SHARES
“My baby has been having diarrhoea every now and then. She takes only my breast milk. The doctor says she may be having stomach flu. Also, he told me to watch my diet if her diarrhoea continues. Does this mean that what I ate end up in my breast milk? I have to be more careful!” Kathy, 26, wonders how her food intake during breastfeeding affect her baby’s health.
In fact, many food, supplements, and medications that we take while breastfeeding may end up in our breast milk. Some leave trace amount while others are present in high concentration in our breast milk. Bearing this in mind, we should eat a balanced diet. The only difference is to increase our calorie intake (about 450-500 extra calories) while breastfeeding. Besides, by consuming a wide range of food also provides an early exposure to different tastes for babies. This helps them in becoming more receptive to various solid foods of different taste and texture later on.
Food To Take And Avoid While Breastfeeding
1. Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are sources of rich nutrients and dietary fibre. This not only provides your baby with good vitamins, antioxidants and minerals; but also helps with your constipation which is very common after birth. You’ll need about 2 cups of fruits and 3 cups of vegetables everyday. Take a wide variety of them with different colours and taste. For instance, spinach, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes, aubergines, bananas, apples, oranges, honeydew melon, prunes etc.
On a cautionary note, watch out for any symptoms of gassy stomach or colic in your baby while taking gassy vegetables. This includes beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
Photo by 香港母乳育嬰協會 HKBFMA from Flickr
2. Grains
This is a rich source of energy and fibre. Go for wholemeal, multigrain, and whole grain products. For example, bread, rice and cereals. Aim for 8 ounces of healthy grains per day.
3. Protein
Protein is a crucial nutrient during breastfeeding as it helps your baby to grow. You will need an extra 25 grams of protein per day (65 grams in total). Try to include some proteins in every single meal. Sources of protein include beans, peas, nuts, beef, poultry, mutton, oysters, crab, mussels, salmon, sardines, eggs, etc.
Seafood contain large amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are important for supporting your baby’s brain development. Deep sea fishes such as salmon, sardines and trout all have high amount of these beneficial fatty acids. Having said so, some seafood may contain high amount of mercury which can be passed on to our baby during breastfeeding. Try to avoid taking shark, king mackerel, swordfish and tilefish.
Also, if your baby is experiencing symptoms of allergy such as skin eczema, make sure to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will help you out in situation where your baby is allergic to certain proteins present in food like peanut and egg.
4. Dairy
Dairy products are food with rich calcium content as well as various healthy protein and fat. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, you can lose a lot of bone calcium which is needed for your baby’s bone growth. Therefore, it is important for you include high amount of calcium in your diet to strengthen your own bones while helping that of your baby to grow well. Take about 3 cups of dairy each day. Food that are rich in calcium are milk, cheese, and yogurt. Some of them have added vitamin D, which is also good for the bones. Naturally, sunlight is a good source of vitamin D. Go for a small walk every morning to get enough sunlight for strong bones!
5. Water
You will lose a lot of water during breastfeeding, leading to dehydration. You may feel thirsty more often. Make sure to have water by your side and drink a cup after every single feed. Also, watch out for your intake of sugary drink as you can easily drink too much out of thirst and gain unhealthy weight.
6. Other Food
Coffee, Chocolate, Tea
Pay careful attention to how your baby reacts after taking caffeine. It can make it difficult for both you and your baby to fall asleep. On top of that, having too much tea may affect iron absorption. You will need a lot of iron after birth to produce more blood cells which are lost during childbirth. Your baby will need more iron as he/she grows. Therefore, avoid taking tea before and after meals.
Alcohol
Alcohol can enter your breast milk readily. A small amount of it can affect your baby’s brain health. Hence, it is best not to take any alcohol while breastfeeding. But, if you choose to drink, do not breastfeed for at least 3 hours after drinking. Give time for you body to clear up all the alcohol so that it won’t enter your breast milk.
Peppermint, Sage, Parsley
Some mother may experience reduced breast milk production after taking certain herbs. Pay close attention to how your body reacts to these herbs.
Photo by Liliputi Babywearing from Flickr
Conclusion
Taking a balanced diet with wide variety of food is beneficial for both the breastfeeding mother and the baby. Also, make sure to drink enough water as you can get dehydrated easily while breastfeeding. If you’re unsure whether certain food may affect both you and your baby negatively during breastfeeding, get help early from healthcare professionals!
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References:
1. Brennan D. Can I eat that? I’m breastfeeding [Internet]. WebMD LLC. 2020. (Available from: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/ss/slideshow-breastfeeding-foods; last updated on 2020 May 26; last accessed on 2020 Jul 4)
2. Olsen N. Foods to eat and avoid while breastfeeding [MedicalNewsToday]. Healthline Media. 2020. (Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322844; last updated on 2018 Aug 22; last accessed on 2020 Jul 4)
by Chang Xian
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