I'm sort of in the same situation. I was always skinny & ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it... until I got married and had a baby!
I've read that you need a minimum of 1500 - 1800 calories while nursing. I think it depends on the age of your little one. If you have a newborn, make sure you eat like normal for the first couple of months so you can establish a healthy supply of milk. Then gradually lower your calorie intake so you don't suddenly lower your supply.
When my son was born 14 months ago, I lost all my baby weight within 6 weeks... but then ate like I was pregnant for the last year and gained it all back! I'm still nursing him at night. But I am not his main food source, so I'm on a 1650 calorie plan. The site suggested 1250, but I increased in on my own fall within the suggested 1500-1800 range. I'm 5'9" with a medium-large build and I'm generally eating between 1500 and 1600 calories a day. I'd say that if your profile says you should be eating 1700 cals a day, increase it by about 500 calories and that should be enough to keep up a healthy supply.
Other research that I've found shows the more super-healthy and higher-protein foods, the better. I'm no doctor, but I do know that it's been hard to figure out what is right for me to do in this situation. Just gather all the facts you can and do what's best for you and your baby. Kellymom.com is also a pretty good resource.
Oh, and you should absolutely drink milk! It's good for you and your baby... although I did have a friend who's little girl had a lactose-intolerance problem and she couldn't have dairy until after her little girl was about a year old. |
