Yes, you have heard right, there are some Food Items which a Nursing Mother should totally avoid, as it may cause Gas, Indigestion, Bloating, etc in Babies. Whatever food items a mother eat, it will reflect in her Milk after 1 to 12 hours, depending on the nature of food items.
There are many diet charts available on Google, which can be followed by nursing mothers, but be very careful as many food articles may not be best suited for your baby.
According to some Lactation Experts, the Mother’s milk gets all the nutritious and flavored by the food, she eats. Which help Baby to develop Taste Buds, Sensations, and Strong Digestive System.
Baby’s Digestive System is dependent on the mother’s digestive system only, there are very strong chances that whenever u have stomach issues, your baby will also face similar issues. So, nursing mothers should take extra care of themselves especially when they are breastfeeding their babies.
Tip: Make sure that your Baby is moved from one breast to another only after good 15 to 20 minutes. Babies stopped trying too hard once they are half done on one breast and they know that another breast is right there with lots of milk with less effort, But its the job of moms to make sure baby must finish one breast completely before she is moved to another one.
Also, all Babies need to be on breastfeeding until they turn 6 months old.
Foods which Nursing Mother Should Avoid
1 # Spices like Cinnamon, Garlic, Curry and Chili Pepper
These spices are key ingredients of many food recipes especially Asian/Indian. Some people sprinkled them on many food dishes too. But, when we talk about sensitive babies these spices may cause the baby to show symptoms of irritation because of stomach gas shortly after nursing. These spices can change the mother’s breast milk’s taste and smell too. Believe or not, many babies tend to refuse their mother’s milk, if it does not taste the same as before.
2 # Citrus Foods like Oranges, Lemons, Limes, and Tomatoes
The baby may experience gastrointestinal problems with some citrus foods. They should be consumed in moderation, as some babies react negatively to vitamin C. Citrus Foods are having a lot of nutritional value in them but a nursing mother should do a proper check before consuming them on regular basis.
3 # Coffee/Caffeine
Extra Caffeine in Mother’s Body (more than 750 mg) can make your baby uneasy and irritated. Due to an extra dose of nicotine which will also alter their sleeping pattern for longer periods.
4 # Cow’s Milk Products
Products like soy, wheat, eggs, nuts, and corn can create discomfort in infant/baby’s stomach. These kind of food items are a little hard for little babies stomach, so mothers should avoid taking them. OR take them in moderate quantities.
5 # High Mercury Fish
Mothers who eat fishes with high mercury like swordfish, Tilefish, King Mackerel, their babies are at greater risk of developing many serious health issues. Choose your fish wisely like salmon, catfish, shrimp and canned light tuna, which are known to have low mercury contents.
6 # Veggies like Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Broccoli
Food items especially vegetables which are consumed raw should be properly washed before eating to prevent any bacteria from entering a mother’s body. These raw vegetables may cause gas, Intestinal Blockage, Intestinal Gas, Bowel Irritation and Constipation. in babies. Mothers should take proper precautions while eating raw vegetables during their nursing months.
7 # Dark Chocolates
Chocolates, which are dark in color contains a high percentage of cocoa solids. Therefore they contain higher levels of theobromine than any milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is very addictive in nature and mother’s may have a serious craving for them but moms should control themselves and consume this dark chocolate in moderations. Moms can switch to White or Milk Chocolate as they are relatively safer than dark chocolate.
