Many women measure their lives not in years and decades, but in turning points in life that are associated with the birth of a child. Indeed, the arrival of a baby in a family means new foundations, habits and rules, at least in the first couple of years of the child’s life. A woman should carefully monitor her health and nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. After all, it is healthy and balanced food that provides strong immunity And good health crumbs in the future. At this time, it is very important to wisely select foods for the diet of a nursing mother. In this article we will talk about cranberries - how they affect lactation, are cranberries safe for breastfeeding and how to eat it correctly in order to get only benefits from the red berry.
The benefits of cranberries during breastfeeding
The red berry is full of useful substances - vitamins, pectins, minerals, organic acids, glucose, etc. Cranberries are considered the berry of health, strength and longevity. In folk medicine, cranberries, along with currants and raspberries, are powerful tool in the fight against colds and high temperature. If you are constantly sick, just consume cranberries more often, it will help strengthen your immune system. Cranberries are very useful for women in labor - the berry perfectly restores a woman’s weakened and exhausted body. This is really important, because pregnancy, childbirth and lactation take away a colossal amount of nutrients and strength from the body. How can cranberries help in this situation?
- For tissue regeneration. Everyone knows that cranberries are rich in vitamin C, which is involved in the construction blood vessels and tissue regeneration. This is especially true in postpartum period, which in some women occurs with ruptures of the birth canal.
- From nerves. Very often, after the birth of a baby, a woman experiences postpartum depression, which is associated with hormonal changes body. A young mother sleeps poorly, gets tired, worries about whether she is doing everything right, and sometimes, due to inexperience, does not know why her baby is crying. B vitamins, which cranberries are very rich in, will help you cope with psycho-emotional stress. Eat at least 10 red berries a day and you will become much calmer.
- For the genitourinary system. Cranberries and lingonberries are the best means traditional medicine for the genitourinary system, which becomes especially vulnerable in the postpartum period. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties berries help protect against cystitis.
- For the gastrointestinal tract. The sweet and sour taste of cranberries allows you to enhance production gastric juice, which is very important for women with gastritis due to secretory insufficiency. Cranberry saves during lactation, since taking medications not recommended during breastfeeding.
- For colds. Very often, a woman’s reduced immunity due to lack of sleep, malnutrition and lactation faces a huge amount viruses and colds. Cranberries will help protect a young mother from respiratory diseases.
- During the postpartum period. If anesthesia, such as an epidural, was used during childbirth, be sure to drink a lot afterwards. A large amount of cranberry juice will help cleanse the body of medications, this will allow you to quickly recover from anesthesia, get rid of the feeling of nausea, dizziness and stomach pain.
- For lactation. Surprisingly, cranberries promote the production of breast milk, making the milk fattier and more satisfying. A large amount of warm cranberry juice promotes the tide. In combination with frequent breastfeeding, cranberry will help overcome the lactation crisis and increase the amount of breast milk.
Numerous beneficial features They say that it is not only possible for a nursing mother to consume cranberries, but also necessary. But only if the woman and child have no contraindications.
Cranberry is not so simple and safe, in some cases it can have negative action. Therefore, before starting its consumption, it is very important to familiarize yourself with the main contraindications.
- The sour taste of cranberries promotes the secretion of gastric juice, but if there is too much of it, it can cause stomach pain. For gastritis with increased acidity You should avoid cranberries, especially on an empty stomach.
- Large amounts of cranberries can cause diarrhea. While this is somehow tolerable for the mother, it becomes a life-threatening problem for the baby, because dehydration occurs very quickly in babies.
- Cranberries have excellent blood thinning properties. This is useful if you have a tendency to thrombophlebitis. But when uterine bleeding During the postpartum period, cranberries can only increase the process of blood loss, which is dangerous for the life of a young woman.
- Cranberries, like all red berries and fruits, contain lycopene, which causes the development of allergic reaction. After the mother has eaten cranberries, the child may experience skin rash or increased gas formation, abdominal pain, intestinal colic etc.
- At frequent use Cranberries in large quantities can change the taste of breast milk - some children feel this and refuse to breastfeed.
To avoid possible problems, you need to introduce cranberries into the diet of a nursing mother very carefully. On the first day you need to eat 1-2 berries, monitor the baby’s skin and stool. If there is no reaction, you can gradually increase the amount of cranberries consumed, reaching 20-30 pieces per day. Don't press the cranberry too hard to avoid unpleasant consequences. But how to eat it correctly if it is very difficult to cope with the sour taste of the berry?
How to eat cranberries to get all the benefits of the berry?
Of course, the best time to eat cranberries is fresh- natural berries are most beneficial immediately after picking. But when there are a lot of cranberries, you want to save them for the long winter months. Most useful way Freezing is the best way to save all the vitamins and minerals. The berries should be pre-washed, laid out on a flat surface so that they do not touch each other, frozen, and then poured into containers for easy storage. In winter, if necessary, you can get as many berries as you need. If you cannot stand the sour taste of cranberries, you can chop them and sprinkle them with sugar. As a result, after defrosting you will get tasty, healthy and natural cranberry jam without heat treatment. This jam can be diluted with water and strained to create a healthy cranberry juice. And if you add lemon, a sprig of mint and honey to the drink, you will get an incredibly rich and valuable fruit cocktail. You can decorate any desserts with cranberries, because they are not only tasty and healthy, but also incredibly beautiful!The red bead that grows in the swamp is a real storehouse of useful substances. Women in Rus' who were pregnant were always kept in the house healthy foods, capable of quickly restoring the strength and health of a young mother. Among them there was always cranberry - healing, medicinal, irreplaceable.
Video: healing properties of cranberries
Morse is a wonderful, quick, refreshing drink. It can be made from jam, or from fresh or frozen berries.
Most often, fruit juice is made from cranberries. Therefore, many young mothers are afraid to drink this drink, fearing for the health and well-being of the baby. However, there is no need to worry, as many doctors claim that cranberry juice does not cause allergies in children, while benefiting the body of both the mother and her baby.
Should a nursing mother drink fruit juice or not?
So, is fruit juice possible for a nursing mother and what benefits does it bring?
One disadvantage of cranberry juice is that it can cause individual intolerance. Therefore, when you first enter of this drink the basic rules should be followed. It is worth noting that cranberries are not just a hypoallergenic product. It is able to remove allergens already present in the body from the body.
A woman who has given birth experiences a severe deficiency of all nutrients, so cranberry juice is an excellent multivitamin.
Cranberries contain
- vitamins B6, B2, B9, B1, PP, E,
- pectin,
- cellulose,
- organic acids,
- magnesium,
- polyphenol,
- flavonoids,
- sodium,
- iron,
- phosphorus,
- potassium, calcium and others useful material.
All of these components have a beneficial effect on the health of both mother and baby.
How and when can you drink fruit juice?
You can start drinking fruit juice 1 month after birth, when the baby’s skin has cleared of newborn rashes. At the same time enter New Product should be done carefully. If the child reacted normally to the drink, then gradually the amount of fruit drink consumed per day can be increased.
Watch my short video tutorial about what else a nursing mother can drink:
How to properly prepare cranberry juice?
To prepare cranberry juice, take several glasses of frozen or fresh berries. Place them on a piece of gauze and tie the ends. Place the berries prepared in this way in boiled water for a couple of minutes. After this, let the berries drain a little and mash them. Squeeze out the juice and add to the resulting broth. Bring the volume to two liters and bring to a boil. If your child is not allergic to honey, you can sweeten the drink with it. As a result, you will get a fruit drink rich in vitamins.
There is another recipe for making fruit juice. Take cranberries, or frozen ones, and squeeze out the juice. Fill the resulting pulp with water. 100 grams of cake requires a liter of liquid. Place the container with the fruit drink on the fire and bring to a boil. Strain and add berry juice. While the berry juice is cooking, it is better to put it in the refrigerator so that it does not lose its beneficial properties.
Store the prepared cranberry juice in the refrigerator, but no more than three days. It’s better, of course, to cook it fresh. Drink the drink between meals. This will allow you to return to your previous shape and restore strength.
During lactation, mothers try to adhere to a diet so as not to cause an allergic reaction in the baby. Cranberries are very useful for breastfeeding; this berry has excellent antibacterial, tonic and general strengthening properties.
Except large quantities vitamin C, this berry contains flavonoids and useful microelements such as zinc, copper and potassium. This is the answer to the question of whether a nursing mother can eat cranberries. Of course you can, it’s not only healthy berry, but with its help you can diversify a woman’s diet. Eating cranberries will have positive action on the body tired after childbirth.
Regular consumption of wild berries can normalize hemoglobin levels and improve general state nursing mother. It is useful to drink cranberry juice; it not only perfectly quenches thirst, but also increases the flow of milk. Thanks to this, the child receives the necessary for his development nutrients. The vitamins contained in this berry help cope with postpartum depression, and calcium and iron improve the condition of hair and teeth.
Cranberry is natural antibiotic. With its help, a woman can fight inflammatory processes, which often arise in genitourinary system. The acid in the berry also makes urine acidic, thereby preventing bacteria from entering the bladder.
Cranberry has vascular strengthening properties, helps heal varicose veins veins It is also used for preventive purposes to prevent the formation of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaques. Polyphenols contained in berries help strengthen the heart muscle and reduce the amount of bad cholesterol.
This wonderful berry helps women fight overweight, from which they suffer after childbirth. Under the influence organic acids body fat are emulsified, and excess weight disappears. Drinking 3 glasses of fruit drink daily will allow a nursing mother to get rid of excess weight and cellulite. The condition of the skin will significantly improve, and the body will be enriched with beneficial minerals and vitamins. Cranberry juice helps fight gum disease and tooth decay.
What can you make from cranberries?
Drinking cranberry juice while breastfeeding is beneficial; it is very easy to prepare yourself. Wash the berries well and squeeze out the juice, add water to it, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes. A liter of water will require a glass of berries.
To preserve all the beneficial substances as much as possible, it is not recommended to boil the drink; it is better to mix the juice with boiled water. Mash a pound of cranberries with a wooden spoon and add a glass of liquid to it. The mixture is stirred well, filtered and another 5 glasses are added to it. boiled water. Sugar is added to taste, about 300g.
For improvement taste qualities You can add sugar, cinnamon or orange zest to the finished fruit drink. It is useful to combine cranberries with currants and raspberries. It is better to store cranberry juice in the refrigerator, but no more than 3 days. Breastfeeding There is some limitation for the use of this drink; it is advisable to drink no more than 3 glasses a day, but provided that the child takes it well.
Warm fruit juice helps with colds and viral diseases, but instead of sugar in this case it is better to add to it. And cranberry juice mixed with honey helps fight cough. Cranberries during breastfeeding will help the mother cope with chronic fatigue. If you add starch to the fruit drink, you will get a wonderful vitamin jelly.
Cranberries can be consumed raw or frozen. When purchasing, you need to choose whole and firm berries; wrinkled and blackened ones lose their nutritional properties. Cranberries collected after the first frost are especially useful; they are more mature and very juicy.
Cranberries can be used to make jelly or tea. Ready-made cranberry juice is available for sale, and at the pharmacy you can buy tablets that contain a dry extract of this berry. Pure juice has a very tart taste; it can be diluted with water or other juice. You can grind cranberries with sugar in a blender; this paste is stored in the refrigerator in a sealed glass container. To prepare healthy drink, two large spoons of gruel are poured into a glass of boiled water.
Harmful qualities of cranberries
Despite the fact that cranberries are red in color, they are considered a hypoallergenic berry that does not cause an allergic reaction in infants. But a nursing mother should introduce it into her diet gradually, while monitoring the child’s condition. If rashes appear on the baby’s skin or his stool changes, it is better for the mother to give up cranberries.
It is advisable to introduce these berries into the diet after the child is at least a month old. You need to start with a few berries, because they are sour, which can affect the taste of the milk and then the baby will refuse the breast. In case of an overdose, diarrhea may begin not only in the mother, but also in the baby, which is very dangerous for him.
It is not advisable to consume these berries for women with high stomach acidity and the presence of peptic ulcers. Cranberries should not be included in the diet of nursing mothers who have sensitive teeth or their enamel is severely damaged. In large quantities, the berry sometimes leads to the formation of kidney stones. It is advisable to consult a specialist before consuming cranberries so as not to harm your health and the condition of your small child.