5 foods to avoid while breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants, hands down. It is the perfect blend of vitamins, proteins, and healthy fats, all designed to help your baby grow. Research has shown that breastfeeding can help develop the immune systems of infants as well. We wanted to go through foods to avoid while breastfeeding with you.
Many major medical institutes, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, highly recommend breastfeeding.
The old saying “you are what you eat” has always rang true. When you are breastfeeding, your food choices don’t only affect you, but your baby as well. Let’s take a look at 5 foods to avoid while breastfeeding.
Fish:
Not all fish need to be avoided, but it is very important to stay away from fish that have high levels of mercury. This is similar to the rules you follow while pregnant. Simply follow the same guidelines pertaining to fish that you did while pregnant, and you should be fine.
Caffeine:
While some caffeine may be okay, depending on what your doctor says, it does get into the breast milk. Babies do not process caffeine as well as adults, so it could keep them up.
Chocolate:
Although it has shown many health benefits in adults, chocolate is one of the foods to avoid while breastfeeding. Chocolate is a source of caffeine, and as seen above, it can affect your baby. Chocolate is also believed to have a laxative effect on babies, so keep a close eye on these signs when eating chocolate.
Dairy:
Dairy products can cause a lot of problems while breastfeeding. It has been linked to eczema, other skin problems, issues with sleep, and general fussiness.
Alcohol:
This one is probably the most obvious, but is still worth mentioning. Alcohol does get into breast milk and should be avoided. If you do choose to drink, remember that alcohol does not stay in your breast milk any longer than it does in the bloodstream. So once you feel sober, you should be safe to breastfeed. Still, we recommend the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
DON’T FORGET to sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our latest articles, updates, free recipes and giveaways.
How can breastfeeding prevent over 800,000 deaths every year?
Breastfeeding develops immune systems of babies.
18 tips to help prevent breast cancer.
REFERENCES:
1. “10 Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding.” Mom365. Mom365, n.d. Web. 15 July 2016.
2. “Are There Any Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding?” BabyCenter. BabyCenter, n.d. Web. 16 July 2016.
