Some studies have found that particular foods eaten by the motherincluding cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, chocolate, onions and cow's milkcan cause an attack of colic in her breastfed infant.
Common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Bloating, burping, and passing gas are normal. But if your baby is gassy or has colic, avoid these foods for a few weeks to see whether they relieve the symptoms.
Garlic and onions - avoid veggies including garlic, onions, cabbage, turnips, broccoli, and beans as they are commonly associated with affecting a mother's breastmilk and can increase colic in a baby's tummy. Curries can be a problem too, if you didn't have them regularly while pregnant.
Hold your baby near low, rhythmic noises, like the sound of the washing machine or a recording of a heartbeat. The steady hum of a fan or a white noise machine can also be soothing. Go for a ride in the car. The motion and noise of a car ride helps to calm some babies.
Conclusions: Removing bananas from the maternal diet may reduce colic. The consumption of a protein-rich maternal diet, grapes, lemons and potatoes by breastfeeding mothers may protect infants from colic.
If you notice that each time you eat something your baby becomes fussy, try avoiding the food for a while and see what happens. Many mothers have reported foods such as kale, spinach, beans, onions, garlic, peppers or spicy foods cause infant gas, while many babies tolerate these foods just fine.
If you notice they are uncomfortable after being breastfed, they could be sensitive to the foods you're eating. “Monitor your diet to see if certain foods tend to cause your baby more discomfort and then avoid them,” Boone said. “Common foods that can cause gas include beans, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.”
Pumpkin, Pear, or Prune purees can be extremely effective in combating baby's tummy issues due to their high natural water content. These simple foods are filled with natural laxatives to help encourage the passage of air in your little one's belly.
What causes colic? There are no known reasons why some babies get colic &ndash some doctors think it's a type of stomach cramp. But it may happen because babies find it harder to digest food when they are really young. Constant crying could also be due to food allergies, such as cow's milk allergy.
Breastfeeding mothers may reduce colic by making sure the baby is getting lots of “hindmilk” at each feeding and not just “foremilk.” This can happen by making sure one breast is finished before offering the other or only offering one at feeding and emptying it completely.
Colic may also be caused by an overabundance of breastmilk. Your baby could be consuming too much foremilk if you have an abundance of milk. The thinner milk that flows from the breast at the start of a feeding is known as foremilk. It has a higher lactose, or milk sugar, content.
Foods that are passed through your breast milk to your baby may trigger colic. If your baby is colicky and you are breastfeeding, avoid eating or drinking the following foods for a few weeks to see if that helps. Stimulants, such as caffeine and chocolate. Dairy products and nuts.
You do not need to stop nursing. 1 Breastfeeding is not a cause of colic, and babies who take infant formula get colic, too. Switching to formula may not help and may even make the situation worse.
If breast milk is causing problems for your baby, you'll notice that their fussiness occurs rather predictably after feeding time. This happens because digesting milk after a meal causes your baby's discomfort to worsen, and red-faced, grimacing cries are likely to result.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic.
Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:
Strong let-down or oversupply, causing baby to gulp quickly and swallow air. Constipation. Immature digestive tract is still learning to process breastmilk, gas, and stool effectively. Sensitivity or allergy to a food in mom's diet.
When a baby has trouble sleeping due to gassiness, it may be tempting to place them on their side or stomach to see if that helps their digestion. However, to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the best sleeping position for a gassy baby—and every baby—is on their back.
You should avoid caffeine, fish with high mercury levels, artificial sweeteners and alcohol when breastfeeding. As in pregnancy, what you eat while breastfeeding is passed on to your baby.
Mercy Pediatrician, Dr. Ashanti Woods, Discusses Effect of High Sugar Levels in Breast Milk. Mothers who consume large amounts of sugar could be passing the added sugar to their infants through breast milk, which could hamper the child's cognitive development.
Opt for protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury. Choose a variety of whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding will change the flavor of your breast milk.
Food allergies or intolerances. Overfeeding, underfeeding or infrequent burping. Early form of childhood migraine. Family stress or anxiety.
Which Babies Get Colic? Any baby can get colic. It doesn't matter whether the baby is breastfed or bottle-fed. About the same number of baby boys and girls get colic.