Postpartum and Breastfeeding Cravings Explained

If you’re dreaming of pizza and pickles in the days and weeks after labor and delivery, you may be experiencing postpartum cravings. Many new parents, particularly those who are breastfeeding, have shifting appetites as they adjust to their post-pregnancy body and life.

Fluctuating hormones, changing sleep schedules, learning to care for your baby, and the demands of breastfeeding may all contribute to postpartum cravings. Cravings and occasional indulgences are not necessarily a bad thing, but there are strategies you can use to satisfy your desires while limiting overindulging.

“If you’re breastfeeding exclusively, you’re burning up to 500 calories a day,” Frances Largeman-Roth, the author of Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Moms Healthy Eating Guide, told Health.

What should you eat for those extra 500 calories? Largeman-Roth advised focusing on these items:

• Calcium-rich foods, including dairy and dark leafy greens
• Choline-rich foods: Eggs are the best source, plus wheat germ, pork, soybeans, and cauliflower
• Foods rich in water, potassium, and vitamin C—basically fruits and vegetables
• Foods rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps babies’ brain development—think fatty fish, fortified eggs
• High-quality, lean sources of protein such as poultry, bison, fish, and eggs

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends people who are breastfeeding eat fish and seafood 2-3 times per week but avoid eating fish with high mercury levels.

Largeman-Roth cautioned against eating too many mercury-laden fish—this is a good warning, even after pregnancy. Not only is mercury exposure dangerous for you, but it is harmful for breastfeeding infants as well. Nursing after consuming high-mercury fish can impact your baby’s brain and nervous system development.

Largeman-Roth advised against caffeine or foods that are too spicy, garlicky, or filled with onions. However, there is little evidence that eating specific foods will cause excess gas, business, or stomach upset in the breastfeeding infant.

New parents tend to be sleep-deprived, which can lead to stress—and one way people cope with stress is eating. An insatiable appetite may have more to do with sleep deprivation than with nursing.

Specifically, lack of sleep can alter two hormones that control appetite: It spikes ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and decreases leptin, which suppresses food intake. Research suggests that sleep-deprived people tend to weigh more, possibly because these hormones can’t function properly without a good night’s sleep. Research shows that levels of ghrelin, a hormone that tells your body it’s time to eat, increase after a restless night.

Effective ways to counter postpartum cravings are lightly exercising (once your healthcare provider says it’s safe), fueling up with protein, staying hydrated, keeping healthy foods available, and going to bed as early as possible.

Most importantly, though, go easy on yourself. Breastfeeding is hard work, so cut yourself some slack. Give yourself permission to enjoy the foods you eat while also focusing on nutrient-rich options.

Food cravings are common for breastfeeding parents. You may get them for a variety of reasons, including sleep deprivation and shifting hormones. Getting regular exercise, eating well-balanced meals, and prioritizing self-care can help you counter cravings that you’d rather not indulge in. However, having an occasional treat or an extra cookie (or pickle) or two might be just what you need .