What Shouldn’t Breastfeeding Mothers Eat?

“What should breastfeeding mothers not eat?” You are absolutely right to need help with that. Because, just like when you are pregnant, what you eat and drink while breastfeeding is directly related to how healthy you feed your baby.

That’s why we asked Expert Dietitian Sernaz Çakır Ercil what should not be eaten while breastfeeding, which foods cause gas in milk, and we did a fine research on the subject. Let’s see what a nursing mother should eat and what should not eat?

What are the foods that cause gas during breastfeeding?

Gas pain in babies is one of the biggest problems of breastfeeding mothers. Of course, what you eat isn’t the only cause of gas pains in your baby. But even colic, which is usually caused by gas pains and long-term crying spells, is thought to be related to foods that cause gas in milk. Here are the foods that cause gas for a nursing mother:

• Legumes such as dry beans and chickpeas (These are among the foods that cause gas in mothers.).
• Due to the sulfur in them, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage,
• Of course, carbonated drinks,
• Bitter and spicy meals that make digestion difficult as they increase the acidity in the stomach,
• Cow’s milk (for some babies) and yogurt, ice cream and cheese made with cow’s milk,
• Orange, melon, cherry,
• Leek, celery, artichoke, kidney beans.

Especially if you ask what a new mother should not eat, we can say these foods.

But there is no such thing as these foods should definitely not be on the nutrition list while breastfeeding. For example, orange, while some mothers have gas pains, may not do it for you. Before you get pregnant, stay away from foods that you know cause gas, and give the above foods a try, if they cause gas, you will stop.

Caution: What not to eat while breastfeeding

Raw meat and some fish

Raw meat, which should definitely not be on your nutrition list during pregnancy, is not recommended during breastfeeding, as it carries the risk of infection. It is not as risky as in pregnancy, but harmful effects can pass from your milk to your baby with wrong nutrition.

Again, as in pregnancy, you should avoid fish that contain high mercury and metals such as mackerel, swordfish, shark.

Caffeine

Where did you get this caffeine, how hard it has been to be apart from it since pregnancy, right? But while breastfeeding, you should consume caffeine, that is, coffee and chocolate, to a limited extent; because it can cause insomnia and restlessness in babies. You should be content with one or two small cups of coffee a day.

some fruits

What fruits should a nursing mother not eat? You’d better stay away for a while, as fruits such as melons, plums, citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, grapefruits), grapes are at risk of causing gas and indigestion.

Can breastfeeding mothers drink fennel tea?

There was no herbal tea during pregnancy, it is okay to include fennel on your diet while breastfeeding. In fact, it is among the drinks that increase breast milk. “How to make fennel tea to increase milk?”, “How to drink fennel tea in the puerperium?” 

In which cases does the breastfeeding mother’s diet cause allergies in the baby?

If you or your family have a history of food allergies or allergic diseases, you may be wary of eggs, peanuts, and cow’s milk. But there is no definite finding on this subject, so it is important to follow up with your doctor.

Meanwhile, diets that restrict allergens such as cow’s milk or eggs during breastfeeding were examined, and it was concluded that such a restriction only significantly reduced eczema in infants.