Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding

What should you avoid eating while breastfeeding? We take stock of the foods not recommended for the well-being of your baby and the diet to adopt.

During pregnancy, we are inundated with nutritional advice and it continues during breastfeeding. "You should avoid grape juice, it's very sweet", "How do you drink two coffees a day, and your baby you think about it ? ". In short, it is not easy to sort out the real recommendations and the sometimes unfounded advice from those around us. Rest assured, even if you do not eat certain foods, your milk will still be of high quality and allow your child to develop well. The key word is a healthy and balanced diet. As the Leach League recalls on its site: "Each woman can choose the diet that is best for her, depending on her culture, lifestyle, personal preferences and the information she has. "

However, some foods should be given special attention.

Foods to eat in moderation

A varied diet is always the best choice, as you provide your child with all the necessary nutrients and vitamins, getting them used to digesting and training their digestive system. However, there are foods that should be consumed moderately while breastfeeding, as they can alter the taste of milk too much and make it unpleasant for the baby. This concerns in particular:

  • cabbage
  • broccoli
  • asparagus
  • artichokes
  • raw garlic
  • raw onion
  • very strong flavored spices (turmeric, chili, etc …)
  • bitter vegetables

Likewise, seafood, for example, should be consumed in moderation and occasionally as they can cause allergies.
On the other hand, the consumption of peanut products (peanuts, almonds etc.) while breastfeeding does not put the child at risk of allergy. It would even be the opposite according to a study published in 2017 by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Certain foods should be avoided when breastfeeding

Some fish potentially contaminated by pollutants should be avoided during breastfeeding. We are talking about pike, swordfish, caviar. Fish liver should also be removed from the consumption of a nursing mother. For more information, visit the website of the Medicines Agency (ANSES), which lists the fish exposed to Methylmercury.

Soybeans, due to the presence of phytoestrogens, is also not recommended. These substances pass into breast milk.

Open up to new flavors to get the baby used to it

Although we used to say that it is better to avoid cabbages, it may be worthwhile to start testing these types of foods and their effects on the child now. If all goes well, you can continue to consume them.

To put it simply, you can also decide to continue while breastfeeding the same diet as during pregnancy. In fact, in the mother's womb, the baby has already got used to certain flavors (those of the food ingested by the mother) and it is not necessary to eliminate them during breastfeeding, if the baby does not present any. particular discomfort.

In addition, if you eat a little of everything while breastfeeding, the baby will experience new flavors from breast milk, which he will find and get used to more easily during the weaning phase.

For the rest of the diet, it is advisable to follow the same instructions as during pregnancy: consume a lot of fruits and vegetables, meat and fish proteins, limit sugars and saturated fats.

What should you avoid drinking while breastfeeding?

Specialists recommend drinking plenty of water, as it is the main component of the milk you give your baby every day. What about the other drinks? Which ones should you avoid?

– We limit drinks that are too sweet, such as packaged fruit juices and smoothies. In general, it's a good idea to avoid sweets that are too elaborate and too fatty, and the same goes for drinks that are too greedy.

– Alcohol should be forgotten because it passes almost completely into milk. Drinking alcohol can disrupt a baby's sleep pattern, reduce milk production, increase the risk of hypoglycemia, and may affect a newborn's development. But let's not fall into psychosis, a glass of wine from time to time is allowed. Alcohol info service recommends for breastfeeding "drink moderately (one to two drinks maximum), exceptionally (once or twice a week) and preferably after a feed. Thus, ideally you should wait between 2 and 3 hours after moderate alcohol consumption before restore the breast. "
And if you are planning to attend a party that is likely to be very alcoholic, express your milk first (you can store it in the freezer or refrigerator) and wait 12 hours after the party before feeding your baby again.

– Coffee and tea are also allowed, but in moderation. We recommend no more than 3 cups of coffee per day.

Also, consuming milk has not been shown to help the mother produce more breast milk.

Diets to avoid while breastfeeding

If, during breastfeeding, the mother does not need to "eat for two", she must nevertheless eat enough to avoid the deficiencies and to guarantee to the child, but also to herself, a good caloric intake. It is therefore necessary to avoid:

– Low calorie diets. On the contrary: it is even advisable to consume 450 to more than 500 kcal more per day than normal, because the production of milk requires a lot of energy.

– Diets that exclude carbohydrates, as they are necessary for energy supply

– Diets that exclude products of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products), as these are the main sources of protein. If you are vegetarian or vegan, there are alternatives. During your pregnancy you had to follow a specific diet, it is always time to continue it during breastfeeding.

Seasonings (olive oil, butter, etc.) are necessary and must continue to be part of the diet. Don't ban fat altogether. The ideal, to promote lactation, is to split the diet by making 2-3 snacks per day, without skipping main meals, of course. It is also useful to remember that you do not need special foods to ensure or increase your milk supply.

Good to know

One last little recommendation: while breastfeeding, it is good to avoid taking medicines, as they are also absorbed into breast milk, and in any case if you must use them, ask your doctor and pediatrician for advice. your baby. It is recommended to completely eliminate tobacco during breastfeeding.

Read also on Aufeminin
10 foods to eat during pregnancy
10 tips to make breastfeeding easier
How to use a nursing collar?

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Video by Clara Poudevigne