When breastfeeding a child, a woman cannot always eat what she wants, and should be careful about her diet, especially in the first months after childbirth, when the baby’s digestive system is still imperfect. This does not imply a strict diet for breastfeeding, but some foods should be excluded. We will find out what the flesh of the melon supplies with the human body, when and how can a nursing mother eat it and whether it will bring benefits.
How rich are the fruits
Sweet melon contains not so many calories - 35 kcal / 100 g.
These 100 g contain the following nutrients:
- proteins - 0.6 g;
- fats - 0.3 g;
- carbohydrates - 7.4 g;
- organic acids - 0.2 g;
- dietary fiber - 0.9 g;
- water - 90 g;
- ash - 0.6 g.
Vitamins:
- A - 0.067 mg;
- beta-carotene - 0.4 mg;
- B1 - 0.04 mg;
- B2 - 0.04 mg;
- B4 - 7.6 mg;
- B5 - 0.23 mg;
- B6 - 0.06 mg;
- B9 - 0.006 mg;
- C - 20 mg;
- E - 0.1 mg;
- K - 2.9 μg;
- PP - 0.5 mg;
- niacin - 0.4 mg.
Minerals:Did you know? Turkmenistan annually celebrates Melon Day on the second Sunday of August. Fairs, exhibitions, melon growers' conferences, concerts and other cultural events are held throughout the country.
- potassium - 118 mg;
- calcium - 16 mg;
- magnesium - 13 mg;
- sodium - 32 mg;
- sulfur - 10 mg;
- phosphorus - 12 mg;
- chlorine - 50 mg;
- iron - 1 mg;
- iodine - 0.002 mg;
- cobalt - 0.002 mcg;
- Manganese - 0.035 mg;
- copper - 0.047 mg;
- selenium - 0.7 mcg;
- fluorine - 0.02 mg;
- zinc - 0.09 mg.
What is the use of melon in lactation?
- For a woman who is breastfeeding her baby, melon flesh can be helpful as follows:
- the sugars in it will give strength;
- improves mood - it contains serotonin;
- does not spoil the figure - it is a low-calorie product;
- will pass on vitamins and minerals to a woman’s body and when feeding her infant;
- increase hemoglobin;
- quench thirst and saturate the body with the moisture necessary for a rush of milk;
- increase immunity and improve metabolism;
- positively affect the appearance of a nursing mother, as the substances contained in her will improve the condition of the skin and hair;
- beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular system;
- help with constipation.
Did you know? Mother's milk has protective properties. On contact moms and child during feeding the baby’s bacteria enter the mother’s body and cause the production of the necessary immunoglobulins.
The risk of eating melon by a nursing mother
Of course, if a woman had allergic reactions to this product before pregnancy or for the first time manifested itself during the bearing of a child, then with GV it is better for her to refrain from this product. Moreover, an allergy to melon can be transmitted to the baby.
- There are other contraindications for eating melon:
- diabetes;
- diarrhea;
- gastritis, peptic ulcer;
- exacerbation of pancreatitis and gastrointestinal tract diseases.
Melon, like all other permitted vegetables and fruits, should be eaten in season, since it can contain a considerable amount of chemicals. You can not buy an unripe or cut fruit - this can negatively affect the health of a woman, and therefore the child.
The choice of product for consumption should be treated responsibly. If the fruit is not from its garden and when buying is in doubt, then it is better to abandon it.
When after childbirth you can try
In the first three months after birth, pediatricians do not recommend eating melon. The reason why you can not consume the product during this period is the imperfection of the digestive system in the newborn and the presence of sugar contained in the melon, which can cause fermentation in the intestines of the baby. This product worsens the condition with colic, and it must be excluded until the baby stops observing the excessive accumulation of gases and the work of the gastrointestinal tract improves.
Typically, colic disappears by the end of the third month, and if during the melon season the baby does not have rashes or diarrhea, then why not try the sweet flesh. In the period from 4 months, lactation is allowed in the diet of the nursing mother, and the first complementary feeding is introduced to the baby on artificial feeding. It is after four months that doctors are allowed to introduce melon into the food of a nursing mother.
Important! Melon can not be introduced into the diet if the baby has a rash, diarrhea or vomiting. In these cases, the nursing mother is on a strict diet recommended by the doctor.
Of course, then, whether or not you can introduce this or that product into your diet when breastfeeding a woman, largely depends on the baby’s body and the maturity of his intestines. If the child already in the second month of life does not have allergic reactions, colic and digestion works well, then mothers can try foods recommended from a four-month period.
How to enter into your diet
When breastfeeding, juicy melon should be introduced into the diet, starting with small pieces (100-150 g). The product is better to eat for an afternoon snack. In this case, much attention should be paid to the state of health of the baby. If everything is normal and there are no negative reactions to this food (flatulence, diarrhea, allergies), then you can allow a slight increase in the amount of pulp of this fruit to two slices. If everything is fine by the end of the week, then you can try 3-4 pieces a day. But do not abuse this fruit - excessive consumption can cause rashes and other allergic reactions in the baby.
How to use
Melon should be eaten correctly so as not to harm yourself and your child.
As a standalone product
When breastfeeding, do not eat melon on an empty stomach. It should be taken as an independent product between meals. It is best to cut the fruit into small slices and eat an hour before meals or an hour after it.
Combine with other products.
Melon is completely incompatible with other products. This sweet fruit is quickly digested by the intestines, but when consumed with other foods, the digestion process slows down and the fermentation process begins. All this causes such negative phenomena as flatulence, indigestion, and vomiting. That is why melon is eaten separately from other foods.
Especially negative reactions occur when consuming fruits with dairy products. After all, any protein product in an acidic environment is folded.
It is recommended that a nursing mother start consuming melon no earlier than the fourth month after childbirth in the absence of contraindications to her consumption. You need to consume this fruit correctly and in small portions, tracking the baby's reaction to it.Important! Melon should not be eaten at night. This product can spoil a night's sleep of a nursing mother and her baby.
