Whether you've just had a baby, or you're 6 months down the track, you've got special health needs while breastfeeding your little one. However, it's often the case that once the baby is born, we're more likely to tend to their needs while pushing aside our own. 

Keeping yourself healthy while breastfeeding means eating as much as 2000 kilojoules (500 calories) more than someone who is not breastfeeding, and ensuring you're eating plenty of nutrient-dense food. This is because even though you're no longer pregnant, requirements for vitamins and minerals are still higher when breastfeeding. 

Iron

When you were pregnant, you needed 2-3 times more iron than usual i.e. 27 mg per day. After you've had your baby this target drops to 9 mg while breastfeeding or 18 mg when not pregnant and not breastfeeding.  

Although your iron needs drop dramatically while breastfeeding, it may be likely that you had trouble maintaining healthy iron levels during pregnancy. It's important to continue eating iron-rich foods each day while you're breastfeeding to help your blood iron levels, and iron stores, return to a healthy range. 

If you had low iron during pregnancy, it's a good idea to have your blood haemoglobin and ferritin (iron stores) levels checked once you've had your baby. Your midwife, Plunket nurse or GP will be able to help you with this. 

Click here for a list of common iron rich foods.
Click here for information on how to improve your iron intake. 
 

	Women 19-50	Pregnancy 19+	Lactation 19+
Protein	46 g/day	60 g/day	67 g/day
Vit A	700 µg/day	800 µg/day	1100 µg/day
Thiamine (B1)	1.1 mg/day	1.4 mg/day	1.4 mg/day
Vitamin B6	1.3 mg/day	1.9 mg/day	2.0 mg/day
Vitamin B12	2.4 µg/day	2.6 µg/day	2.8 µg/day
Folate	400 µg/day	600 µg/day	500 µg/day
Vitamin C	45 mg/day	60 mg/day	80 mg/day
Iodine	150 µg/day	220 µg/day	270 µg/day
Iron	18 mg/day	27 mg/day	9 mg/day
Magnesium
19-30	310 mg/day	350 mg/day	310 mg/day
31-50	320 mg/day	360 mg/day	320 mg/day
Selenium	60 µg/day	65 µg/day	70 µg/day
Zinc	8 mg/day	11 mg/day	12 mg/day

For more information on the complete list of nutrients, for all ages and life stages, click here.