There are many woman who discover that they can eat almost anything they like during the breast feeding period. While some strongly flavored foods can change the taste of the breast milk, some babies seem to like the variety of breast milk tastes. However, after eating certain foods and then breast feeding, the baby may become cranky or feel sick. If this does happen, then you should not eat that particular food as long as you are breast feeding. Here are a few foods to avoid while breast feeding, to ensure that your baby is happy and healthy while eating.
There are quite a few foods that you may want to avoid while you are breast feeding your baby. This list includes the following:
You should also avoid eating fruits that have laxative type effects, such as cherries and prunes.
It may be alright to have one or two cups of coffee in a day, but too much caffeine can disrupt your baby’s sleep and cause him or her to become cranky. When avoiding drinking too much or any caffeine, remember that it is also found in various soda, tea, and over-the-counter medicine products. While some mothers only have to cut back on the amount of caffeine they drink, others may have to completely cut it out of their diet until the breast feeding period is over.
If you are going to have an alcoholic beverage, be sure you are only drinking once in a great while and having one drink only. If you have more than one drink of alcohol, it could increase your blood alcohol level, and end up putting the alcohol in your breast milk. The alcohol in breast milk could put the baby’s health at risk should he or she consume it. If you do end up having more than one drink, then you need to wait two or more hours before you nurse or breast feed your baby. If your breasts are full and you need to feed the baby, then you should pump the milk and discard it. Any and all types of heavy drinking should be avoiding while you are breast feeding the baby. Depending on the baby and the effects, some mother may even need to give up drinking completely while they are breast feeding their baby.
You should always talk to your doctor before completely eliminating the foods to avoid while breast feeding. If the any of the food you are avoiding causes a nutritional imbalance, then you may need to see a nutritionist. The nutritionist can help you figure out what other types of food or nutritional supplements you should take.
If you are unsure on the foods to avoid while breast feeding, then you can always ask your doctor for information and advice. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your little bundle of joy.
