Breastfeeding: Will candy increase your milk's sugar content?
Will extra candy for mom translate to higher calorie milk for babe? I know I should be eating more substantial food, but at work I am famished and succumb to snacks from the vending machine. My seven-month-old daughter is quite plump. She may have inherited her dad's tendency to extra weight. Does my indulgence change the sugar content of my breastmilk?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
All nursing moms appear to have the same proportions of protein, fat and carbohydrate in their milk. Lactose, or milk sugar, is the main carbohydrate in milk. It appears to be the least variable of these three macronutrients (Nutrition During Lactation, 1991). There is little evidence to show that it is affected by your diet, even if M&Ms make up a large part of it. Even when a mother's diet is far from ideal, her milk will still be the best feeding choice for her baby. Certain vitamins are affected by maternal diet such as Vitamin B6, B12, and C, though the amounts of these vitamins will plateau when they reach a certain level. The calorie count of breastmilk ranges from about 18 to 25 calories an ounce.
I wouldn't be overly concerned that your daughter has inherited your husband's tendency to put on extra weight. Lots of chubby breastfed babies turn into slim toddlers. All research points to the benefits of breastfeeding in reducing the likelihood of obesity, particularly until adolescence. See my letter, Is Overfeeding Possible, for more information.
I know I don't need to tell you, but M&Ms, as tasty as they are, will not provide you with sustained energy. They're a quick fix, or so it seems, giving you a boost of energy when you're exhausted. (That's one of the reasons they are so tempting!) But the energy is short-lived and you may fall into a sugar slump soon after the bag is emptied. Since time is of the essence when you're combining mothering and working outside the home, pack some bags with nutritious and easy-to-grab snacks over the weekend. Baby carrot sticks are nutritious and don't take any preparation. Nuts and raisins, bagel chips, and popcorn are some other healthy and quick-to-prepare snacks you might want to try taking along to work.
Answer:
