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
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.
