Most breastfeeding moms can enjoy a wide range of foods without any negative effects on their babies. However, it’s important to remember that individual situations may vary. If you notice your baby becoming fussy, sleepless, or gassy after you consume certain foods, it’s worth discussing with your baby’s doctor to determine if your diet is the cause or if there could be other factors at play.
Foods to avoid or limit while breastfeeding
Fish
When it comes to fish, there are a few high-mercury species that breastfeeding moms should avoid, including swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, bigeye tuna, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. However, this doesn’t mean that all fish is off-limits. It’s perfectly fine to consume fish and seafood with low mercury levels in moderation. In fact, it’s recommended that breastfeeding moms consume 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury fish each week, as they are excellent sources of DHA and EPA, two omega-3 fatty acids that are not easily found in other foods.
And here’s some good news: unlike during pregnancy, there’s no need to avoid sushi, poke, or seared tuna when you’re breastfeeding!
Alcohol
While it’s safest to abstain from alcohol altogether while breastfeeding, it is possible to have an occasional drink if you take certain precautions. It’s essential to time your drink carefully. Ideally, you should breastfeed your baby (or pump breast milk) just before having a drink. After consuming alcohol, wait at least two hours before breastfeeding. If your breasts feel full before that time is up, you can pump and discard the breast milk. If your baby needs to eat before the two-hour waiting period is over, you can feed them previously expressed breast milk.
It’s important to consider individual factors that affect blood alcohol levels, such as whether you’ve eaten and your body weight. Drinking in moderation is key. The waiting period should be two hours per drink, which means it’s challenging to safely consume more than one drink unless you have an older baby who nurses less frequently. Remember, the same amount of alcohol that enters your bloodstream will enter your breast milk, so adhering to the waiting period is crucial.
Caffeine
Too much caffeine can overstimulate your baby, so it’s best to be mindful of your consumption. You can safely consume two or three cups of coffee (about 300 milligrams of caffeine) throughout the day. However, consuming more than that may disrupt your baby’s sleep or make them fussy. Remember that caffeine is also present in certain sodas, teas, and over-the-counter medicines.
Herbs
Certain herbs, including some herbal teas, may not be safe for breastfeeding moms due to their potency. It’s always a good idea to consult your healthcare provider before taking any herbal products. Additionally, some herbs can potentially decrease your milk supply, so it’s important to exercise caution.
Chocolate
While it’s generally fine to enjoy a few pieces of chocolate or a slice of chocolate cake, it’s important not to overdo it. Consuming large amounts of chocolate can overstimulate your baby due to theobromine, a stimulant present in chocolate. Dark chocolate contains more theobromine than milk chocolate, and white chocolate contains no theobromine since it lacks cocoa solids. It’s also worth noting that chocolate contains caffeine, so it’s best to consume it in moderation.
Could my baby react to a food I eat while breastfeeding?
It’s possible for your baby to have a reaction to food in your diet. If you suspect this may be the case, it’s important to consult your baby’s doctor. Your baby could have a food intolerance or another underlying issue. It’s important to note that food intolerance is a digestive condition, not an allergic response. Symptoms of food intolerance may include fussiness, congestion, rash, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.
The two most common causes of food intolerances in infants are cow’s milk protein intolerance and soy protein intolerance. If your baby is affected by either of these, it’s necessary to avoid foods that contain milk, milk products, casein, whey, or sodium caseinate, as well as all soy products such as tofu, tempeh, tamari, soy sauce, soy milk, miso, and edamame.
Could my baby be allergic to foods I eat while breastfeeding?
It is highly unlikely that your breast milk will trigger an allergic reaction in your baby, even if you consume allergenic foods like peanuts, fish, shellfish, or eggs. If your baby exhibits allergy symptoms, such as eczema, a rash, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, red and watery eyes, vomiting, or diarrhea, the cause is more likely something they come into contact with regularly, such as soap, pet dander, dust, pollen, or the foods they start eating when they begin solids.
In rare cases, a breastfed baby may have an allergy to certain food allergens in the mother’s diet, such as cow’s milk protein. If you are concerned about the possibility of a reaction to allergenic foods you eat, it’s important to have your baby evaluated by a healthcare provider. Strict avoidance of the allergenic food in your diet is the only treatment for a breastfed baby with a food allergy.
Will foods I eat while breastfeeding make my baby gassy?
Some evidence suggests that a small number of nursing babies may be sensitive to dairy products in their mother’s diet, which may result in increased gassiness. You may have heard advice to avoid certain foods like citrus fruits, orange juice, spices, spicy food, or “gassy” vegetables such as cabbage, onion, broccoli, and cauliflower while breastfeeding. However, there is no solid scientific evidence to support this advice.
If you do notice that your nursing baby appears fussy, gassy, or sleepless after consuming specific foods, it’s worth discussing with your baby’s doctor. They may recommend eliminating the food from your diet for at least three weeks and then reintroducing it to see if there is a consistent effect.
Should I avoid foods with strong flavors like garlic?
No, you don’t need to avoid strongly flavored foods like garlic. While these foods may impact the taste of your breast milk, most babies seem to enjoy the variety of flavors. Additionally, during pregnancy, the dominant flavors of your diet are present in amniotic fluid. Since fetuses swallow amniotic fluid before birth, they become accustomed to those flavors. So when they encounter those flavors again in their mother’s breast milk, they are already familiar with them.
Learn more: