Myths about Breastfeeding and Foods a Nursing Mother Can and Cannot Eat
March 12, 2008 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breastfeeding, nutrition
What foods should breastfeeding women eat? What foods should breastfeeding women avoid? The good news is there is no set list of foods that are appropriate or inappropriate for breastfeeding mothers.
Breastfeeding women need not feel they have to consume a special diet in order to provide the right nutrients in their breast milk. It’s true though that breastfeeding women need to consume extra calories (and don’t we all celebrate that fact!) But what about water? Shouldn’t you force extra fluids when you’re nursing, especially if you’re having trouble with low milk supply? Drinking extra water can actually hurt milk supply.
Are there any rewards for eating well? One study suggests that eating organic dairy and meat boots the beneficial fatty acids in breast milk. Mothers who eat fish also pass benefits on to their nurslings (but it is true that breastfeeding and pregnant women should follow the recommendation to avoid shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel due to their high mercury content.) Some women have noticed that eating oatmeal can help boost milk supply.
What about allergies? Shouldn’t a mother avoid certain highly allergenic foods like dairy? Fortunately, breastfeeding helps prevent or reduce the severity of allergies. There’s no need for all breastfeeding mothers to eliminate allergenic foods as a matter of course. If there’s a family history of severe allergies (such as an allergy to peanuts), the mother should talk to her doctor about eliminating the offending foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Certainly if a mother notices symptoms of allergies in her baby, she could undergo an elimination diet to determine what if any foods are affecting her nursling. If a baby has colic, it’s a good idea to investigate food allergies as a culprit.
In fact, the baby is the best source of guidance for what a nursing mother should or should not eat. Some babies are bothered by chocolate or coffee (and other sources of caffeine) in a mother’s diet, but many are not. Garlic and spicy foods are fine for nursing mothers, and might actually help the nursling develop a taste for a variety of foods when it is time to start solid foods! Surely eating gassy foods like beans, cabbage, and onions, will make the baby gassy? Nope, such a belief is not founded in research.
What about other things that affect breast milk, like smoking or alcohol consumption? While it’s true that a mother who smokes should make every effort to quit, it’s still better to smoke and breastfeed than to smoke and formula-feed. And while the new home test kits for alcohol in breast milk might scare some women into abstaining from alcohol altogether, breastfeeding women can enjoy the occasional drink, and certainly do not need to “pump and dump” their milk.
This sort of thing irked my with the pediatrician. With my first born, I was concerned about eating nuts at Christmas time. She said not to worry. Later when we tried giving him peanutbutter, he had a reaction.
With the 2nd born, she said don’t eat peanut butter. I guess it’s becasue we now have history. Prior to my son, our family had no food allergies.
*I LOVE the extra calories.
*Dehydration and too much water are problems.
*Eating well is always good for you…and baby. Personally, I am concerned with bioaccumulation, pesticides and other toxins, and with a baby in tow, I have really cleaned up my act with eating well.
*I noticed right after my son was born that any time I ate a lot of onions, he was exceptionally gassy. Limit the onions, limit the gas. A friend had problems with peppers. It’s all different!
I have had to avoid consuming dairy when I nursed both of my children. With my last daughter, she developed severe constipation at 3 months, despite being completely breastfed. I finally figured out it was the granola cereal I was eating and the soy in foods I was consuming. I avoided dairy, soy, and oats and she was back to pooping several times a day! For me, watching what I eat while nursing is very important. I know though that my situation is rare.
Don’t forget mom should avoid all of her own allergens!
I found that alcohol actually made my daughter incredibly uncomfortable when I was nursing, as did dairy products, but she ended up being allergic to dairy. I think that it’s hit or miss, and I get really annoyed when my friends suggest that I should “limit” my nursing diet to certain foods simply because it may affect the baby. I did have to cut down on dairy and not drink alcohol at all, but those were the only things I had to cut out. I’m not big on spicy foods myself, but I also think it’s silly when it’s suggested that a nursing mom can’t eat tamales or Indian food because of the spiciness.
I’m sorry if I offended you with opinions that are not your own. I guess this is your site and you can portray any version of the truth you want to. but I must ask you, are you being fair to your readers if you only post what you want to hear. these people like myself come to your site looking for a little insight about the health of our children and theyre mothers. You are obviously an inteligent person to have gathered all this research, maybe you might share both sides of what you discover by siting more than one study.