8 Foods To Avoid When Breastfeeding



Somewhere in the world, a breastfeeding mom is eating that garlicky dish, and her baby is just fine. Every baby reacts differently to different food, so what works for your neighbors infant, might not work for you. You may be able to enjoy this in small amounts.

1.      High-mercury fish. Mercury in breastmilk occurs due to mercury containing diet, for instance high-mercury fish, that the mother might consume. Virtually all fish contain some mercury, a common pollutant that’s a known neurotoxin. Mothers who consume large amounts of fish show higher levels of mercury in the breastmilk. But most of the time, the health benefits of eating fish — high protein, low fat — outweigh the risk. Most fish, after all, only contains trace amounts of mercury.


2.      Alcohol. A nursing mom can consume some alcohol and continue to nurse her baby. “Think of the DMV guidelines for drinking and driving,” says Jennifer Ritchie, IBCLC and author of I Make Milk…What’s Your Superpower? If you’ve had even a bit too much, wait until the alcohol has cleared your body before breastfeeding. If your breasts get uncomfortably full, you can pump and dump the milk. By the time your blood is free of alcohol, your milk will be too.


3.      Caffeine. Good news if you need a jolt after all those late nights you’ve been spending with baby. Caffeine is okay too, in moderate doses. So, if you wish your baby to nap better, don’t drink coffee until your baby goes to sleep. By the time your baby is 6 months old, he may need about 2-3 hours to process caffeine.


4.      Peppermint. The US Food and Drug Administration has labeled peppermint as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) as food. You probably don’t eat a ton of peppermint anyway, but a word to the wise: high doses of peppermint have been known to inhibit milk production. 


5.      Chocolate. Although caffeine does not exist naturally in chocolates, the caffeine-like effects of it can be attributed to theobromine. Some chocolates do have added caffeine. Small quantities of theobromine do not have any major impact on breastfed babies unless the mother consumes chocolate in large quantities. If a mother consumes more than 750 mg of caffeine a day, her babies may exhibit erratic and fussy behavior and suffer from sleeping issues.


6.      Sage. This herb can decrease milk supply, but usually only when ingested in large doses. 


7.      Citrus fruits. The high Vitamin C content in citrus fruits is good for you and your baby. However, some babies, as rare exceptions, suffer from diarrhea. Since citrus fruits are rather acidic, they can irritate baby’s gastrointestinal tract. If you find your baby uncomfortable after you consume citrus foods it would be best to avoid all citrus fruits such as limes, grapefruits, lemons, and oranges. 


8.      Peanuts. If your family has a history of peanut allergies, make sure you avoid peanuts until you wean your baby. Even a small amount of peanuts in food can pass into mother’s milk between one to six hours and be potentially allergic for babies. On the whole, if a woman is not allergic to peanuts, she can consume peanuts while breastfeeding.


Share on Google Plus

About cenit

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 comments: