Foods Not to Eat During Breastfeeding?

Hi Kathy,
I am a lactation consultant and teach breastfeeding classes. We developed a curriculum for the classes based on the research and evidence currently available. Here is what we teach in a nutshell:

Eat a relatively healthy, fairly varied, culturally appropriate diet. Use moderation. Most babies tolerate well whatever mom eats. Some don't but that should be addressed only if it happens.

What this boils down to is that the dietary restrictions of pregnancy are lifted but don't go overboard with the foods you've been missing. If baby has a history of allergies on either side of the family then perhaps use a little more caution for high allergenic foods.

Culturally appropriate doesn't mean you can't have your favourite sushi, Italian, spicy food, etc, but do exercise some moderation, try them slowly. It also means that if there is a special tea or soup or food that is usually provided to new mothers it is likely fine. Many are very nutritious and/or contain herbs that are believed to help with maternal recovery or milk production. In addition if there are foods that have only recently (last 100 years or so) been introduced to baby's inherited culture then use extra caution with those foods as baby has a higher risk of intolerance. (Eg: peanuts to northern/western European stock, cows milk to many Asian stock.)

You don't need cows milk to make human milk, you should make sure you have an adequate source of calcium for your sake.

Most babies do tolerate mom's diet fine. The guidelines for alcohol are indulge occasionally in moderation and timing is everything. If you wish to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a champagne toast, or even a cold beer on a hot day, feed baby (or if separated express your milk) first, then enjoy. By the time you need to feed (or express) again then it is likely safe. If you can still feel the effects of alcohol rethink feeding baby. If you are overfull and still feeling the effects then express (and throw away) just enough to be comfortable until the body processes the rest. While alcohol does pass readily into the milk it is also pulled out again as mom metabolises the alcohol from her blood. Drink-feed guidelines are similar to drink-drive guidelines. If you have a newborn who is still nursing very frequently it may not be practical for even an occasional alcoholic drink however that is likely to change as baby matures.

Suggestion: Don't eat chocolate by the pound, milk or juice by the quart, icecream by the pint, etc. If there is one or more foods that you have not tolerated during pregnancy, or that you used to really like and just were not interested in during pregnancy then I suggest caution when reintroducing them to your diet. Take it slow and make sure baby is tolerating it well.

If baby is "colicky" or showing other signs of possible food intolerance then a lactation consultant can help you start a food diary and then look at the results to help you find the likely culprit/s. Reactions from baby usually take place after one to two feeds following the ingestion of the irritating food. Though sometimes it is a matter of an accumlated affect.

Most babies tolerate one to two cups of caffinated beverage a day, some don't tolerate any, even decaf. You will work out with your baby where they are.

There are some herbs that are believed to be benefical or harmful while nursing. In general herbs used in doses to flavour foods in normal quantities are not an issue. Herbs used for therapeutic reasons are usually taken in very high doses. Like all medications and treatments weigh the risks and benifits before starting a herbal therapy treatment or other drug treatment including over the counter medication. Please call a lactation consultant or other health care practitioner who has access to the information if you are concerned about or considering medications etc. There is a fabulous book that most of us have called "Medication and Mothers' Milk" that really breaks down well the potential risks and benifits for nursing mothers.

I know this is long. I hope it helps. If you have specific questions please feel free to write me directly.

K. H

Hi Kathy and congratulations!
the lactation consultant said it all. I do enjoy alcohol while I am bf (that sounds funny!, but I mean I do drink occasionally). I don't bf if I still feel a little buzzed. I don't pump and dump, I just drink extra water (throw a lemon in for the my liver :)...) My baby has never rejected my milk. The only time I noticed was when I ate some buffalo wings that were very spicy, he was 8 or 10 weeks old and screamed something fierce when he bm'd. So I have been very careful with chili spicey. He is fine with "hot" foods, like wasabi and mustards, and even medium salsa's.
Allergies do run in my family, but I eat things in moderation especially dairy. I enjoy my nonfat latte too. (I did wait until he was about 10 weeks before consuming some types of caffine.
I never take any drugs for allergies, colds, or flu's that I couldn't take while preggars.
I was told that the milk is much more filtered by our bodies than when the baby was receiving our blood in the placenta.
There are a lot of wives tales out there, so exercise common sense, and remember that they used to think that a glass of beer a day would aid in milk production...so advice changes.
I would recommend picking up a breastfeeding book, maybe "the womanly art of breastfeeding" by La Leche League. It is very supportive, encouraging and factual.
Also I would encourage you to attend a LLL group in your area. I have learned soooo much from the wisdom of others. You can bring your baby too!
Enjoy!!

I had issues with spicy food...it made my baby spit up. Chocolate also made my baby very fussy.

Don't eat anything with alcohol in it. It does not completely cook out, although some people say it does. Pump and dump has been disproven, it doesen't work like that.Your daughter can taste whatever you eat and sometimes babies can be sensitive to strong flavors like really spicy or garlic, although my son loved those flavors and he still does. Sometimes babies will either refuse to nurse or not do it as much if they don't like the taste. Also, be careful about any medications, over the counter or not, because everything goes to your baby, just like when you were pregnant. Congratulations on your choice to breastfeed!!! Good Luck!!

every baby is different. i would eat what ever you normally eat and see what happens. some babies are affected much more than other babies by wheat and dairy. my son doesn't seem to be bothered by much or when i eat spicy foods or have a glass of wine. your body filters a lot more than you think before it gets to your milk. keep doing what your doing!

The only additional advice I can offer is that if you find your daughter to be 'colicky' and try desperatly to cut out possible offending foods like I did, do NOT cut out dairy 100%.
I did this when my daughter was super fussy as a newborn--I cut out every source of dairy from milk to cheese, butter to even the small amounts of whey in just about every processed food out there.
Well, turned out my daughter was just a typical newborn--the 'colic' you may find is usually just the standard not-yet-developed brain function that blocks out body function sensitivities. That is, the baby can feel peristalsys--the intestines squeezing food out & doesn't like it, so they fuss. After 3 months, the 'colic' magically goes away (so really, their brain develops enough that they're no longer aware of the digestion) and you're left lactose intolerant :(
I get sick over even one slice of cheese in my sandwiches now (my daughter's 26 months now). Turns out she IS sensitive to dairy even now...but now I am, too. Total bummer.

Beyond that, the only other time my daughter had a post-nursing meltdown was after I ate a LOT of garlic. She screamed and wriggled for hours and hours. I still ate garlic, but not as much as I did that day.
I also didn't touch alcohol at all until my daughter started to wean to 1-2 nursing sessions/day (so 24 mos. from the time I got pregnant until then)--I feel like the theories on alcohol change every few years. Some say the breast is a filter which decreases alcohol content--other studies show the baby's blood alcohol level to be HIGHER than the nursing mother's. It just wasn't worth it to me to give even a drop of alcohol to my precious baby. I'm kind of an all or nothing kind of girl tho, so this applied to alcohol in cooking, too.
Good luck and congrats on your decision to breastfeed. It can be a REAL struggle, but SO worth it to avoid those $26 cans of formula, making it in the middle of the night, and the $$ saved in doctor's bills by building up your baby's immunity.