how many calories do you need for breastfeeding?

I've got something wild to share with you! Or at least it was wild to me when I first found out...

Did you know that you actually need to eat MORE calories during early postpartum than you do while pregnant?

That's right!

The average woman requires an extra 300 calories per day in her third trimester of pregnancy to support growing baby. That same woman needs an extra 500 calories per day during the fourth trimester (when breastfeeding full time) to support optimal recovery and breast milk production.

That’s about 25% more food than the average woman eats during “regular” life. And when you think about it… that’s actually a lot of food! And yes, this is what is considered healthy and normal.

Kinda wild right!? This can be surprising to some mamas because prenatal nutrition seems to get all the attention and there isn't that much talk about what to eat after baby arrives.

But it turns out that the foods we eat (or don't eat) during postpartum can play a big role in the speediness of our recovery, our energy levels, mood, and breast milk supply. In fact, not eating enough in general is one of the more common reasons some mamas have issues with milk supply levels.

This can be a stressful situation, and not feeling well because you’re under nourished literally makes absolutely everything harder!

That's why I love sharing about postpartum nutrition. It can completely transform your experience of life with a newborn!

Yes, postpartum can be challenging no matter what, but I promise you will feel way better and enjoy it more if you nourish yourself during your recovery.

In order to actually do this, you need to make a food plan, mama. Think and talk it over in advance to answer the question of how you will feed yourself healthy foods during postpartum. You can create a meal train, order a meal delivery service, and of course, my favorite solution is to do your own super healthy and delicious freezer meal prep! This way you can be certain you are getting in the powerhouse nutrients you need for recovery, and there will be no stress involved because everything is ready to go in your own kitchen.

No matter how you do it, please make a postpartum nourishment plan to take care of yourself after baby arrives. Those extra 500 calories a day aren’t going to appear by themselves!

Need help with this? Check out my ebook, Postpartum Freezer Meals, your guide to stocking your freezer with healthy meals before baby comes.