Foods to avoid when breastfeeding

For the most part, you can eat whatever you want when you are breastfeeding; however, there are few foods which you should steer clear of or moderate while you are feeding your baby. Certain foods can play havoc with your baby’s digestive system and this can result in unpleasant smelling nappies; some foods are also related to an increased risk of allergies and colic. These foods include:

• Spicy food: spicy food will not harm your baby but it may cause problems for their digestive system and you may find that you end up changing a pretty unpleasant nappy.
• Dairy products: you do not need to avoid dairy foods but you may wish to moderate your intake of dairy products, as they may contribute to colic. Some babies also have allergies to dairy so you need to keep an eye out for this.
• Garlic: garlic may affect the way your milk tastes and this may affect some babies, who may not like the taste; if this is the case, you may wish to cut down on the amount of garlic you eat. If your baby is fine with the taste of the milk, you can continue to eat as normal.
• Caffeine: you can continue to have caffeinated drinks but try to moderate your intake; if you drink a lot of caffeine you may find that it affects your baby’s ability to settle.
• Cabbage: cabbage may cause your baby to have wind, which may cause them discomfort and prevent them from settling to sleep.
• Fruit juices: if you drink a lot of fruit juice, this may contribute to nappy rash; pineapple juice is the worst offender as it has very high vitamin C content.
• Alcohol: you can drink while you are breastfeeding but try not to drink heavily, as this may affect your baby. A glass of wine now and again will not harm your baby so don’t feel that you have to deprive yourself.

The best thing to do while you are breastfeeding is to try and stick to a healthy, balanced diet; if you already eat well, you may not need to make any changes to your normal diet. Do not feel that you have to deprive yourself or be obsessively looking at food labels, just try to stick to healthier options and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.