Cecilia is 3 months postpartum after a normal labor and full-term delivery. She tells you that she is exclusively breastfeeding her baby about eight times a day but is very tired and is not getting...

Cecilia is 3 months postpartum after a normal labor and full-term delivery. She tells you that she is exclusively breastfeeding her baby about eight times a day but is very tired and is not getting much sleep because her baby always seems fussy between feedings—day and night. She has been determined to lose her “baby weight” and for the past 6 weeks, she has been restricting her caloric intake to around 1200 calories/day, including approximately six diet drinks every day. She reports that the pediatrician told her that the baby’s weight gain has slowed over the past month and she would like her to begin supplementing the baby with formula. She is hesitant to do this because her goal is to continue breastfeeding exclusively until the baby is 6 months old, and then possibly continue until at least the baby’s first birthday.

Nutrition Diagnostic Statement

Difficulty breastfeeding related to poor maternal dietary intake as evidenced by mother’s report of inappropriate diet and baby’s poor weight gain

Nutrition Care Questions

 1. What would you tell Cecilia regarding her concern about losing her “baby weight”?

2. What would you tell her to do to improve her dietary intake?

 3. How would you address her baby’s fussiness and inadequate weight gain?

4. What advice would you give her to preserve her breastfeeding and achieve her breastfeeding goals?