Foods to Avoid While Breast Feeding

Till a certain age, a baby totally depends on the mother’s milk for all his dietary needs. While breastfeeding, what goes into the mother’s body goes into the baby too. Thus, it is very necessary for a feeding mother to have a proper and well-balanced diet. Any deficiency in her diet will lead to a deficiency in the baby too. While deciding on the diet for a lactating mother, diverse food items should be included so that she, along with the baby, gets all the necessary nutrients. At the same time, care should be taken not to include those food items that might cause trouble for the baby. In this article, we will tell you about the foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

List of Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding

Spices such as garlic, cucumber, chili, cinnamon, and pepper should be avoided during breastfeeding. They might lead to gas problems in the baby, producing bloating and colic symptoms.
Strongly flavored foods like garlic change the taste of the breast milk. If you baby starts avoiding breast milk, it is better to check whether you had some strong flavored food in the recent past and avoid the same in the future.
Avoid freshwater fish from waters that are known to be contaminated. Also while consuming meat, cut off the fatty portions, before cooking them.
Pineapple and other citrus fruits that contain vitamin C, such as oranges, tomatoes, grapefruit and lemons, should be avoided. Such foods can lead to nappy rash in the baby.
Do not take too much caffeine during breastfeeding. Though nobody is advising to avoid it altogether, make sure to limit it to one or two cups a day only. Apart from coffee, some sodas, teas and over-the-counter medicines also contain caffeine. So, decide on the intake accordingly.
Avoid alcohol as much as you can. In fact, if it is possible, stop taking alcohol in any form during the breast-feeding phase, as alcohol reduces milk production. The same case goes for tobacco too. Do not smoke and avoid any other form of tobacco consumption too.
It is recommended not to have vegetables like cabbage, onion, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumber, while feeding the baby.
Capsaicin or red pepper should also be avoided, as it causes dermatitis in breastfed babies and develops a perennial rash.
Soy, nuts, peanuts, dairy products, wheat, eggs and corn are some of the other food products that are the culprits in causing problems to the baby.
Cow’s milk is considered as the most common cause of food allergies and food tolerances. It can cause allergies like eczema or dry, rough, red patches on your baby’s skin. The milk should be taken only after consulting the doctor or dietician.
Babies often object to chocolates, kiwifruit, strawberries and fruits with laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes. So, try to avoid these products.
In case avoiding any of the foods mentioned causes a nutritional imbalance, seek professional advice from an expert, before removing it from your diet.

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