Breastfeeding & Diet Restrictions

Pregnant women have notoriously large appetites, since the baby growing inside of them is drawing nutrients from the mothers body. The mothers body is also hard at work creating a supply of milk for the newborn baby. Since whatever a mother eats or drinks will end up in her breast milk, some foods and drinks should be limited or avoided all together to make sure the breastfeeding baby stays nourished and healthy.

Little Bodies

Its important to remember that since infants have much smaller bodies than adults, the substances they consume can affect them to a greater degree. A seemingly harmless amount of caffeine or alcohol consumed by the mother could have a greater degree of impact on the baby than she thought. Breastfeeding mothers should monitor their babies feeding habits, soiled diapers and sleeping habits to determine whether or not their eating habits may be affecting the infant.

Junk Food

Maintaining a balanced diet translates to better quality milk for a newborn. According to Linda M. Hanna, IBCLC, program coordinator for Lactation and Prenatal Education Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, "Beyond a doubt, the nutritious quality of the foods you eat is of major importance during breastfeeding. Simply adding empty calories, like those found in sugary snacks or junk food is not going to help you or your baby.

Breastfeeding women should avoid foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat. Instead, eat natural foods rich in nutrients like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Lactating mothers should have at least three servings of fat in their diet, which can include vegetable oils, butter, avocados or even mayonnaise.

Alcohol

While its been proven that alcohol shouldnt be consumed during pregnancy, experts are surprisingly divided when it comes to consuming it while breastfeeding. While some studies show that alcohol negatively impacts the baby, other studies show that it has no impact at all. With this in mind, mothers should err on the side of caution and avoid drinking alcohol, or at least avoid drinking it within two hours of breastfeeding. Also limit drinks to one or two on occasion.

Caffeine

Since babies are smaller, the caffeine the mother consumes will have a greater impact on them. As in adults, caffeine overload causes edginess, nervousness, irritability and insomnia in babies. Caffeine can also make babies less willing to breastfeed. For this reason, lactating moms should avoid soda, coffee, caffeinated tea and chocolate. If the baby seems on edge or hyper after breastfeeding, the mother should consider cutting caffeine from her diet.

Contaminants

Some chemicals found in food and water could pose a risk to a breastfeeding babys health. Such chemicals include mercury in fish, pesticides and herbicides found in fruits and vegetables and trace chemicals found in tap water. Eat organic fruits and vegetables when possible. Take the skin off of lean meats and fish, as skin tends to store the most chemicals. Also, drink filtered or bottled water instead of tap water.