To maintain health and produce nutritious breast milk, nursing moms need to be sure to eat a well-balanced diet, stay adequately hydrated and get plenty of rest. But, many experts agree that even doing all these things might not be enough to ensure that moms and babies stay healthy. As a result, doctors recommend that nursing moms supplement their diets with a good multivitamin. Often, a new mom will simply continue taking the prenatal vitamin she used during her pregnancy. Unfortunately, however, most prenatal vitamins do not contain enough of the specific nutrients that lactating women need to ensure health of both mother and baby.
Endorsed by nationally-recognized lactation expert Kathleen Marinelli, MD, Nursing Postnatal provides comprehensive vitamin and mineral support, including 100% Daily Value of several vitamins and minerals, and extra amounts of key vitamins known to be especially important for lactating women, including Vitamin D and the B vitamins.
In recognition of a growing body of research that points to widespread Vitamin D deficiency among adults and children, Nursing Postnatal includes 700% Daily Value of Vitamin D (2800 IU). Once believed to be important only for bone health, recent research has revealed the critical role that Vitamin D plays in the prevention and treatment of a wide array of conditions, including high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression, obesity, seasonal affective disorder, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, rickets, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Although the current Daily Value for Vitamin D is set at only 400 IU, many experts are concerned that this amount grossly underestimates our need for Vitamin D and are recommending that all people, and especially lactating women, increase their daily intake of this key nutrient. By providing 700% Daily Value of Vitamin D, Nursing Postnatal helps to increase circulating levels of Vitamin D in nursing women, thereby ensuring that the breast milk produced by these women will have enough Vitamin D to prevent suboptimal Vitamin D status in their growing babies.
Nursing Postnatal also contains 200% Daily Value of essential B vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. The complex of B vitamins aids in energy production, the proper function of the immune system and nervous system, and in the production of red and white blood cells. Vegetarian and vegan mothers may be at increased risk for deficiencies of vitamin B-12 because it is naturally found only in animal products. Folic acid continues to be important during nursing to aid in healthy cell production.
Similar to Nursing Blend, Nursing Postnatal contains a full complement of vitamins and minerals in just the right amounts to keep mom and baby healthy, but does not contain the herbal blend found in Nursing Blend. This breastfeeding multivitamin is intended for nursing moms looking for nutritional support who have no concerns about the quantity of the breast milk they are producing.