Do you want to eat a low-carb diet while breastfeeding? It can be an excellent way to lose excess weight, while still eating all the nutritious foods that you and your baby needs.
However, you should not eat a strict low-carb diet, as it can – in extremely rare cases – be potentially dangerous when breastfeeding. To be safe choose a more moderate low-carb diet, with at least 50 grams of carbs per day.
Strict low carb and breastfeeding
In a normal situation people can eat as few carbs as they want – the body can handle it. But when breastfeeding you lose sugar via the milk, possibly around 30 grams per day, sometimes more.
Not eating carbohydrates in this situation can possibly lead to a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis, in rare cases.
There have been about four published cases in the history of the world connected to breastfeeding on low-carb, so the risk should be very low, and apparently they all ended happily. But it could possibly end in tragedy:
Similar situations can also occur from other things too, not just low carb. For example if fasting while breastfeeding, or if you get sick and have a hard time eating, on any diet.
It’s simply important to get enough nutrients while breastfeeding.
How to eat low carb if breastfeeding
If you’re breastfeeding you should not do a strict low-carb diet. You need to add some more carbs to be safe. Don’t worry, it will still be effective enough.
We recommend having at least 50 grams per day while breastfeeding.
One way to do this is to add three large fruits per day to an otherwise strict low-carb menu. But you can choose any way you like to get the extra carbs. Like selecting moderate and liberal low-carb recipes.
Source: Article by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD (https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/when-breastfeeding)
