Q&A:
Am I harming my 3-month-old if I'm breastfeeding and have poor nutrition?

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Answered by Angela Rosas M.D.

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"The most enjoyable thing for me in practicing general pediatrics is to use my professional training and my experiences as a mother to help families to improve the health of their children," says Angela Rosas. "It is a wondrous feeling to watch children heal and develop into healthy young adults, knowing that you played a small role in the process."

Angela Rosas M.D., graduated from Stanford University with a degree in human biology. She attended medical school and completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego. She has been a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1991. Dr. Rosas has practiced general pediatrics for eight years in community clinics, private practice, and university hospitals. She is currently Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. Her clinical and research interests are breastfeeding, asthma, adolescent care, children with disabilities, child abuse and neglect, and accident prevention. Dr. Rosas has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to various pediatric textbooks. She frequently lectures on pediatrics issues at medical conferences and for community agencies. Dr. Rosas is married to another pediatrician and has three young daughters.

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Question

Am I harming my 3-month-old if I'm breastfeeding and have poor nutrition?

Answer

Nature has devised a plan for breastfeeding if a mother's nutrition is inadequate: Her milk will still carry the necessary nutrients, but her own health will suffer. For example, if you do not eat enough calcium rich-foods, the calcium will be leached from your bones to produce the adequate nutrients in your milk. You may suffer later from osteoporosis, or "brittle bones."

You've done well to make a healthy commitment to your baby by breastfeeding, but you need to commit to your own good health by finding a way to get better nutrition. Let go of some of those household chores or office duties and spend the extra time making sure you eat a healthful diet.