Question

The nurse leads a prenatal class about breastfeeding. Which statement, if made by the nurse, accurately describes the nutritional needs of a client during lactation as compared to the nutritional needs of pregnancy?

a) During lactation, the calorie intake should be lower than during pregnancy.

b) Calcium needs decrease during lactation compared to pregnancy.

c) Protein requirements are higher during lactation than during pregnancy.

d) Iron supplementation is not necessary during lactation.

Answer 1

The nutritional needs during lactation differ from pregnancy in terms of protein requirements, which are higher during lactation.

Step-by-step explanation:

During lactation, the calorie intake should be higher than during pregnancy. The efficiency of milk production requires the mother to expend more energy, thus necessitating the same amount of energy in her diet. In addition, the nutritional needs during lactation differ from pregnancy in terms of protein requirements, which are higher during lactation. Iron supplementation is also necessary during lactation, as iron is important for the production of red blood cells and breast milk. Therefore, the accurate statement made by the nurse would be that protein requirements are higher during lactation than during pregnancy.