Foods and drinks to avoid while breastfeeding Caffeine passes into breastmilk, so large amounts of tea, coffee and cola drinks are best avoided. Drinking small amounts of drinks with caffeine (3 or less drinks a day) should not be a problem. Alcohol also passes into breastmilk and can affect your baby.
To prevent adverse reactions in the baby while breastfeeding, it's recommended to avoid consuming citrus fruits, cherries, and prunes. Citrus fruits have been associated with digestive problems, fussy behavior, vomiting, and diaper rash in breastfed babies.
To get the nutrients you need while breastfeeding, follow a healthy eating routine [PDF - 1.9 MB]. Choose a mix of healthy foods you enjoy from each food group, including: Whole fruits — like apples, berries, oranges, mango, and bananas.
It also contains anandamide and two related compounds that stimulate cannabinoid receptors, tryptophan, and polyphenols. [1,2] All of these compounds are detectable in breastmilk in small amounts. Low intake of chocolate by a nursing mother is not problematic, but extreme amounts can affect the infant.
While breastfeeding, calcium requirements increase significantly, so aim for five to six servings a day to meet the extra demands (1 serving = a glass of milk or pot of yogurt or 25g/1oz of cheese).
Include protein foods 2-3 times per day such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts and seeds. Eat three servings of vegetables, including dark green and yellow vegetables per day. Eat two servings of fruit per day. Include whole grains such as whole wheat breads, pasta, cereal and oatmeal in your daily diet.
Caffeine: Coffee, tea, and soft drinks with caffeine should be limited. Caffeine does pass through the milk and makes some babies restless and fussy. Alcohol: Alcohol is a drug.
Some positioning tips: Feed your baby as upright as possible; lay your child on their back and pedal their legs with your hands to help expel gas from below; if your child is awake after a feeding, place them on their belly. Increase tummy time.
For breastfed babies, gas might be caused by eating too fast, swallowing too much air or digesting certain foods. Babies have immature GI systems and can frequently experience gas because of this. Pains from gas can make your baby fussy, but intestinal gas is not harmful.
Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
Breastmilk or infant formula should be your baby's main source of nutrition for around the first year of life. Health professionals recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, with a gradual introduction of appropriate foods in the second 6 months and ongoing breastfeeding for 2 years or beyond.
Your body produces more prolactin (the hormone that promotes milk production) when you breastfeed at night, so night feedings help to keep up milk production. As well, mothers vary in the amount of milk they can store in their breasts, so for many women night feedings are essential to meeting their babies' needs.
Avocados, full of healthy fats and fiber, are a great addition to your diet while breastfeeding. The fat in avocados help you and your baby absorb fat-soluble vitamins and can also be beneficial to your baby's developing brain health.
Calcium is another major ingredient in breastmilk. Good sources of calcium include: dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt (these are the best source of calcium)
The CDC and most breast pump manufacturers recommend cleaning pump parts thoroughly after every use to help protect babies from germs.
Highly allergenic foods can be passed through your breast milk. Strawberries are a highly allergenic food, MedlinePlus reports, which means that they can cause an allergic reaction if you eat them and then nurse your infant shortly afterward.
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.
Yes! You can enjoy ice cream while breastfeeding. Just pay attention to cues from your baby to make sure they're not sensitive to dairy. You actually can eat WHATEVER you like while breastfeeding unless you notice a clear reaction in your baby to a particular food you ate.
Support your baby's head and neck, make sure their tummy and back is nice and straight (not curled up), and rub or pat their back gently. You don't need to spend ages burping your baby, a couple of minutes should be enough.