M.N. asks from Geneva, IL on August 30, 2007
Nursng/Breastfeeding
Hi Everyone, I am having the hardest time adjusting my diet for breastfeeding. I'm realizng that everything I eat has some sort of a tomato base to it! I think it's really upsetting our little ones tummy. What are some good recipes or ways that everyone has chaged what they eat for nursing? Any ideas etc. would be greatly apreciated.
M.
So What Happened?™
This is all really great information. My mom always told me not to eat cucumbers when nursing because it stops up babies. Well, one hard thing is that I pump and nurse so she gets all of the above and it would be hard to figure out what and when. She does have gerd and I think that might have something to do with everything. What do yu do when you have a lot of pee diapers but maybe not as much poop on various days? Plus, she is very loud with gas. Do you give babies something for gas? That's why I have been thinking about the diet having an impact on her being gasy? These little ones are such a mystery at times!!
Featured Answers
L.F. answers from Chicago on September 02, 2007
It may not be the tomatoes. The dumbest thing I did was eat pasta with afredo. I request no shell fish. We found out that both my son and I allergic to shell fish that day. Many things can upset a babies stomach. Keep a food diary and she what she reacts to. There are many things such as you drinking milk, eating cheese, chocolate, peanuts, beard and many other things. Just try to find out which. Some one just told me a great website for all kinds of recipies and I cannot remember the name. Try lots of fruits and veggies and less animal and see if the baby does better. The website started with a z.
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M.P. answers from Chicago on August 30, 2007
I've been nursing my daughter for 17 months and maybe I've just been lucky but I really don't think food bothers them like we think it does. She now has a very good appetite and will eat anything. Maybe it's just coincidence but when your one year old loves thai food, I think it has something to with already having tasted the flavor through breast milk. What has made you think that something is bothering your baby? Maybe you just have one of those babies who never seems to be content, mine was like that. Or maybe it's just a phase. It's so important to nurse your baby for as long as possible but don't stress yourself out about your diet.
1 mom found this helpful
N.P. answers from Chicago on August 30, 2007
http://www.kellymom.com/ is a great resource as well as La Leche League
I didn't really change my habits for nursing. At first I thought what I was eating was affecting my son (i have twins) but soon realized he had reflux issues. So it may be that or he is just colicky.
Good luck and congrats!
1 mom found this helpful
A.K. answers from Chicago on August 30, 2007
Hi M.,
The only thing I found that I had to change in my diet was having soy milk (!) I was told by my Ped that usually any food that upset my stomach would probably upset baby's too! One of the caregivers told me to illiminate beans from my diet as that could be causing my little one's stomach problem - and it never occurred to me that it was the soy milk I was having - yep, that's how tired I was!!! Once I eliminated that he was fine. (I had soy all during the time I was pregnant with him too).
Apart from that I eat exactly what I want and he is fine too :)
Good luck,
A..
J.C. answers from Chicago on September 04, 2007
The rule of thumb is whatever u ate when u pregnant didn't bother the baby it less likely it will bother them when there out. Have u changed ur diet recently different then when u were pregnant? I was worried about that too when I nursed my daughter but the doctor said they get use to whatever u eat when ur pregnant. Dark pop will do it or caffine coffee as well. If ur still concern any walgreen or health food store has humffers little pillets has chamolial tea in it that can relax his stomak or u can drink that tea or pepermint tea also may help
D.P. answers from Chicago on August 30, 2007
M.-
I'm no lactation expert like the last poster, but I can tell you that I ate everything -- even when my sister-in-law who has kids in their twenties and late teens told me not to because she said it would upset my son (times have changed). Garlic, spicy tomato sauce, hot salsa, you name it... I really don't think you need to change a thing (as long as you are getting a balanced diet). My son went through a spitting up stage, but I think it was more because he ate too much and didn't know when to quit. He outgrew it though. Good Luck!
H.S. answers from Chicago on August 31, 2007
You can usually eat anything when you are nursing...the key is MODERATION...and not eating more than one serving. I know how hard that is, b/c I couldn't have hardly any garlic and I love to have garlic on almost everything. A nice thing is that this usually doesn't last more than a few months and you will be able to add more and more tomato based foods back into your diet as you baby gets older.
N.M. answers from Chicago on August 30, 2007
Try substituting olive oil & garlic flavoring for tomato sauce for your italian dishes -- though your little one might not appreciate the garlic, it's better for them than the acidity of tomato sauce. Or you can try plain butter noodles w/ some parmesan grated on top. Or you can make a bolognese sauce, which uses very little tomato. I know when I was breastfeeding, my little girl didn't much care for garlic flavor so I did cut down, and there were certain items that seemed to bug her more than others. You are smart to recognize this early on. Tomato sauce is so acidic, it turned one of my client's son's bum into a raging yeast infection from the constant diarreah he was getting (and yet the parents continued feeding him tomato sauce "because he loves it"...). Of course, he was actually eating the tomato sauce, not getting it thru b-milk, but nonetheless, it's good to be careful what we are putting in our own bodies for the sake of our wee ones. :) Good luck hon.
L.F. answers from Chicago on September 02, 2007
It may not be the tomatoes. The dumbest thing I did was eat pasta with afredo. I request no shell fish. We found out that both my son and I allergic to shell fish that day. Many things can upset a babies stomach. Keep a food diary and she what she reacts to. There are many things such as you drinking milk, eating cheese, chocolate, peanuts, beard and many other things. Just try to find out which. Some one just told me a great website for all kinds of recipies and I cannot remember the name. Try lots of fruits and veggies and less animal and see if the baby does better. The website started with a z.
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