Kiddipedia

Kiddipedia

As you do your best to adjust (read: survive) those hours of wakefulness in the dark, this sleep deprivation is not only impacting the heaviness of your eyelids but so much more of your overall well-being. With breastfeeding requiring more energy and key nutrients, the ability to honour our body’s needs can be hindered by the constant haze of fatigue and just how ridiculously difficult it can be to simply sit for a meal. Alongside this, it is important to acknowledge that many of us feel pressure to ‘bounce back’ to our pre-baby weight as quickly as possible.

All of a sudden, we have a mix of challenges that often generate a place where we feel anxious, out of control and tired, while we’re still working out what our new identity really is.

Here’s a disclaimer: I am speaking as a mum who is five years into sleep deprivation (my three kids are not the greatest sleepers), and even as a Sports Dietitian there are days when I still don’t get this right. But speaking from experience, here are some easy strategies to build confidence through knowledge and set up a supportive food environment, to help you thrive in motherhood and optimise your energy as much as possible.

Acknowledge and accept that your energy needs are higher when breastfeeding

If you are feeling pressure to lose weight after birth, but at the same time breastfeeding and experiencing a whole new level of hunger, it can be really confusing and frustrating. But I am here to reassure you: it is ok to honour your appetite. Creating milk takes energy and hydration, so the more milk you are producing, the higher your energy and fluid needs are going to be.

In fact, if we average out the amount of milk you are producing to 800mL per day, you are using an extra 2500-3000kJ (600-700cal) per day. An amount that equates to warranting some bigger portion sizes at meals, more frequent snacks, or (if you are also a breakky lover like me) a second breakfast!

Those cravings for sweet deliciousness are real – and they could be due to a few different factors

When we first start working with a new mum, chatting through cravings or episodes of binging* is really common. If these are happening, one of the initial things we look at is how much is being eaten during the day before these cravings occur. So often these feelings are due to food restrictions earlier in the day – either on purpose (trying to diet or lose weight) or accidentally (unable to access food or missing meals). The best way to approach these cravings or episodes of binging is to first better manage food intake. So often in diet culture we are sent the message to eat as less as possible, where really, we can still have a great amount and variety of food by switching to more nutrient dense options.

It is ok to be honouring both your hunger and/or preference for sweeter options. However, if those sweeter options are more processed and high in added sugar or fats, then they are what we call ‘hyper-palatable’ – meaning that they provide an immediate pleasure response, which makes it difficult to manage portions. Therefore, choosing options that are still delicious, but are more nourishing, is the goal.

It is also really important to acknowledge here that sleep deprivation is known to impact our food choices – mainly due to changes in how our hormones work. Two key hormones for hunger and fullness (ghrelin and leptin) become out of whack, with leptin (our fullness hormone) reducing and ghrelin (our hunger hormone) increasing. This can make it increasingly difficult to manage our food choices and our portions.

Setting up an environment for success

Now that we know that:

  1. We will be tired; and
  2. This fatigue impacts our food decisions; and
  3. Our energy needs are increased with breastfeeding; and
  4. We will rarely find a moment to eat a meal with two hands…

How can we set up our home to support these energy needs, nourish our recovery and help manage fatigue as best we can?

Embrace one-handed snacks and meals that satisfy

To help with fullness, aim for options that include some protein, healthy fats and fibre. If you are continually going for options that are really processed, they tend to be high in sugar and low in protein and fibre – so they don’t keep you full for long.

Breakfast could be porridge, bircher muesli, eggs or chia puddings.  Snacks to have on hand could be roasted nuts, bliss balls, yoghurt, fruit, crispbread or even cereal/oats. Lunches can be one of those meals that gets skipped too often, so if you can find a rhythm with something simple, then that’s a win. Options that work well due to their one-handedness are salad plates (e.g. veggie sticks, crackers, cheese, hummus), sandwiches or wraps. Dinner… well, dinner is simply mayhem — no easier way to put it! If you get a chance to prep dinner during the day, then that is highly recommended and tends to minimise the frequency of UberEats!

Have the food available in the home that you want to be reaching for

If you keep aiming to do one weekly shop, but it just doesn’t seem to happen (between the feeds, spews and poos to get out the door, that is fair enough!), then using meal delivery options is absolutely a great thing to consider.

Whether it be a supermarket delivery of all your grocery needs, or teaming this with a meal delivery service (such as Hello Fresh or Marley Spoon), making use of these options can allow you to have the options in the home that compliment your goals and at the same time help you feel much more in control and confident.

Be realistic and forgiving – there is no perfection in food, only progress

There are going to be days that are, no getting around it, an absolute mess. You honestly feel like you have achieved nothing other than bounce, ‘shhh’ and breastfeed. These are what I often refer to as ‘red’ days, and they need to be acknowledged.  Simply return to focusing on the basics and let many of the ideals dropping below the line (so to speak). It’s survival!

On the days when there are less tears (from you and/or bub), these are your green days. You are going to have more of a chance to achieve the things we have just chatted through. You may have even prepped dinner at lunchtime!

Whatever the day brings, remember there is no ‘wagon’ to fall off, just return to a better option or an improved choice at your next opportunity – no more of the all or nothing, good or bad, mentality.

There is no doubt that the food we eat impacts so much of who we are and how we perform in life. When we set up our homes with the mindset of fuelling, nourishing and acknowledging our need for recovery, we start to move away from the constant restrictive messaging that is so often placed around food. Becoming and being a mum is a journey that demands more of you ever before, so honouring that with any self-care you can fit in – food included – is a really positive way to help you not only survive, but thrive and enjoy the amazingness of those moments so much more.

* Binging is different to over-eating or comfort eating. Binging is defined by, not only the amount of food, but the feelings during and after that eating episode takes place. If you are feeling out of control and unable to stop while eating, alongside anxiety and guilt, this may constitute a binge and it is worth reaching out for support.

Alicia Edge is an Advanced Sports Dietitian that focuses on performance and well-being. She is using her extensive knowledge to help others, whether it is baby led feeding, everyday wellness, or high-performance athleticism with teams like The Matildas.

You may also like to read:

Your Top Breastfeeding Questions Answered

Seven Breastfeeding Myths Busted