to keep blood sugar stable and to prevent carbohydrate cravings, especially sugar. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs, hummus, nut, tofu, seed and whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice.

Spicy foods are good for breastfeeding mothers to avoid as they can cause colicky symptoms in many babies. Some women find during pregnancy that they start losing a good deal of hair and they feel more tired than they should. With this the hair and skin can become dry and dull looking. Many women find that these things improve  well with a good dose of B complex and sometimes zinc is needed as well. If colic is a big issue and your baby always appears to be in discomfort after eating, often cries after eating and commonly vomits or spills the milk, there may be some simple dietary issues that will resolve this. If a breastfeeding mum eliminates dairy and gluten from her diet for one week you may witness some rapid and drmatic improvements. If this is correct solution, one week is plenty of time to notice improvements and most notice it within the first couple of days. A welcome 'side effect' is that babies often start to sleep better as they settle down to relaxing feeds.

Happy Patients

A 46 year old woman came to us recently wanting help with sleep issues.

She was waking at 3-4am each night and we found something we commonly come across - a low vitamin D of 40nmol/L. Normalrange of vitamin D is 50-150nmol/L for bon health but we find once vitamin D levels reach closer to 100nmol/L things like energy, sleep and mood improve in many people. Those that tend to respond the best to correcting vitamin Dare those with disturbed, light sleep or those waking too early in the morning, This woman took prescription  vitamin D and progesterone oil to correct some hormonal issues and on her return she was very happy to report she was now sleeping well.

We have another great success story from Nicolas' weight loss program! A 49 year old male has followed all the guidelines and has lost 4.2kg or actual body fat in 4 weeks. This is the equivalent of over 8 packets of butter!