Foods to avoid while breastfeeding: the golden rules for not making mistakes

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Foods to avoid to prevent baby colic

As our midwife explained in the video above, some foods are not to be avoided completely: a varied diet is always the best choice, because you will provide your little one with all the necessary nutritional values, accustoming him to digest and training his digestive system. However, there are some foods to consume moderately, because they could cause foods to be avoided in breastfeeding because they could change the taste of the milk too much, making it unpleasant to the baby. In particular, these are:

• cabbages
• broccoli
• asparagus
• artichokes
• raw garlic
• raw onion
• spices with a very strong flavor (turmeric, chilli, etc.)
• bitter vegetables

Foods to limit

Then there are some foods that you can indulge in, but it would be better to take in limited quantities, both for the taste of the milk and to avoid consequences for the baby.

• Crustaceans, for example, should be eaten in moderation, once in a while, because they could cause allergies.

It is often said that one should also avoid:

• strawberries
• chocolate
• peppers
• cauliflower
• cabbage

In fact, it would be good to start testing these foods and their effect on the baby right away. If all goes well, you can continue, always with caution, to eat these foods too.
For all the rest of the diet, it is possible to follow the same indications as for the diet during pregnancy: consume a lot of fruit and vegetables, take proteins from meat and fish, limit sugars and fats.
Therefore, rather than avoiding foods because of their flavor, it is advisable to make sure that the diet during breastfeeding is similar to that of pregnancy. This is because in the womb the baby has already got used to certain flavors (those of the mother's foods) and it is not necessary to eliminate them during breastfeeding, if the baby does not show particular discomfort.
In addition, if the mother eats a bit of everything (without excess) during breastfeeding, the baby experiences new flavors thanks to the mother's milk, which he will find and get used to more easily during weaning.

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What should you avoid drinking while breastfeeding?

In our video, the midwife recommends drinking plenty of water, because it's the main component of the milk you give your baby every day. And what about other drinks? Is there anything to avoid?

1) The advice is to moderate drinks that are too sugary, such as packaged fruit juices and smoothies.

2) In general, it is good to avoid sweets that are too elaborate and fatty, and the same goes for too greedy drinks.

3) The creams could cause fermentative diarrhea in the baby, that's why you shouldn't abuse sweets.

4) Absolutely avoid, however, alcohol, because it passes almost completely into your milk. Drinking alcohol can create disturbances in the rhythm of sleep in the baby, reduction in milk production, hypoglycemia, irregular development of the baby. especially with spirits, and there is no need to live in terror anyway: a glass of wine is certainly allowed every now and then.

5) Coffee and tea are also allowed, but in moderation, while drinking milk has not been proven to help the mother produce more breast milk.

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The diets to avoid to meet the needs of the baby and mother

If, during breastfeeding, the mother does not need to "eat for two", she must still eat enough to avoid nutritional deficiencies and guarantee the baby but also herself the proper intake of calories.
It is therefore necessary to avoid:

• low calorie diets. On the contrary: it is even recommended to consume 450 to over 500 kcal more than normal per day, as milk production requires a lot of energy.
• diets that exclude carbohydrates, as they are necessary for energy intake
• diets that exclude products of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products), because they are the main sources of protein but if you are vegan and would like to find a safe way to educate your child in the same way, here is a book that's right for you!
• Seasonings (olive oil, butter ...) are necessary and must continue to be part of the diet
• The ideal, to promote milk production, is to divide the diet by making 2-3 snacks a day, without skipping the main meals, of course

What to avoid in your habits

One last small recommendation: during breastfeeding, it is good to avoid taking drugs, because they are also absorbed by breast milk, and in any case if you have to use them by force, check with your doctor and the baby's pediatrician. Instead, it is good to eliminate smoking altogether, although all doctors recommend not smoking from the beginning of pregnancy.