10 Things You Didn't Know About Breastfeeding

"Your body is designed to make healthy milk," says Laura Viehmann, M.D., clinical instructor in pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, in Providence. Because your baby gets first dibs on the nutrients your system stores, eating well is not so much about producing quality milk as it is the key to maintaining your own health and energy. So don't agonize over eating an Oreo...or three. If your plate's not brimming with veggies, fill in nutritional gaps by taking a prenatal vitamin, which often has higher levels of calcium, vitamin D, and iron than a multi. Another who-knew: You can welcome a fair amount of caffeine, about two cups of coffee or one 12-ounce caffeinated soda, and even the occasional alcoholic beverage back into the fold, Dr. Viehmann says. "It's nice to know that I can have a glass of something because it makes me feel like an adult, not only a mom," says Amanda Mlinar, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, whose daughter, Halsey, is 13 months. Time your tipple for right after you breastfeed so your body metabolizes the booze (it takes about an hour per drink) before your next nursing session.