Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding
As in the period of gestation, breastfeeding mothers must be very careful with their diet. In fact, there are foods to avoid during breastfeeding because they can affect the baby’s health.
In this period, nutrition must, first of all, be very measured. It is not necessary to eat large amounts of food as many people recommend. The really important thing is that the diet is balanced and that it provides a good dose of nutrients.
Read on, in the following article we will show you which foods to avoid while breastfeeding and why they are contraindicated .
Features of nutrition during lactation
During the period of breastfeeding, mothers are allowed what could be called a “strong breakfast”. That is, a breakfast that includes, for example, a scrambled or scrambled egg, some fresh or dried fruit – hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts – and even ham or bacon or chicken.
The diet of the mother nursing her child should be varied, rich in vitamin D and vitamin C. Good fats, such as butter or egg yolk, shouldn’t be missing either.
It is also recommended to have a good snack: tea with toast, jam, fresh cheese and honey. As for dinner, it must not be very abundant, and vegetables must not be missing.
In this sense, food overload during this period is harmful. In fact, it could affect the health of some organs such as the liver and heart. Therefore, it is essential to improve one’s eating habits.
For this purpose, it is necessary to take the right quantities of fats, vegetables, legumes, fruit, meat, ham, brain, soups, liver, offal, chicken and its edge, fish, jam, sweets, milk, water and other foods.
Conversely, it is not necessary to consume exaggerated quantities of dairy products to produce breast milk. The secretion of breast milk, in fact, is a much more complex process in which other variables also intervene to be taken into consideration.
It is also important that you consult with your primary care physician about the diet to be followed. He will decide which foods to avoid while breastfeeding.
Daily diet for the mother of the newborn
Regarding the quantity of the different foods that make up the daily diet of a nursing mother, we find:
- Bread: 400 grams
- Meat: 170 grams
- Milk: 400 grams
- Soup: 250 grams
- Sugar: 20 grams
- Fresh vegetables: 500 grams
- Fruit: 200 grams
- Fat cheese: 40 grams
That said, precisely because the mother must follow a healthy diet throughout the breastfeeding period, there are some foods that are harmful. The ideal is to avoid them for the good health, both yours and the child.
8 foods to avoid while breastfeeding
Among the foods to avoid while breastfeeding, there are in particular:
Seeds
This food group also includes chickpeas and broad beans. They are foods to avoid during breastfeeding because they alter the functioning of the baby’s large intestine, causing flatulence and intestinal disorders.
Citrus fruits
In this group we have for example orange, mandarin, guava and passion fruit. These are harmful to the baby’s digestive function and can cause stomach acid.
However, they are fruits that are good for their vitamin intake. It all depends on the mother’s tolerance to this type of food.
Spicy foods
They are one of the foods that the new mother will have to completely eliminate from her diet if she is used to consuming them. Spicy foods block intestinal function with regards to the rhythm of bowel movements. Which can cause a lot of discomfort in the little one.
Onion
Although it may seem strange to have to eliminate this food during the period of breastfeeding, it is worth doing it because it is a food that could negatively affect the emotional development and the mood of the baby. If consumed, onion can cause irritability and even colic in the infant.
However, there are people who assure that the onion not only does not cause any disturbance, but can also be good for your health as it contains, among other things, polysaccharides, flavonoids and fructans.
Broccoli and cauliflower
The consumption of this type of legumes causes annoying colic in the baby. Furthermore, it is often read that the compounds in these foods cause a change in the taste of milk. In reality, children cannot perceive it.
Coffee
Coffee is another food to avoid while breastfeeding, as it interferes with the baby’s normal sleep phase. In this way, insomnia and the nervousness of the child are favored, jeopardizing his healthy brain development.
Red meat fish
We must avoid consuming fish of this type, at least until the child is one and a half years old. Only in this way, in fact, is it possible to avoid triggering allergy episodes in the little one.
Well, they’ve listed some foods to avoid while breastfeeding. However, it must be emphasized that each organism is different. Therefore, the way the body reacts to a diet varies from person to person.
With the help of your GP and taking into account the physiological conditions of the child, you can study a diet suitable for both. Never make decisions alone. You can read up on it, but the best thing is to always have the approval of your doctor.
