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These questions were answered by Associate Professor Tan Thiam Chye, senior consultant at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Got a question? E-mail us at magyoungparents@sph.com.sg.
Is it true that I should not drink too much water during confinement to avoid water retention?
Drinking sufficient fluids actually helps the body to remove excess fluid, says Associate Professor Tan Thiam Chye, senior consultant at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Your body starts to retain more fluid from the third trimester of pregnancy.
He also advises mums to drink enough after delivery, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Your kidneys will produce more urine for a few weeks after your baby is born to remove excess fluid that has accumulated during pregnancy.
To manage water retention, reduce your salt intake, drink more water and avoid beverages that have a dehydrating effect, such as coffee, tea and alcohol.
Exercise regularly, too, and elevate your legs whenever possible, Prof Tan suggests.
Will my milk supply be affected if I become a vegetarian while breastfeeding?
A You need not worry about this. The nutritional needs of a breastfeeding mother on a vegetarian diet does not differ from that of a woman on normal diet, says Nehal Kamdar, a consultant clinical dietitian in private practice.
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet you are following, your nutritional intake may need to be adjusted to ensure that you are getting adequate calcium, iron, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
Vegetarian food sources for calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, beancurd, broccoli, spinach, nuts, and fortified products, such as calcium-fortified soya milk.
For iron, take eggs, green vegetables, beancurd, legumes, nuts and dried fruit. Vitamin B12 is in milk, fortified soya milk, eggs and fermented soya products, such as miso or tempeh.
As for omega-3 fatty acids, they are found in oil (canola, soya bean), seeds (flax, chia), nuts and legumes (soya beans, lentils).
For vitamin D, take eggs, fortified milk and get 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily.
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