Nutrient	Important for	Which foods?
Vitamin E	Vital for healthy skin and blood.	Plant oils - soya, corn & olive oil. Nuts, cereals, wheat germ.
Iron	A difficult birth or caesarean could mean that a mum would benefit from iron.	Lean red meat, dark green vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruits.
Vitamin C	Helps the body absorb the iron.	Most fruit and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, blackcurrants, potatoes.
Vitamin D	The absorption of calcium for strong bones and teeth	Oily fish such as sardines, eggs, margarine and low fat spreads The body produces vitamin D in sunlight According to the Food Standards Agency, if you are pregnant you should take a 10µg supplement of vitamin D
Calcium	To help ensure the breast milk is rich in calcium for the baby's teeth and bones	Dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, bread
Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins (B1, B2, B6)	For the formation of healthy red blood cells and to release energy from food	B12: Meat and fish Fortified breakfast cereal

Eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby. Oily fish is important as it is a good source of fatty acids, which help the development of the baby's nervous system. However, it does contain low levels of pollutants that can build up in the body so you should not eat more than two portions a week.

• The Food Standards Agency recommends that you take a supplement containing vitamin D each day while breastfeeding. Vitamin D is important to help with the absorption of calcium which is needed for the development of baby's bones and teeth enamel.
• Drink plenty of fluid. As a rule of thumb, try to drink at least six to eight glasses of fluid a day.
• Certain foods need to be avoided or only eaten in small amounts while breast feeding. These include eating no more than one portion of deep sea fish such as shark, swordfish or marlin a week, due to the levels of mercury in these fish.
• Regular intakes or large amounts of alcohol or caffeine should be avoided as these will affect your baby.
• Weight reduction diets are not recommended when breast feeding as cutting back on food can harm your milk. Some breast fed babies may react to the food you eat, if you think this is happening you should discuss it with your GP or health visitor. Peanuts are a common cause of food allergy and can cause severe reactions. If the baby's parents or brothers or sisters suffer from food allergies or allergic conditions such as asthma, hayfever or eczema you may wish to avoid eating peanuts.