Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest ways your baby can start her life. Your milk supplies her with exactly the nutrition she needs to grow. Most foods are safe to consume while breastfeeding, but some may bother your baby and cause digestive issues. Avoiding some of the most common tummy triggers will help you keep your baby comfortable. Other foods should be eliminated from your diet because they contain substances that can cause health problems for your little one.
Chocolate
Eating a square of chocolate is a treat that many nursing mothers enjoy. Many babies are negatively affected by chocolate, however, which can lead to fussing or sleep disturbances. Chocolate contains caffeine, which may cause your baby to lose sleep or have more trouble falling asleep than when you do not consume caffeine. Other sources of chocolate, such as chocolate milk, also contain caffeine. Restricting how much you consume may help ease these symptoms since some of the caffeine you consume is passed to your baby through your breast milk. Caffeine may also cause your baby to be more cranky than usual. Other sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and soda, so these should be avoided as well.
Spicy Foods
Some spices can cause stomach discomfort when they are passed through your milk to your nursing infant. Martha Sears and William Sears, authors of "The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning," note that spicy foods can irritate your baby's digestive system, causing pain or fussiness. Foods that contain cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger and cinnamon are common culprits and should be avoided if your baby shows signs of being uncomfortable after you eat them. Spicy foods may also change the taste of your milk, which some babies do not mind--while others are sensitive to these changes and react quite strongly.
Cow's Milk
One of the most common human allergies is to cow's milk. Many babies are sensitive to the substances in cow's milk and experience stomach discomfort and pain if they are passed through your breast milk. If your baby is fussy and difficult to calm after nursing, you may need to eliminate cow's milk from your own diet to see if symptoms improve. The lining of your baby's intestines is not completely developed until about 6 months of age, and the compounds in cow's milk can irritate this lining and cause pain. Avoiding cow's milk during this time can ease your baby's discomfort.
References
- BabyCenter: Are There Any Foods I Should Avoid While Breastfeeding?
- "The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning"; Martha Sears and William Sears; 2000
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