You’ve probably been taking a prenatal vitamin throughout your pregnancy to make sure you get all the nutrients you and your baby need. It’s common practice. But as you transition from pregnancy to breastfeeding, the same prenatal vitamin may not completely support your ever-changing needs.
After your baby arrives, it’s time to consider switching to a high-quality postnatal lactation supplement to support you as you navigate breastfeeding and motherhood.
A postnatal lactation supplement can:
1. Eliminate the need for infant vitamin D drops while breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding has so many incredible benefits for both you and your baby. It helps support mental and emotional health for mom, immune health for baby, and fosters a special bond between the two.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s the ultimate source of nutrition for your little one, balanced with the perfect amount of fat, carbohydrates, protein, and other components to support your baby’s growth and development.
But there’s one specific nutrient that your breast milk may lack: vitamin D. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all breastfed babies receive 10 mcg (400 IU) of vitamin D drops per day. For many parents, supplementing baby with vitamin D drops can be difficult, and studies indicate that only about 20% of families are consistent with giving their baby vitamin D drops each day.
Luckily, there’s another (easier) way to make sure your breastfed baby gets enough vitamin D. Research shows that exclusively breastfed infants of mothers who take 160 mcg (6400 IU) of vitamin D3 each day achieved the same vitamin D blood level as infants given the recommended amount of vitamin D drops each day.*
So, look for a lactation supplement formulated with 160 mcg (6400 IU) of vitamin D to eliminate the need for infant vitamin D drops.*
2. Support your postnatal nutrient needs while breastfeeding.*
When your baby arrives, everything changes – including your nutrient needs. In fact, your nutrient needs while breastfeeding are different than any other time in your life. You need more choline and iodine, your iron needs decrease while you’re not having your menstrual cycle, and DHA remains incredibly important to support infant brain development.*
Postnatal lactation supplements are created with this in mind – designed to support your body as you nourish your little one.
3. Aid postpartum recovery.*
Postpartum recovery takes time. While many women start to feel more like themselves after about six weeks, it may take up to six months to fully recover after welcoming your baby to the world.
So how does a postnatal lactation supplement help? Well, nutrition plays an essential role in the postpartum period to help your body heal, replete nutrient stores used during pregnancy, and support your energy levels as you adjust to life with a newborn.* In addition to healthy, balanced meals, a high-quality postnatal vitamin can help fill in any gaps in your diet to support you on your road to recovery.*
4. Support your mental health.*
If you’re feeling a little out-of-whack after having your baby, it’s probably your postpartum hormones to blame. As your body transitions from pregnancy to the postpartum period, your hormone levels shift, which can affect your mood and mental health. In fact, up to 80% of women experience some negative feelings or mood swings after the birth of their baby.
While hormonal changes are inevitable, research shows that certain nutrients, especially vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, can help support mental health during the postpartum period.*
5. Support your baby’s growth and development.*
The first year of your baby’s life is full of exciting milestones as they grow and develop at a rapid pace. As a breastfeeding mother, you play a huge part in that, providing all the nutrients they need to thrive in the outside world. A postnatal lactation supplement can help you maintain adequate levels of important nutrients for both you and your baby.*
How do you choose a postnatal lactation supplement?
As you prepare for the postpartum period and finish up your prenatal vitamins, start looking for a high-quality postnatal lactation supplement with important breastfeeding nutrients, like choline, iodine, DHA, and vitamin D3. It’s also key to choose a supplement that’s independently tested and certified by a trusted organization, like NSF International or USP, for content accuracy and purity. This ensures that your supplement has all the nutrients it should (as listed on the Supplement Facts Panel), and no harmful contaminants, like heavy metals or bacteria.
You deserve supplements that meet your unique nutrient needs at each milestone: when you’re trying to conceive, during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and beyond. Learn more about the nutrients you need and the supplements that can support you by checking out this blog next: “How Theralogix Can Support Your Path to Motherhood.” And as always, talk with your healthcare provider when you’re considering a new supplement for your daily routine.