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.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3