Foods That Make Breastfed Baby Fussy

In general, breastfeeding mothers can eat a normal diet without any specific eliminations. However, it is possible that some babies may be more sensitive to certain items in the mother's diet. Also, some babies may have allergic reactions as a result of certain food components passed on through the breast milk.

Food Sensitivities

Some babies may have sensitivities to certain foods. Symptoms of a food sensitivity include fussiness after feedings, inconsolable crying and trouble sleeping comfortably. Food sensitivity symptoms may occur anywhere from 4 to 24 hours after the baby has been exposed to the food through breast milk.

Food Allergens

Mothers who have a family history of food allergies may want to avoid eating foods which have caused other family members to have allergic reactions. Cow's milk and peanuts are two of the most common food allergens. Other possible allergens include wheat, eggs, corn, soy and fish. An allergic reaction may cause the baby to develop a rash, hives, breathing difficulties, ear infections or stomach upset.

Gassy Foods

Certain foods produce gas that may cause breastfed babies discomfort. Breastfeeding mothers who have extremely fussy babies may want to eliminate these foods from their diet. These foods include turnips, peppers, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, onion, cabbage, broccoli and garlic.

Citris Fruits

Citrus foods may also irritate a breastfed baby. Breastfeeding mothers may want to avoid tangerines, limes, oranges, lemons and grapefruits.

Chocolate

The chemical theobromine is present in chocolate. This chemical may lead to diarrhea and fussiness in breastfed babies.

How to Flatten Your Postpartum Stomach

Most women will agree that there is no greater joy than having a baby. The growing belly of pregnancy is welcome evidence of the miracle of life. Once the baby arrives, it can be very challenging to get your stomach back to its pre-pregnancy size. I have a few tips to share that worked for me and they can easily fit into a busy schedule.

Instructions

1

Lie down on your back, place your hand directly on your uterus and gently massage it in a clockwise rotation. You can begin to do this while you are still in the hospital a few hours after you have given birth. This will help get your uterus back to its normal shape and position.

2

Contract your stomach in as far as you can and hold it. This one can be done in the shower. Try holding your stomach in during the entire shower or for as long as you can. This will help tighten and your muscles.

3

Breastfeed your baby. This is of course very beneficial to the health of your baby but it will also help flatten your stomach since breastfeeding causes the uterus to contract which will help your uterus eventually get back to its normal size.

4

Drink plenty of water. This helps get rid of any unwanted weight and post pregnancy pounds are no exception.

How to Diagnose Thrush

Thrush is a yeast infection most common in babies, older adults and other people with compromised immune systems. It can also occur during a round of treatment of antibiotics or inhaled steroids. The overgrowth of the yeast, Candida, is recognizable by the white furry patches on the tongue and inside the mouth. Read on to learn more about how to diagnose thrush.

Instructions

Diagnose Thrush in Babies or Children

1

Look for the characteristic white patches inside a child's mouth. Since thrush can look like milk curds, it's sometimes overlooked in children. However, if you try to wipe away the patches, the skin underneath will be red, raw and sometimes even bleed.

2

Watch out for an unhappy baby who refuses to breastfeed or suck on a bottle. Because thrush can be painful, babies will often try to avoid sucking or eating, and sometimes even exhibit increased gassiness.

3

Look out for a characteristic painful diaper rash that is also associated with thrush. The same overgrowth of yeast that causes the white patches in the mouth can cause a yeast infection. The rash is often red, itchy, raised and patchy, and looks very different than a typical diaper rash.

Diagnose Thrush in New Mothers

4

Pay attention to new and unusual pain when breastfeeding. Mothers who experience burning, itching or shooting pain in the breast or nipple accompanied by bright pink or flaking skin may have thrush.

5

Diagnose symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection, which may often accompany thrush.

6

Ask your doctor to take a culture of your breast milk. Though the presence of yeast in the milk is not a definitive indicator of thrush, a positive culture in addition to the presence of yeast in a urine sample is a fairly reliable diagnosis.

Treat and Manage Thrush

7

Use a prescribed topical oral anti-fungal medication, like nystatin, directly on the thrush patches in the mouth. The medication comes in liquid form for children and babies and is available as a lozenge for adults. Some adults will need to take an anti-fungal pill in addition to the topical medication.

8

Apply topical anti-fungal ointments to diaper rashes or affected nipples. Some medications are available over-the-counter, while others are available by prescription only. It's best to check with your doctor before using a medication, in order to use the one that will be most effective for you and your baby.

9

Treat yeast infections with an over-the-counter remedy. However, since some strains of yeast are resistant to some medications, you may have to speak to your doctor about a more powerful prescription medication if the over-the-counter one doesn't seem to be working.

10

Clean bottles and pacifiers frequently in very hot water, and wash and dry your nipples after breastfeeding. Likewise, if the affected person wears dentures, they should be cleaned thoroughly and frequently.

How to Get Rid of a Plugged Milk Duct

Breast tenderness, hard lumps, a wedge-shaped red area and warmth and inflammation-and you thought breastfeeding was going to be a wonderful experience! Don't panic, breastfeeding is a wonderful experience. You could have plugged milk ducts. While tight clothing, skipped or infrequent nursing, stress or illness may cause the condition, the root problem is poorly drained milk ducts for which there is no known cause.

Instructions

1

Call your physician. She can confirm if what you are experiencing is a plugged duct. Rest; treat your plugged duct like an illness. Stay in for a few days and cancel all appointments and activities until you get rid of the clog. Doing so will can help to avoid infection.

2

Apply moist heat by using hot packs or by spraying the affected area with hot water in the shower. Doing this prior to nursing aids in milk flow and may enable the mother to pass the plug.

3

Gently massage the area; you may be able to squeeze the plug out of the nipple pore. Use a breast pump. Try pumping for a few minutes after each nursing session if your baby was unable to relieve the plug.

4

Check for a milk blister. If there is a small white dot on your nipple, it could be a milk blister. This clogged nipple pore restricts milk from flowing freely and adds to the discomfort.

5

Nurse frequently and in different positions. Repeated nursing-through all the discomfort and pain-is the best thing you can do. Try nursing in various positions, too.

How to Keep Milk Production After Weaning

As a breast feeding mother, you could find yourself in a situation where you must wean your child from your breast. The end of your maternity leave could mean your child must stay with a nanny during the day and drink from a bottle. if you still want to breast feed when you are home with your child you must make sure your breast continue to produce milk while you are not physically with your child. Fortunately, it is not difficult to keep your milk production up while weaning your child.

Instructions

1

Wean your child from breast feeding in the days leading up to your return to work or whatever situation you are in that has you wanting to wean your baby. The process of weaning should be done slowly to get your child used to drinking from a bottle more often.

2

Pump your breasts when you are not breast feeding. Because you are weaning your child from the breast does not mean that you have to lose your milk supply. Pumping regularly will keep your breasts producing milk at a regular pace.

3

Take your pump to work, or wherever you are, so you can pump every few hours, even if you only have a few moments in the restroom or your office to do so. Keeping your breasts stimulated and empty helps them to refill with milk and increase your production.

4

Freeze breast milk in breast milk bags, which you can buy in the baby feeding section of any store with baby food and formula, with the date written on it so you know when the milk was originally frozen. Use frozen breast milk by thawing it and placing it in a bottle; place the bottle in a warm bowl of water for a few minutes to warm it up before feeding your baby.

Drinking White Wine With Breastfeeding

Some organizations recommend not drinking alcohol while breastfeeding, though most health care professionals agree that drinking in moderation on occasion is acceptable. If you were looking forward to that glass of white wine and the little one has already had her breast milk, enjoy.

Significance

Alcohol enters the bloodstream rapidly and can be found at the same levels in breast milk as in blood. There is no safe amount of alcohol in breast milk. Generally, one or two drinks on occasion is not a contraindication to breastfeeding.

Timing

According to Judith Lauwers and Anna Swisher, co-authors of Counseling the Nursing Mother, a mother can resume breastfeeding as soon as she feels normal again or when the effects of alcohol have worn off. The authors quote the group Motherisk, a Canadian maternal health program, which recommends lactating mothers wait two hours per drink before breastfeeding.

Pump and Dump

If you have heard the saying "pump and dump," it holds no medical benefit. According to La Leche League pumping and dumping your breast milk, resting, drinking lots of water or consuming caffeine will not speed up the process of alcohol leaving your body or your breast milk.

Milk Storage

Gini Baker, who is a lactation consultant and teaches lactation educators and consultants at the University of San Diego in California, recommends that if pumping breast milk is required after drinking alcohol, you should write the letter A on the storage container and freeze it for six months. At that time your child will be older and better able to handle the alcohol content in your breast milk.

Considerations

Too much alcohol can inhibit your breast milk from letting down by blocking the release of oxytocin. If you plan on drinking white wine or any other alcohol every day or on a regular basis, you should speak with a lactation consultant or health care provider to make sure breastfeeding your child is the best option for you both. A pregnant woman should never consume alcohol.

Foods That Lower Prolactin