When you are breastfeeding it is important to eat a diet that is nutritious and healthy, partly to ensure your own health and partly to ensure the milk you produce is healthy and plentiful for your baby. The foods you eat can and do affect your milk, which can lead to a baby with excess gas or tummy aches if you are not careful.
Foods to avoid when nursing
There are a number of foods you should limit or avoid when breastfeeding, such as:
- Milk products – Excess cow's milk, strong cheeses, sour cream, etc.
- Eggs – White or brown
- Wheat Products – Heavy grain breads, whole oats, etc.
- Citrus Fruit – Oranges, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, etc.
- Caffeine – Found in coffee, tea, and many sodas
- Chocolate – Especially dark chocolate and anything made with pure cocoa powder
- Garlic – Chunks, powdered, or minced
- Cucumbers – Fresh, cooked, or pickled
- Freshwater fish – Trout, bass, etc.
- Raw foods – Sushi, undercooked meat, etc.
It's important to remember that babies will have a wide range of reactions to these foods. Some mothers can eat garlic to their heart's content, for example, with their baby not being affected at all. Other mothers can eat just a small square of milk chocolate and end up with a baby who has painful gas and bloating. The best approach is to limit your intake of these types of foods as much as possible, and when you do add one into your diet, do so slowly and in small amounts. This will allow you to spot any problems a food might cause for your baby right away.
How do you know if a food bothers your baby?
Knowing when and what foods bother your baby is not an exact science by any means. Each baby is different, both in terms of which foods are bothersome and the symptoms that might appear. In general, the most common symptoms of a baby who is affected by something the mother has eaten include:
- Colic
- Intestinal pain
- Bloating
- Gas
The problem is that these symptoms only appear after a feeding, and the offending food is likely something the mother ate four to eight hours before the feeding. If your baby appears to be having symptoms like this, try keeping a food diary for a few days and avoiding the common problem foods listed above. If the problem goes away, slowly add in new foods one at a time to determine which one is the culprit so you can avoid it in the future.
Another issue that might crop up is related to food dyes. Some food dyes, such as those in brightly colored soda pop, candy, etc., can pass through breast milk and into the baby, leading to discoloration in the urine. If your baby's urine appears discolored and you have recently consumed foods with food dyes, cut them out of your diet and you will likely see improvement quite rapidly.
A word about allergic reactions
Some babies will show signs of allergic reactions to foods their mother eats. These reactions can include vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, runny nose, bronchitis, or skin rash. If your baby is exhibiting these symptoms regularly, it is well worth a visit to the doctor to determine if they are caused by a medical issue or could potentially be caused by an allergy issue.