Food to Avoid While Breastfeeding

Breast milk is very nutrient-dense. In actuality, it offers the majority of the nutrients your child requires for the first six months of life . 

Research has shown that while your body strictly controls the composition of breast milk, what you consume does have some impact on the substances in breast mil

In general, there are no forbidden foods. Instead, it is advised that women consume a balanced, diversified diet. Nevertheless, there are several foods and drinks that you might wish to avoid when nursing.l

A person needs about 450–500 more calories per day during breastfeeding. People who want to shed some pounds after giving birth might not need to increase their calorie intake while nursing, but they should talk to their doctor about it.

When nursing, specific minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and D are especially helpful. Eating a range of meals is also important since it exposes the infant to various flavours and may make them more responsive to solid foods in the future.

Foods to avoid while breastfeeding

Broccoli

If you had broccoli for dinner the day before, don’t be surprised if your baby has gas problems the next day. Other gas-inducing foods like onions, cabbage, cauliflower, and cucumbers are best avoided while breastfeeding.

Coffee

Coffee is high in caffeine, and some of that caffeine can pass into breast milk. Babies cannot digest caffeine as well as adults. So, this excess caffeine in their body affects them, causing insomnia, irritation, and nausea. When caffeine is present in high amounts, it can lower the iron levels in milk and thus lower the child’s hemoglobin levels. So the best solution is to only consume 2-3 cups of caffeine per day. Small amounts of caffeine are fine as there will be little to no caffeine detectable in the baby’s urine.

Peppermint and sage

When taken in very high amounts, these herbs can reduce the production of breast milk. Therefore, when eating such herbs, monitor the amount of milk intake, especially if your baby is at the stage when he needs more milk than usual. To stop milk production, mothers often drink mint tea after weaning. Sage, another herb, is also included in the foods that affect lactation.

Peanuts

Avoid peanuts until you have weaned your baby, especially if your family has a history of peanut allergy. The allergic proteins in peanuts can pass into the breast milk produced and then reach the baby. The baby might suffer from wheezing, hives, or skin rashes. Even if you only eat a few, the allergens can pass into the milk within 1-6 hours.

Garlic

The smell of garlic can affect the smell of breast milk. Some babies hate it, some like it. Therefore, if your baby is uncomfortable with breastfeeding, garlic may be the reason. Some babies may fuss at the breast or grimace when encountering the strong smell of garlic.

Spices

Some babies are irritated by spicy food, others are fine with it. Just a tiny pinch of pepper is enough to hurt a few babies. These babies will remain picky for a very long time. So it is best to reduce the number of spices in your food if you notice that your baby is uncomfortable with them.