WHAT NOT TO EAT WHILE BREASTFEEDING;

WHAT NOT TO EAT WHILE BREASTFEEDING;

Some nursing moms think they can eat whatever they like. In most cases it is true but there are always exceptions. I remember before going home after childbirth I was terrified. During pregnancy I have heard so many stories about babies crying for hours every day, not sleeping, just shouting. It truly terrified me.

So there was that moment I was just about to be discharged from hospital after childbirth and I was panicking.

What if I will eat something that will make my baby sore?  What should and should not I eat? How you should know that? HELP ANYONE.

It was overwhelming. I was lucky enough to meat the best midwife ever. She knew where my fear came from so she sat with me and gave me few tips. Life saving tips for any new mom.

Here is what she has told me;

“Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible’ – it means no food should be eliminated from breastfeeding mother’s menu.

Every culture has lists of food good and bad for breastfeeding mothers.

It may happen sometimes that after some foods you have eaten your baby may be bloated which would be very unsettling for them.

Here is a list of food you might be careful about eating;

• Coffee drinks (or soda, tea) – some of the caffeine from your drinks will end up in your breast milk. That may lead to your baby irritation, crankiness and sleeplessness. Be careful with it because as long as caffeine might speed up your metabolism (you will burn more calories), plus is diuretic (it will help you to loose water weight in the short time) it also raises blood sugar levels. Caffeine will increase insulin levels to convert extra sugars into body fat. Caffeine will stimulate appetite and your cravings. It will slow down your weight loss in the long run. Stay away from it. It is not good for you now.

• Parsley, oregano, sage thyme. Peppermint – can affect milk supply. They have diuretic effects similar to caffeine. They will flush water from system= dries up fluids= less milk for your bay

• turnip – may cause awful gas for your baby and you

• Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, and kidney beans – all of these are gassy foods. Remember – any food that could make you gassy will make your baby gassy too throughout breast milk.

• Nectarines, oranges, pineapple, lemons, and grapefruits – many nursing mothers like to eat citrus fruits as a snack or drink orange juice to stay healthy. It is all good but many babies will be sensitive to the effects of vitamin C in mom’s diet. Some babies may be fussy and spitting up if mom has eaten citrus fruits earlier. Babies may develop diaper rush too.

• Spicy food – spicy peppers, hot sauces and other spicy flavours.

• Alcohol – it is ok to have small glass of wine two hours before feeding your baby. Be careful though. By drinking more or something heavier you might be passing that alcohol to your baby. The possible side effects will include; baby drowsiness, weakness and grogginess.

• Garlic – it has specific smell and taste and your baby might be sensitive to it. It may happen your baby will refuse your milk after you ate garlic with your meals.

• Cow’s milk – Proteins in cow’s milk affect your baby- keep in mind that your baby might have symptoms like; bloating, diarrhoea, itchy skin, rash, coughing, constipation, eczema, swollen eyes, vomiting, and a poor appetite. You may switch cow’s milk to goat milk or almond milk, coconut milk.

• Mercury from fish – swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish (they might contain high levels of mercury). You can easily try fish like; salmon, canned tuna or pollock. High mercury levels may affect normal growth of the brain and nervous system and that in turn might affect cognitive thinking, motor skills, language, visual skills, attention, and memory of your baby.
• Plums, radishes, raw onion– all of them might give funny taste to your milk and might make your baby gassy.
• Junk food- any kind of junk food is bad as there is no nutritious stuff in it so you will give nothing good to your baby.

By eliminating those products your baby will feed much better and you will be more relaxed. It is worth the try.