First 1,000 days of nutrition. Your questions answered.



Two months ago I teamed up with SMA Nutrition to spread the word about the importance of nutrition in your child's first 1,000 days. It's beneficial to the health of you and the baby to have the correct balance of nutrients from day one of conception and throughout pregnancy, infancy and throughout life. Getting the right quantity and quality of protein is especially important, as this can reduce their chances of being overweight in later life. Most parents aren’t aware that the amount of protein your baby needs decreases as your little one grows. I also took the time to share some of my personal experiences with Noah. In case you missed the post you can read all about it here

I ended the post inviting my readers to leave any questions that they may have in the comment section below and Dr Ellie Cannon would answer as many as she can in my follow up blog post, which of course is now! 

When Pregnant are there any foods that are recommended to eat to help the health of the baby and mother? It is recommended that pregnant mothers should eat some protein foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, pulses and nuts) every day. Also, Starchy foods (such as bread, potatoes, rice and pasta) should be the main part of every meal as they are an important source of energy, vitamins and fibre, and are satisfying without containing too many calories. Choose wholemeal instead of processed (white) varieties.  Similar to normal dietary advice, it is advised that expectant mothers should eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. It is also important to make sure you keep hydrated, and that you are taking folic acids supplements each day from before conception (ideally but not always possible) to 12 weeks into pregnancy. Vitamin D is a key requirement for pregnant women, as vitamin D is essential for growth. 

I always puréed food for my first two children when weaning began but I'm interested in baby led weaning for the next child. Can you recommend any good and healthy finger foods? Unfortunately, I am unable to give you advice on this topic due to conflicting medical opinions on weaning. Therefore it is best to contact your health care professional. 

My son had a tongue tie which made it impossible to breastfeed, he was also born seven weeks premature, so my milk supply was barely existent! If I have another child, and the same problems occur, is there anything I can do to try and avoid this problem? Unfortunately, I am unable to give you advice on this topic. For more information on this please contact your health care professional.

I breast fed Rosalie until she was 14 months old, she didn't have a bottle ever. Is there an age that you should breast feed till? Do they still need milk after this time? When should you stop giving toddlers milk at bedtime? There is no set age for when you should stop breastfeeding. Giving nothing but breast milk is recommended for about the first six months (26 weeks) of your baby's life. After that, giving your baby breast milk alongside family foods for the first two years, or for as long as you and your baby want, will help them grow and develop healthily. 

Toddler milks are suitable for children aged 1-3 years, Cows’ milk can be used as a drink from 1 year. Milk at bedtime is part of a routine from newborns that often toddlers continue until at least 2 years of age. Don’t forget to brush their teeth after drinking milk! Milk at bedtime is a very personal decision for you and them, and most toddlers will naturally wean off milk as their bedtime routine changes. 


I really enjoyed being a part of this campaign as it was great to share my experiences but I also learned a few things too which I will be taking forward when we decide to try for baby number two. I had no idea that the level of protein in breast milk decreased as the baby grew, making sure they get the right amount of protein in their diet – how clever!

Thank you for reading!

- This is a PR Collaboration 


6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reminder about brushing teeth after milk before bed - we are sometimes guilty of this.

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  2. Annie Costa @LaaMoii7 April 2016 at 13:17

    super tips

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  3. Thank you for sharing, great to read

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  4. This is just perfect for my neice who's expecting her first child in October
    Great tips and will answer many of her questions trying to persuade her to breastfeeding feed but she's not keen

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  5. My neice loved these tips

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