What to Eat While Breastfeeding (It's Easy)
Learn about what fish is safe, which foods are gassy, the effects of caffeine and alcohol on breast milk and more
 Breastfeeding Tips
Do you remember the long list of foods to avoid while pregnant? It is all gone now. What to eat while breastfeeding is... almost everything!
If you are in a hurry, simply download our checklist on what to eat while breastfeeding. and read later or keep in your wallet.
Most foods will not harm your baby, but his or her wellbeing may be affected. Then there are some foods, especially some fish, that really should be avoided. And for colicky babies, breastfeeding mom can make a difference by adjusting her diet.
This article will show you what foods are appropriate (and not) while breastfeeding and why.
The good news is that the body will more or less produce excellent breast milk no matter what you stuff your body with. (Ok, within limits!)
The bad news is that if you follow a really crappy diet, your body will be depleted of for example iron and calcium. You might become more tired than necessary; get a headache, a poor complexion and more.
My first advice is however to remember to eat food at all!
It is very easy to not prioritize eating when you have a baby who wants to be in your arms more or less all the time.
So eat food or you will almost certainly eat a lot of candy - not that great if you want to feel good and maybe lose some weight!
Below you'll find explanations to foods to eat and foods to avoid while nursing as of 2011.
What To Eat While Breastfeeding
(And What To Avoid)
Water
Drink a lot of pure water!
You'll need this to produce enough milk without becoming dehydrated. And don't drink too much carbonated water, as such water often contains unnecessary amounts of sodium.
Whole grain
After giving birth and especially while breastfeeding, it is easy to become a little bit constipated.
Water together with whole grain products and taking a walk will help your stomach.
Vegetables are often also high in fibres and very good to eat while breastfeeding.
Fruits
If you can't get around to fix lunch, at least eat some fruits (and veggies)!
These are great as they contain both fibers, vitamins, water and in some cases, like bananas, enough calories to make you cope for an hour or two more until you can eat some real food.
Spicy foods
Some moms feel that spicy foods cause tummy pain in their babies. Others don't notice any difference at all.
But if your baby is a lot fussier one day and you had some really spicy food the night before, this could be the explanation.
Gassy foods
If your baby tends to be gassy or suffer from tummy pain, it may be wise to exclude foods that are known to increase gas. Such foods are broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts.
If you believe that your baby may be suffering from colic, excluding all cow's milk from you diet may help.
However, this really means all cow's milk, including small amounts of milk powder added to all sorts of foods. If you want to try this, first talk to a pediatrician. And remember that it may take weeks before you see any improvement in your baby. (Can of course still be worth, trying!)
One study (Maternal Intake of Cruciferous Vegetables and Other Foods and Colic Symptoms in Exclusively Breast-Fed Infants; Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Volume 96, January 1996) found a correlation between infant colic and maternal intake of gassy vegetables, cow's milk, onion and chocolate.
Fish
While fish in general is a great source of for example omega 3 fatty acids (shown in studies to have a positive effect on your baby's IQ), some types of fish are high in mercury. I bet you heard about this when you were pregnant.
The easiest way to go is to continue to avoid the same fish you did while pregnant. According to the FDA/EPA guidelines, you should not eat more than 12 ounces a week (about two servings) of canned "light" tuna and other cooked fish. And you should completely avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish (also called golden or white snapper). Depending on whom you ask, some experts would also recommend avoiding tuna steak, Spanish mackerel, marlin, and grouper.
Make sure you check the guidelines where you live, as there may be other fishes that you should avoid too that live in the waters close to your home.
Varieties of fish that are safe to eat while breastfeeding are salmon (that live in oceans), rainbow trout, and canned mackerel. Shrimp, pollock and catfish are also fine.
For more information go to EPA's Fish Advice Page. (Even though the advice on that page are from 2004, they are still the ones communicated by both EPA and FDA.)
Caffeine
If you are at home with your baby and tired it is sooo easy to have a cup of coffee... and another one...
But is it safe?
Well, according to American Academy of Pediatrics, some caffeine is not likely to affect your baby.
However, large amounts may result in you baby becoming fussy, over active and have problems to settle. This has to do with that it is hard for your baby's body to get rid of the caffeine, meaning that it tends to build up in his system. So have some coffee if you like, but use it with moderation! Also remember that black and even to extent green tea, chocolate, coca cola and other soft drinks also contain caffeine.
Red tea is, in my view, a great alternative to coffee and regular tea as it contains no caffeine. Some studies even indicate some colic relief from red tea.
Alcohol
Does alcohol belong to a list of what to eat while breastfeeding...?
Of course not!
But while you were pregnant, alcohol was really a potential danger for your baby. While breastfeeding, the risk is not at all as high although some alcohol actually does enter the breast milk.
When you were pregnant, the baby in your stomach would get the same amount of alcohol in his blood as you would, should you have a drink. While breastfeeding, your baby would consume milk containing the same level of alcohol as in you blood, actually drinking something with a very low amount of alcohol. That is a huge difference!
So even if your baby wouldn't get drunk or even be affected if you have a drink, there are other clear disadvantages of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding or while taking care of a baby in general!
One risk is that you might not be as able to take care of your baby. The risk of dropping him increases a lot for example.
The other thing is that you sleep heavier after consuming alcohol. Therefore it can be very dangerous to co-sleep with your baby after drinking alcohol. (This is true for dads too!)
Also there are a few studies that indicate that your let down reflex (milk production) may be impaired after consuming alcohol. One study also found a 23% lower breast milk intake on average by infants after their mom had consumed alcohol. Why this happened was not explained.
If you do want to have a glass of wine or a drink, wait at least two hours before breastfeeding if possible. This way the alcohol has disappeared from the milk.
Remember to drink a lot of water, since alcohol can dehydrate you.
Never ever get drunk while your baby is on your responsibility - breastfeeding or not!
Maybe it goes without saying, but consuming a lot of alcohol may very well affect your baby when you are breastfeeding. There are studies that show slower motorical development among babies whose mother consumes alcohol on a daily basis.
Now you know what to eat while breastfeeding - not too hard, right?
Do you smoke?
Find information about the combination of smoking and breastfeeding here.
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