During pregnancy, it is important to be careful with certain foods, as the growing baby cannot handle, that is, the bacteria that can be found in unpasteurized dairy products or in alcohol. In contrast, breastfeeding does not require as much attention to diet as pregnancy; however, it is still necessary to monitor the diet in order to feed the baby safely. Fortunately, the human body is designed to make the most of what it gets. Even if the diet is poor, studies around the world have shown that breast milk still has the right combination of nutrients to feed the baby effectively. If the mother’s diet is poor, the body’s own nutrient stores will replace what is lacking in the milk, as long as the stores allow.
However, for the sake of mother and baby, it is important to eat healthy. A wide dietary variety is also beneficial, as babies experience different tastes and smells of breast milk. It helps develop taste buds and can also help create the foundation for cultural preference in the kitchen. This explains why a breastfed baby on a soft diet may reject a curried food dish, for example. Studies have shown that a mother’s preference for food during pregnancy and breastfeeding affects the baby’s taste buds in the same way.
On the other hand, several mothers have confirmed that there may also be some foods with an adverse effect on the health of the baby. They find that their babies have gas after eating cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions, or cauliflower. This opinion has not been scientifically proven. Also, some babies may even show allergic reactions to the mother’s diet, most commonly dairy products. There may also be more accounts of reactions; so every breastfeeding mother needs to find out what her baby can and cannot swallow easily. It takes between 2 and 6 hours from when a certain food is ingested until it affects the taste and smell of the milk. Thus, if the baby shows signs of discomfort when digesting milk, it is worth eliminating the suspicious food for a few days and seeing if it makes a difference in the baby’s symptoms.
What foods are best to avoid
Nursing mothers should limit their alcohol consumption as much as possible. Ideally, they shouldn’t drink any alcohol because it can be detected in milk, although considerably less than what they drank.
The caffeine in coffee and theine in tea should not be consumed more than a cup or two a day. If you drink too much, it can affect your baby too. It should be noted that caffeine cannot pass through their bodies as efficiently as adults and can, in fact, accumulate in their systems. Caffeine-free alternatives are worth considering while breastfeeding.
If you have a family history of food allergies, it is best to avoid peanuts. Peanut consumption has been shown to leave traces of allergens in breast milk and may increase the risk of the baby developing allergies in the future.
Try to avoid processed foods that have long lists of additives. The so-called electronic numbers affect the health of the mother and the baby and should be avoided at all times. However, some electronic numbers have natural origins and are allowed (visit The Soil Association for more information).
It is important to keep the amount of fish to no more than 340 g (12 oz) per week to minimize exposure to mercury. Additionally, the FSA advises limiting canned tuna to 280g (drained) and fresh tuna to 170g per week.
Lastly, the sweetener known as saccharin must be consumed very carefully because the long-term effects are still unknown. The best option is sucralose (Splenda), which offers a safe substitute for sugar with no calories.