To breast feed or not to breast feed? That is the question that every mother has to face with their new baby. Making sure your baby gets the right nutrition is an issue that TalkMum blogger Jax takes a look at this week.

I have breastfed all four of my children so far. Big for a year, Small and Smallest for nearly 2 1/2 each, and Tigerboy all his life (granted he’s only 7 weeks old, but it’s still an achievement). Throughout that time I’ve been a vegetarian – and not a very organised one at that – which probably has its own issues (- I’m not very organised in that I’m the only vegetarian in the family, so I’ve a habit of just eating what the rest of family eat but without the meat).

Breastfeeding has not always been easy. With Big I didn’t know any other breastfeeders, and I got very little support. My other half (who was supportive) was out of the house from just after 6 am til 9pm each working day, so basically I was on my own with this small person who screamed at me a lot. It was not a good time. But I made it through, day by day, through sheer stubbornness – and I always thought it was the best thing for her.

That faith has been rocked this time around, when Tigerboy was referred to the hospital for investigations due to prolonged jaundice and low weight gain. You doubt everything about yourself and what you are doing at that point, and when a doctor started talking about formula it was nearly the last straw. But like I said, I’m stubborn, and I dug my heels in and we made it through. He’s now putting on weight at the rate of an oz a day, which is great.

All this, though, has made me think more carefully about what I’m eating. I’ve started taking supplements again. I don’t drink anything with caffeine, and barely any alcohol (- a wineglass of beer a couple of times a week). I’ve cut my chocolate back because it’s empty calories and I’m trying to vary my protein sources, as well as getting plenty of fruit and veg as well as carbs for energy. Because the bottom line when you’re breastfeeding is if you don’t get it, they don’t get it.

So, do you know what you’re giving your little one to eat?

Vinegar, bananas, peanut butter – the things we crave when we are pregnant vary so much from person to person! As part of a week on TalkMum about pregnancy nutrition, blogger Natalie shares her weird pregnancy cravings with us and explains how her diet changed during her pregnancy.

Before my first pregnancy, I was a gym bunny who lived on sushi, salmon and salad and mango but when the blue line appeared, my morning sickness kicked in and life changed forever – in more ways than one.

Eddie was a surprise pregnancy so the vodka and cigarettes that had been very much part of my PR lifestyle in Soho went out of the window straight away as I wanted to be super healthy and nurture my bump. Little did I realise that Mother Nature had other ideas. Anything resembling ‘healthy’ made me feel really sick and for the next 9 months I craved the junk food I would never have eaten usually.

It started with tinned ravioli which helped stop the nausea – FAST – and I was known to eat it cold and straight from the can – gross I know, but it worked! I also demolished white bread, Yorkies and crisps, as well as Starbucks hot chocolate with cream and caramel slices. I hadn’t eaten meat for years but when we went out to celebrate the news, I ordered a steak and chips and that has been my favourite meal since. I get really bad eczema and a sniff of cheddar causes a flare up in hours, but a thick slice of cheese on toast was one of my favourite new snacks – I didn’t care about the rash as it stopped the sickness.

The weird pregnancy cravings kicked in more with baby number two. I’d eat handfuls of frozen peas (still frozen), sour Haribo sweets and drank – yes, drank – vinegar. At one point I was drinking a bottle of the stuff a day and it tasted even better if it was from a jar of pickled onions, surprisingly it didn’t give me heart burn but it did make the sickness go away for a little while!

My sons are now 2 and 4 and both happy. Whilst the cravings have gone, I still can’t stomach salmon and I do have an emergency can of ravioli in the cupboard, just in case…!

Natalie Trice is a full-time mum who has given up the rat race to focus on the things she loves, which she shares on her blog, Just Because I Love.

This week on TalkMum, we’re talking about food and nutrition – what’s best for you and your baby? TalkMum blogger Cath kicks things off with her top ten reasons to breast feed.

1. It protects your baby from diseases, viruses, stomach pain, and infections, and lowers their risk of allergies, asthma and heart disease.

2. It is the most nutritional way to feed a baby as it provides everything your baby needs, in the right quantities, for the first sixth months of its life.

3. The milk is always at the correct temperature so you can feed straight away – no need to wait for bottles to be warmed whilst you try and soothe a screaming, hungry baby. It makes those night feeds much easier when you can feed instantly!

4. Breast feeding can help you to lose your pregnancy weight – breastfeeding and milk production burns an additional 500 calories each day.

5. Breast milk is more easily digested than formula milk as babies are able to digest 100% of breast milk which in turn leads to a more contented baby.

6. It’s free! No need to buy formula milk.

7. There’s no waste – the baby can take exactly as much or as little milk as they need and there is no need to throw away half-drunk bottles of formula milk.

8. Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which can help your uterus heal and shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size.

9. Breast feeding can help to lower your risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.

10. It’s what breasts are there for!

One of the most exciting things about being pregnant is finding out about the sex of your baby. But if you’ve chosen not  find out, are there any other signs which might give it away? According to pregnancy lore, your cravings might be able to tell you whether you’re carrying a girl or a boy.

One study shows that 71% of mothers-to-be guessed the sex of their unborn baby based on the cravings they experienced during the last months.

So how can your cravings tell you the sex of the baby?

Well, it is said that if you’re craving sweet citrus like oranges and clementines while pregnant, then you are bound to have a girl. This applies for all sweets; if it’s ice-cream, chocolate, candy and milk that you need to have, then you’re more likely to have a girl.

However, if you feel more like drinking straight lemon juice it might be because you are having a boy. Sour, salty, spicy and protein-rich foods usually signify that you’re carrying a little boy, especially if before the pregnancy you weren’t a big fan of these flavours.

These ‘guidelines’ are not official though and science hasn’t provided an explanation or even a confirmation. Because of this, there is an increased possibility that your cravings do not specifically correlate to the sex of your unborn baby, especially for women who crave sweet and sour at the same time.

Did you find yourself in these popular beliefs or was your experience with cravings different?

Preparing fresh and most importantly nutritious baby food is probably one of the biggest and most constant problems of a new mother. But don’t despair; there are tons of alternatives out there for you to choose from which are speedy, cheap and healthy.

3^rd Place: The super fruity Banana Berry Yogurt

To make this, you will need around 500 mL of full fat plain yogurt (the fat is beneficial for full brain development), a cup of berries (either fresh, thawed or drained) and a whole sliced banana. If you’re feeling generous, add a little maple syrup to the mix as well. Add all these ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. The mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and serves around 4 cups.

2^nd Place: The Milky Smooth Banana and Biscuit puree

This baby smoothie needs 250 mL of milk, two or three plain tea biscuits, half of apple (diced) and half a banana. You could also add a strawberry or two to make it pink- baby girl appropriate! Again, turn on the blender and wait until completely smooth. This recipe is better served fresh.

And the winner is… The almighty Creamy Avocado and Mango Mousse

Avocadoes are said to be nature’s perfect food as they contain everything a person needs to survive; it contains a lot of potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A and C to name just a few. For the Creamy Mousse, you’ll need a peeled and cubed mango and a peeled, seeded and cubed ripe avocado which will be mashed until smooth. Then add some vanilla yogurt or apple and pear juice and whisk until a creamy mousse-like consistency is created.

And you’re all set now! 3 super tasty, super healthy home-made baby foods that will make both you and your child smile.

This week we’re looking at pregnancy nutrition on TalkMum. It can often be challenging to make sure that you and your baby have a healthy diet before, during and after your pregnancy. Mum Cath starts things off by telling us about her unusual food intolerance during pregnancy.

When you are pregnant it is very important that you have a healthy diet. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is essential in order to ensure your growing baby gets the best start in life. For most people, filling the trolley with a variety of different fruits and vegetables becomes a regular part of shopping, even for women who previously never even looked at vegetables. Every mum wants to have a healthy baby so eating healthily is just one of the many ways of doing this.

I know which foods to avoid during pregnancy and always try to eat a healthy diet and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. I generally manage more than the recommended “5 a day”, however, when I became pregnant with my second son six years ago I found that I was unable to digest any fruit or vegetables. Initially I thought it was the orange that I normally eat mid-morning  that was causing my upset stomach but  after not eating them for a week I found I was still suffering! It took me a couple of weeks to work out that my recurring upset stomach always occurred after eating fruit or vegetables. There didn’t seem to be any fruit or vegetables in particular that were causing it and I quickly learnt not to take any to work as a snack!

I also tried stewing fruit rather than eating it raw, and adding small amounts of vegetables to dishes like shepherd’s pie and lasagne, both of which made no difference at all. Concerned, I mentioned the problems I was having to my midwife who suggested that I made an appointment with my doctor, just to get it checked out. He advised that I should have a number of blood tests, all of which came back normal and at this point he concluded that it was just an unexplained symptom of pregnancy and hopefully it would sort itself out once I had the baby. The only advice he could suggest was to take vitamin supplements to make up for the lack of vitamins in my diet. I visited the local chemist who was very helpful and he recommended Pregnacare tablets as these are great for pregnancy nutrition as they contain all the vitamins and minerals that a pregnant woman needs.

My son was born fit and healthy at 8lb 1oz and once I returned home I found that I could eat fruit and vegetables again which was a huge relief!

Have you had a similar experience with pregnancy nutrition? Any strange cravings or intolerances?

As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you’ll want to ensure the best nutrition for your growing baby. Make sure you’re clued up about which foods to avoid during pregnancy so that you know what you can and can’t safely eat!

If you’re a mum-to-be, you need to know about what you shouldn’t eat when you’re pregnant – there are some things which can directly harm your baby and others which can make you ill. Here are the top 5 which foods to avoid during pregnancy:

1: Cheese

Some cheeses are famously off limits for pregnant women. Any soft, mould-ripened cheeses such as brie or camembert and any blue-veined cheeses like gorgonzola or Roquefort should be avoided.

These kinds of cheese are made with mould and can contain listeria bacteria which causes listeriosis. This can lead to serious problems and may result in severe illness in your baby, miscarriage or stillbirth.

2: Meat

It may sound like common sense, but don’t eat any raw or undercooked meat. Make sure any meat or poultry you eat is cooked thoroughly with no pink flesh or blood. Take extra-special care with sausages and mince meat.

3: Milk

Milk is safe to consume when you are pregnant, but only if is pasteurised. You shouldn’t have any unpasteurised milk, including goats’ or sheep’s milk in your diet. However, if you find yourself with no alternative, make sure you boil it first.

4: Eggs

Raw eggs are another food to avoid during pregnancy. Eating raw eggs increases the risk of salmonella food poisoning, so make sure that any eggs you do eat are not raw or undercooked – this means cooking them until the whites and yolks are solid.

5: Fish

Whilst fish does have great nutritional properties, you need to limit the amount you eat during pregnancy. Some fish, such as tuna and oily fish are fine to eat in moderation, whilst others such as shark and shellfish should be avoided altogether.

Make sure you are fully informed about which foods to avoid during pregnancy by talking to your doctor or referring to NHS advice.

It’s important to look after your diet when you are pregnant – so TalkMum blogger Cath tackles pregnancy nutrition with her healthy pasta recipe.

This is a really easy meal to make and is great for pregnant mums as spinach is full of iron. It is really important to eat healthy food when you are pregnant and finding new ways to cook iron rich foods such as spinach can sometimes be difficult. I had very low iron counts after both my pregnancies and so I had to eat a lot of iron rich foods to try to improve this.

I love cooking and have a huge collection of recipe books where I found lots of recipes with spinach – some were tasty and others were terrible and were never made again! Fortunately my husband was very tolerant and always ate the meal although sometimes he would suggest that a particular recipe should perhaps not be tried again! This recipe was a definite hit and everyone in the family loves it. My eldest son is now 10 and has started cooking – this is easy enough for him to make under supervision.

I have tried different cuts of bacon for this recipe but I have found that the bacon from our local butcher tastes the best as it is cut slightly thicker than supermarket bacon and it has much more flavour. There is also a lot less water in the meat. We are fortunate as we have a couple of great butchers nearby and I think it is really important to support local businesses.

Pasta with Spinach, Bacon & Mushrooms – serves 4

6 large rashers of bacon

1/2 a small onion finely chopped

8oz mushrooms, sliced or quartered depending on preference

1lb fresh spinach leaves with the stems removed

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12oz pasta shells

2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese

In a frying pan cook the bacon until it is browned. There is no need to add extra oil as the bacon will fry in it’s own fat.

Remove from the pan and place on a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb excess fat and then put in a bowl.

Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened

Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, stir frequently.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the onions and mushrooms to the bowl with the bacon. Pour the fat out of the frying pan and add the spinach to the pan.

Cook the spinach over a medium heat until wilted stirring all the time.

Sprinkle with the nutmeg and then increase the temperature to high and cook briskly stirring to evaporate excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a board and chop coarsely, return to the pan

Add the bacon, onion and mushroom to the spinach and stir to mix together. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water until just tender. Just before the pasta is ready reheat the spinach mixture.

Drain the pasta and return to the pan, add the spinach mixture and toss well. Sprinkle with parmesan  cheese before serving.

The result? A tasty dish that the kids will eat, which is also great for pregnancy nutrition.