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Worrying about how what you eat can
affect the development of your child before childbirth continues even
when you are a nursing mother. You should watch what you ate after
childbirth to avoid some possible reactions your baby might have towards
your food intake. Some nursing moms eat whatever they like without
knowing that some strongly flavored foods may change the taste of their
milk. Most babies seem to enjoy a variety of breast milk flavors!
generally, the dominant flavors of your diet. Mothers should try to
follow a healthy and balanced diet because what you eat reflects on your
babies. Breastfeeding is very beneficial for your little one. Always
watch your baby for reactions whenever you eat something that could be
questionable, and check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns.
Here are some foods mothers should eat frequently or avoid while
breastfeeding.
1. Caffeine
When you drink coffee (or soda or tea),
some of the caffeine ends up in your breast milk. Babies aren’t able to
excrete caffeine as quickly or efficiently as adults, too much in their
systems may lead to irritation, crankiness, and sleeplessness. A fussy
baby will not sleep, which mean you will not get the much needed sleep
you require. Babies’ bodies aren’t developed enough to process caffeine
as quickly as an adult’s body, so it is necessary to cut down your
intake of caffeine while breastfeeding.
2. Garlic
That delicious garlic bread or garlic
sauce you want to eat might not taste so wonderful to your baby. Eating
garlicky foods often leads to breast milk taking on the slight flavor of
garlic (garlic odor can enter milk up to two hours after a meal). Some
babies may grimace or fuss at the breast if they detect garlic’s
telltale aroma.
3. High-mercury fish
You don’t need to avoid fish entirely,
but you do need to be selective of the types to eat. Some fish can be
high in mercury, which can find its way into your milk supply. Fishes to
avoid are shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel. These older,
top-predator fishes contain the highest levels of mercury, so eliminate
those foods from your diet completely. According to the FDA, nursing
women should eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) a week of a variety
of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
4. Alcohol
After taking nine months off drinking,
you’d probably like to have an occasional beer or glass of wine but If
you’ve had even a bit too much, you have to wait until your body has
gotten ride of the alcohol in your system before breastfeeding. If your
drinking habits fall into the moderate or heavy category, you are
treading into murky waters.
5. Peppermint
High doses of peppermint have been known
to inhibit milk production. If you notice your milk production level
dropping after you’ve ingested a bunch of peppermint, it’s best to lay
off for a while.
6. Dairy Products
It’s common knowledge that many babies
are intolerant to cow’s milk-based formula. When you drink milk or eat
other dairy products (yogurt, ice cream, and cheese), these same
allergens enter your breast milk. Some babies are affected by the
protein in cow’s milk, which causes symptoms such as bloating, itchy
skin, rashes, swollen eyes, face or lips. Other symptoms include
wheeziness or coughing, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting or reflux,
poor appetite and eczema.
-Guardian