Diet for breastfeeding
It has been 2.5 weeks since my daughter was born. I thought it is a good time to share some knowledge on diet I follow for breastfeeding. This is what works for me and my baby. I hope it will work for you as well.
Have you ever wondered what you should or shouldn`t eat when breastfeeding? Good nutrition is more important than you think. One of the reasons your baby might be unsettled after feeds, have bad skin (rash, hives or eczema), or colic might be due to the foods and drinks you consume. How come you may ask? Let`s have a closer look then…
Your baby eats what you eat! Obviously not literally but the quality of your breast milk depends on your everyday diet and your overall health.
For the first months of your baby`s life it is best (in my opinion) to follow nutritious and plain diet. By plain I mean no spices (unless you had it through your whole pregnancy so your baby might be used to the taste) except some herbs, sea salt and black pepper.
You might want to avoid some common triggers such as:
- cucumbers, peppers, onions, garlic
- spicy foods such as curries
- cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower
- beans
- chocolate
- alcohol and caffeine
- too much dairy and beef
I avoid above as they may cause colic, too much gas and wind, which means unsettled baby and sleepless nights…and we know how precious sleep is in those first few months.
So what should you eat?
Root vegetables, good quality unprocessed meat and fish, eggs, pasta, rice (I go for wholegrain), buckwheat, quinoa, oats, nuts and seeds, avocados, bananas, apples, berries, some dairy (I eat butter, hard cheese and natural yoghurts), some babies might not tolerate dairy at all so you need to watch them for symptoms such as bad skin, colic, too much wind, conspipation/diarrhoea. The list is not complete but I just wanted to give you some examples. If you need more details just drop me a line or call me.
However there is no hard rule and some babies might tolerate foods from `to avoid list` others do not. You just need to watch them to see if anything you eat/drink triggers any unwanted symptoms. If you think it does remove the trigger from your diet.
Drink plenty of water – you will be more thirsty when you are breastfeeding.
Good luck and enjoy your little bundles of joy!
For more info check out:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/breastfeeding-diet/
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a3565/diet-for-a-healthy-breastfeeding-mum