7 foods that breastfeeding moms should avoid

Want to keep your milk supply up and ensure a longer breastfeeding journey? Best to avoid these foods that dry up breast milk. Read about them here. 

What can you read in this article?

• Why are nursing moms always hungry?
• Foods that dry up breast milk
• How to know if what your eating affects your breast milk

As moms, we’re always on the lookout for foods that will help us in our parenting journey – specifically breastfeeding.

When I was a first-time mom, I ate everything my doctors and other mom friends told me to eat just so I could keep my milk supply up. I always stocked up on lactation cookies, malunggay supplements and took hydration seriously. All because I wanted to make sure I had enough milk for my baby, and my breasts wouldn’t “dry up.”

By now, you already know that breastfeeding has a lot of advantages for you and your child. Although it also comes with some struggles.

However, one of the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers is that nobody expects you to go on a diet while doing so. At least until the baby’s second month.

Breastfeeding and diet

Breastfeeding moms know how it’s possible to be so hungry all the time. Your body burns 200 to 500 calories a day from nursing which explains how we get such a big appetite after breastfeeding. And the body has its reasons for doing so.

According to the website Kelly Mom, nursing mothers should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day. Most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some will need to consume more calories, but studies revealed that going below that number may put your milk supply at risk.

A quick drop in calories can affect and reduce your milk supply. You may notice this during an illness, although dehydration or taking medications would also be a factor in reduced milk supply when you are sick.

Also, some studies speculate that a significant calorie decrease can cause mom’s body to go into “starvation mode” and limit nonessential resources such as milk production.

So breastfeeding moms aren’t really advised to go on strict, low-calorie diets. But that doesn’t mean we can eat anything we want either.

Foods that can affect your milk supply

One of the downsides of breastfeeding our babies is that we need to be more careful with what we eat, because it might affect them as well.

According to Healthline, while the composition of our milk is tightly regulated by our bodies, research has shown that the food we consume does have some effects on the composition of our breast milk.

While there are no hard rules on foods that are off-limits, it is recommended that breastfeeding moms get a balanced, varied diet.

However, there are some foods that you might want to avoid while nursing your child because of the effect they might have on your breast milk. There are foods that are believed to dry up your breast milk, while some can have side effects on your baby’s well-being.

And when it comes to our child’s health, we always err on the side of caution. So here are some examples of foods and food groups that you might want to cut back on if you want to keep your milk supply up and prolong your breastfeeding journey:

• Fish that are high in mercury

Fish is a great source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – two types of Omega-3 Fatty acids that are important in a baby’s brain development.

But some fish and seafood are high in mercury, a metal that can be toxic especially to children.

Exposure to high levels of mercury can have a permanent effect on your infant’s central nervous system. As a result, they may have delays or impairments in the areas of:

• cognition
• fine motor skills
• speech and language development
• visual-spatial awareness

To avoid this, make sure to avoid eating these kinds of fish when you are breastfeeding:

• bigeye tuna
• king mackerel
• marlin
• orange roughy
• shark
• swordfish
• tilefish

You can still consume 8 to 12 ounces of low mercury fish a week to get your omega-3 intake .

• Herbs and herbal supplements

The use of herbs and spices like cumin or basil in food is considered safe during breastfeeding.

However, there’s not enough research about the safety of taking herbal supplements and teas while breastfeeding.

Some mothers swear by taking malunggay capsules to boost their milk supply, but while there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence to support this, the studies did not find a huge difference in breast milk production compared with a placebo.

At the same time, some herbs are also considered foods that dry up breast milk.

According to a 2014 study, Sage may help with weaning or oversupply issues. But there are no studies that test its specific effect on excess milk production. At the same time, there’s not a lot of information on the safety of using sage while breastfeeding.

The same study also said that these other herbs have the potential to dry up breast milk:

• peppermint
• chasteberry
• parsley
• jasmine

As it is with herbs, little is known about their effect on infants, but some can be dangerous to a baby. Make sure to ask your child’s pediatrician or a lactation expert before consuming these when breastfeeding.

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• Alcohol

Can a glass of wine or a bottle of beer affect your breast milk?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high levels of alcohol consumption could lead to a shortened breastfeeding duration because of decreased milk production. It could also have a negative effect on a baby’s sleep patterns, early development, and cognitive delays.

The safest option is to abstain from drinking alcoholic drinks while breastfeeding. However, occasional drinking is likely safe, just as long as you’re careful about the amount and timing.

Here are some important things you should know about alcohol and breastfeeding:

• • According to research, the amount of alcohol in breast milk peaks 30–60 minutes after your last drink.
  • Alcohol usually stays in your system for 2 to 3 hours, and this is just from one drink. The more you drink, the longer alcohol remains in your system.
  • What is considered one drink? One standard drink is equivalent to 12 ounces (355 mL) of beer, 5 ounces (125 mL) of wine, and 1.5 ounces (45 mL) of hard liquor.

CDC recommends limiting your intake to just one standard drink per day and wait at least 2 hours after that drink before nursing your child.

• Caffeine

Moms who have babies that still don’t sleep through the night know how important a cup of coffee is to give them a jolt of energy. Some women swear on chocolates and soda as a quick pick-me-upper.

But if you’re still breastfeeding and plan on doing so for a long period of time, best to cut back on these for now as they are high in caffeine.

While it is generally safe to consume caffeine while breastfeeding, experts recommend limiting your intake to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day.

One reason is that some studies proved that traces of caffeine can be found in breast milk, and it is affecting your child’s development and behavior.

Some signs that your caffeine intake is affecting your child include increased fussiness and irritability, trouble going to sleep or disrupted sleep patterns, hyperactivity, and restlessness. It can also contribute to symptoms of colic in infants.

So if you’re wondering why it’s so hard to put your baby to sleep, your caffeinated drink might have something to do with that.

Drinking caffeine can also have an effect on the nutritional quality of your breast milk. Moms who drink three cups of coffee per day are said to be one-third less iron in their breast milk than mothers who don’t drink coffee.

While there isn’t enough evidence to show that caffeine lowers a woman’s milk supply, it can lead to dehydration which is a major factor in reducing one’s breast milk production.

• Highly processed foods

While nursing moms are encouraged to consume a minimum amount of calories to keep their milk supply up, eating foods that are highly processed and rich in saturated fat, salt and sugar is not the way to go.

They do not provide your body with the nutrients it needs to keep up with the demands of breastfeeding. Instead, they can put you at risk for diseases like hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.

So while it does not dry up breast milk, it doesn’t give you enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals that should always be included in a breastfeeding mom’s diet.

Also, research shows that a mother’s diet while breastfeeding may affect her child’s diet later in life. So it would be best to stick to the healthier alternatives for you and your child.

• Foods that cause gas or colic for baby

Burping, passing gas, and a bit of acid reflux in infants are normal. However, if your baby is extra fussy and wouldn’t stop crying, he may have gas or colic, and what you ate might have something to do with that.

According to WebMD, common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.  If you notice that your child is having symptoms of gas or colic, try to cut back on these greens for a few weeks and see if their colicky episodes will be lessened.

• Garlic and spicy food

Have you ever eaten something so delicious and spicy only to regret it after a few minutes because of heartburn? The same thing happens to your baby after eating spicy food.

It can irritate the lining of their stomach which triggers acid reflux. Some fruits and fruit juices can also produce a lot of acid and cause discomfort for your breastfeeding baby.

Meanwhile, some moms noticed their babies are a bit fussier and refuse to drink after they ate something with a strong garlic flavor.

Is it true that the taste of garlic in their breast milk can turn babies off? So if you’re trying to get your child to latch more and breastfeed, maybe you should avoid garlicky meals at the moment.

Is your diet affecting your baby’s health?

Every baby is different and reacts to breast milk differently. However, according to Healthline, here are some common signs that the food you are consuming may be affecting your baby, including :

• eczema
• bloody stools
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• hives
• constipation
• wheezing
• congestion
• abnormal fussiness
• excessive gas
• anaphylaxis — this is a rare but serious case of allergic reaction and needs urgent medical attention.

If your baby shows any of these symptoms, it could be a sign that your baby is allergic or intolerant to a certain food in your diet.

For food allergies, you may be instructed to cut out any suspected allergens for 2–4 weeks to see if symptoms subside.

Breastfeeding your baby may limit your food choices and can feel a bit of a sacrifice (it is), but think of all the nutrients and antibodies you are passing on to your baby that will have lifelong positive effects on his health and development.

It may require you to cut back on your alcohol intake, but it will enable you to protect your child from chronic diseases. If you look at it that way, avoiding certain foods while breastfeeding will seem like a challenging but fulfilling action for your child.

Besides, there are a lot of healthier alternatives that are just as tasty, just as satisfying, and will even help boost your milk supply. To find out what foods are recommended for breastfeeding moms and how to keep your milk supply up, don’t hesitate to consult your pediatrician or a certified lactation consultant.

Source:

KellyMom, Healthline, CDC

Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. TheAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.