Avoiding gas-producing foods to prevent gas in your baby may not produce the result you are expecting. What causes gas is important to examine in understanding what may cause you as well as your baby to have gas problems. Certain foods may cause gas problems when you are breastfeeding, but gas problems in your baby may indicate other issues.
Foods to Avoid
There is no list of gassy foods to avoid when you are breastfeeding, so there is no list of non-gassy foods. Eat what you like in any amount as long as you notice no changes in your baby's reaction to your milk. Breastfeeding moms can eat strong-flavored, spicy and gas-inducing foods without affecting their babies' gas. Breast milk is not made from what's in your digestive track, so what you eat is unlikely to give your baby gas, according to Kelly Bonyata, an international board certified lactation consultant.
What Causes Gas
Most babies experience gas and some experience it more than others -- and there is often nothing you can do about it. Some causes include your baby drinking milk too fast so that she takes in too much air. Crying can also cause your baby to swallow air, resulting in gas. If your baby doesn't have regular bowel movements, she is likely to have gas. Giving your baby anything besides breast milk, including formula, medications, vitamins, food or juice can give her gas.
Food Allergies
If you notice your baby has gas every time after you eat a particular food, it is possibly related to a food allergy. Some foods that are suspected as causing gas due to a food allergy include peanuts, dairy, soy, wheat, eggs and corn. While breast milk is not made from what's in your digestive track, certain foods such as dairy contain proteins that are passed into the mother's milk. If another family member has a sensitivity to any of these foods, it's more likely that your baby may also experience a sensitivity to them. Eliminate the gas-inducing food from your diet for two to three weeks to see if your baby's gas lessens.
Gassy Foods for Mom
Gas in the breastfeeding mother is caused by the same factors that influence anyone having gas: swallowed air and the breakdown of food in the intestinal tract. Not all foods that cause one person gas cause another person to experience gas. Some foods that are more likely to produce gas include fiber, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, dairy and starchy foods such as corn, pasta and potatoes.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Gas in the Digestive Tract; January 2008
- BabyCenter; Will My Breastfed Baby Get Gas if I Eat Certain Foods?; Jan Barger
- KellyMom; Dairy and Other Food Sensitivities in Breastfed Babies; Kelly Bonyata; October 1999
- KellyMom; My Baby is Gassy. Is This Caused By Something in My Diet?; Kelly Bonyata; October 1999
- KellyMom; Can a Nursing Mother Eat This Food? FAQs; Kelly Bonyata; May 1998
