New moms often wonder if they should avoid certain foods while breastfeeding. Certain foods may cause fussiness or have a negative affect on an infant. It takes approximately two hours for the food you eat to make its way into your breast milk. If a baby becomes irritable, fussy or gassy after breastfeeding, something you ate could be the culprit.
Gas Producing Foods
Certain foods, such as chocolate, citrus fruits, strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, onion, cabbage, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, cinnamon, curry and chili pepper, may cause gas and irritability in infants. Askthelactationconsultant.com suggests eating such foods in moderation and keeping a food journal to track changes in an infant's behavior after eating these foods.
Harmful Foods
Consume foods such as alcohol, caffeine and some fish in limited amounts or avoid them altogether, as they can actually harm your infant. Ingesting alcohol through breast milk can stall weight gain, impair motor functions and possibly impair mental development in your infant. In addition, alcohol decreases the amount of milk a mother can release and changes the taste and smell of the milk, which may cause an infant to refuse to feed.
Limit caffeine intake while breastfeeding, as too much caffeine can affect an infant's mood and sleep patterns.
In addition, avoid fish with high mercury levels while breastfeeding because it can cause damage to an infant's developing nervous system.
Allergens
Parents who are allergic to certain foods can pass those allergies along to their children. According to AskDr.Sears.com, if one parent has food allergies, an infant's risk of being allergic may double. If both parents have food allergies, the risk to their infant is higher. By avoiding known food allergens while pregnant and breastfeeding, mothers can decrease their infant's chances of being allergic as well. While an infant can develop an allergy to any food, dairy products, soy, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts and egg whites cause more than 90 percent of food allergies. Symptoms of a possible food allergy include abdominal pain, gas, frequent vomiting, rash, swelling, wheezing, difficulty breathing and diarrhea.
References
- La Leche League International: Are There Any Foods I Should Avoid While Breastfeeding?
- Kids Health: Breastfeeding FAQ's: Your Eating and Drinking Habits
- Ask The Lactation Consultant.com: Breastfeeding Diet
- Babycenter: Are There Any Foods I Should Avoid While Breastfeeding?
- TestCountry.org: Effects of Alcohol in a Breastfeeding Mother's Milk on Her Baby
- AskDr.Sears.com: Tracking Down Food Allergies
