Hi Melissa!
Our best suggestion is to avoid it if you’re lactose intolerant but lactose-free cheese is an option and you can also take a lactase enzyme in a pinch. Have you ever tried making your own vegan cashew cheese? You’d be surprised how good it tastes! And vegan parm is very easy to make – just cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt!
While you’re nursing, your body needs the extra calories so definitely honor your body’s hunger signals and eat an extra snack or more at meal times to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need. If you find you’re hungry right after meals, try adding a bit more food at meal times and make sure you’re getting a healthy balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. If you’re hungry 3-4 hours after meals, incorporate healthy snacks into your day to hold you over until the next meal. You can find healthy snack ideas here. We also have a recipe for lactation cookies – click here for the recipe. Christina may chime in with some more tips and advice but hopefully this is helpful!