For women that breastfeed, breastmilk supply and composition is influenced by many factors including:

• Age
• Body composition (either underweight or overweight)
• Natural daily variations
• Stage of lactation
• Daily energy intake (specifically if undereating)
• Dietary macronutrients (how much protein, fat and carbohydrates are being consumed daily)
• Hydration levels (influenced by daily amount of water and diuretic substances consumed, temperature and activity level)

This means there are things we can do to help with maintaining a healthy breastmilk supply. 

• Eat three meals a day.
• Add in one to two snacks based on hunger levels between meals.
• Have quality protein, low GI carbohydrates and beneficial fats with each meal.
• Drink plenty of water (have a 500mL water bottle in the kitchen and aim to have one to three bottles each day)

Here are some extra tips:

• Before birth, stock up on nutrient-dense, easy to prepare freezer meals. 
• After birth, take up any offers from your support network to provide meals for the freezer. 
• Double the recipe when cooking dinner to put in the freezer for another night.
• Make a big batch of easy to grab meals or snacks to keep in the fridge (muesli, bliss balls as a slice, poached mixed berries). 
• Make meals as easy as possible (one-pot stews or soups, smoothies, salads, tray-bake meals, whole fruit, nuts, yoghurt snacks)