Breastfeeding Help - What Are The Foods To Avoid When Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Help - What Are The Foods To Avoid When Breastfeeding

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Mothers milk is best for the child. Your milk contains all those nutrients which you baby needs to remain healthy and grow during the first few months of his life. So you must breastfeed exclusively for the first six months. As the baby is depending totally on you for all its nutritional needs, you have to ensure that your breast milk does not irritate the baby in any way.

Strongly flavored food does change the taste of the breast milk if taken regularly. However this is not necessarily a bad thing. Babies quite like a variety of flavors in their milk. Moreover, whatever is the chief constituent of the diet of the mother during late pregnancy imparts its flavor to the amniotic fluid. The baby swallows this fluid during gestation. So when it tastes the mothers milk, its taste is already familiar to it.

While there is no taboo on any food as such, it is better to avoid some foods which are known to cause problems in the infants.

Excess of coffee should be avoided. The caffeine finds its way into the breast milk and you will end up with a tired and crying baby who cannot sleep.

Alcohol should be strictly avoided. It not only enters into the milk but may significantly lower breast milk production.

Babies do not react well if you eat a lot of chocolates. Chocolates contain caffeine which leads to restlessness in the baby.

Citrus fruits, mainly pineapple and also oranges, tomatoes and lemon often cause nappy rash in babies.

Very hot or spicy food eaten by you may not agree with the baby. It may cause excessive fussing, gas or even colic.

Vegetables like garlic and cucumber have a tendency to cause gas in the baby.

One of the most common food to which infants do not react well are cow milk and dairy products. These babies may prove to have problems with soy as well.

If you eat a lot of raw broccoli, it can cause colic in your child. Similarly, excessive amount of parsley and peppermint reduce milk production.

It is better to avoid vegetables like cabbage, cucumber etc. Babies may also prove to be allergic to wheat products or corn products.

You should avoid eating freshwater fish from contaminated areas. In case the meat is contaminated too, you should discard the fat before cooking because this is where the harmful chemicals are found. It is better to eat boiled vegetables during breastfeeding. Fruits should be peeled and thoroughly rinsed. Any contamination of insecticides needs to be avoided.

You should be aware of any food allergies of the father of the baby as well as other members of the immediate family. Chances are the baby will not react well to such food groups. Peanuts, shellfish and eggs are common foods to which an immediate family member may have allergies.

If you ingest a large amount of food with artificial food color, it may affect your baby. His urine might change color.

You must remember that all the above conditions may not be applicable to your baby. If you observe symptoms like restlessness, fussiness at breast, gas, colic, rashes, it is better to change your diet and completely withdraw the suspect foods. You can gradually reintroduce them one by one to determine which one is actually causing the distress.


About the Author:
Find out more on breastfeeding babies. Get to know the various benefits, tips and positions of breastfeeding. For more information on foods to avoid when breastfeeding, you can visit http://www.breastfeedingchild.com/foods-avoid-breastfeeding.html.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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