Eating healthy food for you...
Eating a healthy diet is very important once you’ve had a baby - especially if you’re breastfeeding. You’ll need more energy than ever to look after your baby and you may be getting less sleep than you were before!
A healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, milk and carbohydrates (like bread, potatoes, pasta and rice), plus protein (meat, fish, pulses such as peas, beans and dhal, cheese and eggs) will make you feel much more lively. Foods that contain a lot of sugar, like sweets, chocolate, biscuits and fizzy drinks, fill you up but then leave you feeling more tired later on
...and your baby
Good diet in childhood can help protect against diseases later in life.
Breast-feeding
Breast-feeding is the natural way to feed your baby and protects him or her from various illnesses. It will help you to bond with your baby, as you are the only person who can feed him/her initially. You can also express your milk so some one else can feed the baby if you need some rest. It will also help you to get your figure back quickly. You use about 1000 calories a day when you breast feed!
Ask your midwife or health visitor for advice about breast-feeding.
Bottle feeding
If you decide to feed your baby with modified cows milk (SMA/Farley’s/Cow and Gate/Aptamil) ensure you know how to make the feeds up properly and are aware of how to sterilise the bottles etc, Always hold your baby when you feed her/him.
Mothers qualify for Healthy Start if they are pregnant or have a child under four years old and
• If they or their family get Income Support.
• If they or their family get income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
• If they or their family get Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual family income of below £14,155.
• or they are pregnant and under 18 years of age.
Healthy Start Vouchers
Healthy Start vouchers are worth:
• £2.80 a week if you’re pregnant.
• £5.60 a week for each baby aged under one.
• £2.80 a week for each child aged over one and under four.
The new scheme:
includes fresh fruit and vegetables as well as milk and infant formula milk. Local retailers displaying the sign (below) will exchange the new tokens.
If you want further information go to www.healthystart.nhs.uk
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