An Important Nutrient For Breastfeeding Moms

As a breastfeeding mom I have a double duty. My job is to nourish my baby and myself. What I put into my body is my top priority.  It’s ideal to ensure my food choices are full of nutrients that may have a positive impact on Ryder and myself. 

One of the most important nutrients to consume is calcium.  A breastfeeding mom has a storage of calcium in her bones. Should their diet be lacking in calcium, the body will remove calcium from the bones to supply it to the breastfeeding infant. Some studies have shown a 3 to 5 percent reduction in a mother’s bone mass during breastfeeding, most likely due to insufficient intake of calcium from diet. This can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

Breastfeeding moms should consume 1,000 mg of calcium per day to protect themselves from this bone loss during lactation. Also, your baby needs calcium to develop healthy teeth, bones, muscles and heart.  That said, it's important to have three servings of calcium every day. In addition to milk or yogurt and cheese, I'm a huge dark leafy greens fans. Broccoli and kale are life!

I also love Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews as a calcium supplement because its difficult to meet the daily calcium requirement of 1,000 mg every single day especially when I'm chasing a two year old toddler and nursing a newborn. The Viactiv chews also have Vitamin D which is an important nutrient to absorb the calcium. I took them while I was pregnant as well because many prenatal vitamins provide only 20-30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium for women who are expecting .

The Viactiv chews are available in either milk chocolate or caramel flavors. I'm a huge fan of the milk chocolate. I purchase them from my local Rite Aide but they are also available nationwide at supermarket, drugstores and major retailers, including CVS, Target and Walmart. You can find all locations here. 

You can read about my favorite breastfeeding foods here.