Breastfeeding Vegetarian Needs Food Options

If you like cottage cheese that is a GREAT protein option.

I agree, as well, with the nuts and seeds suggestion.

I would say just try some of the foods you used to eat. People warned me about broccoli and such but he ended up having more problems when I had milk products and tomatoes. Each baby is different and can tolerate different food items. You might want to keep a food log though of what you ate so if your baby has issues you can figure out what is causing the problem easier.

Hi Anne. I am also a vegetarian and breast fed my daughter for 15 months. I subscribe to the theory that you shouldnt automatically eliminate anything from your diet because you are nursing. I think the best advice is to eat what you want and take note if your baby has a bad reaction. You might be avoiding good foods that wont bother your baby. The biggest thing I hear that causes problems with baby gas is ice cream. Everything else is fair game until there is a problem. Good luck.

You have received a lot of great ideas. Breastfeeding can seem like a challenge in the beginning - the longer you breastfeed the easier it will get. The first few weeks can seem especially difficult. I ate my usual foods when I nursed both of my children and they had no problems. If you and the father don't have any food allergies then I would think that the baby would be less likely to have allergies to foods. I did read an article that recommended eating organic apples and organic potatoes because these two particular foods can retain more of the pesticides that are used on them - this article was targeting everyone not just breastfeeding moms. Try not to stress so much - stress can hinder breastfeeding success. I know it is tiring, but try to relax and enjoy your little boy. It will get easier and a year from now you will be surprised how quickly they grow. Congratulations and best wishes.
S.

Eat what you like!! If you notice a difference in how your baby is doing, then back off one thing at a time. I don't believe that what you eat could really have an effect on how your baby is doing, but I've heard other moms who have had problems with what they eat affecting their babies. Don't be afraid to eat, just eat a healthy diet and get all your nutrients, b/c what you do eat nutrient wise helps you, your baby, and your milk supply. Don't deprive yourself of something spicy b/c you're afraid of how your baby will react. Try it!! See what happens. We all get tummy pains, part of life, just do what you can. If you eat broccoli for example and notice afterwards your baby is a bit more gassy that usual then you could back off of it, but if it doesn't seem to bother him/her then don't worry!

A. B

I'm also a vegetarian and breastfed for 6 months. I pretty much ate my regular diet and made adjustments if anything seemed to particularly bother me or the baby, which only happened rarely. Getting your proper nutrition is so important--I would resume a healthy diet and then adjust as necessary. You can still steer clear of some obvious things that might cause you distress, like a huge helping of 3-bean salad or a pile of brussel sprouts, but if you eat things in moderation you should be okay. Congrats on baby; hope you're sneaking in some sleep.

I would suggest you speak with a nutritionist to be sure that you are taking in the necessary nutrients for your baby to be getting all the fat (especially important for brain development) and protein necessary for proper growth and development.

I never had to cut out a single food from my diet, my son was just not that sensitive. I would start adding all the beans and stuff you usually eat back in, and just see how it goes. The food log is a great idea. I would check with the doctor how long it would take for something to upset him, so that if he does get gassy you know which time frame to be looking for the culprit. But he may be fine, especially since you are really used to eating all these foods. Hope the breastfeeding is going well, it gets lots easier as time goes by. Congrats on your new baby!

Another resource for you: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/vegetarian.html

HTH, L.

You may want to add some protein. Shaklee makes a wonderful, non GMO soy protein drink. They also have great meal replacement drinks that taste very good. If you are interested, you can find them at http://www.shaklee.net/healthforlife
Peanut butter or nuts would be other good options.
Hope this is helpful.
Victoria

Add it back in, in small amounts, and work up to normal consumption, if it really worries you. I didn't worry about it too much at all, and don't really remember them having any problems. Some babies are much more sensitive to foods than others -- one of my friends had a baby who was allergic to eggs so badly that she screamed pretty much constantly for the first several weeks, until finally my friend realized what the problem was, and cut out the eggs. Just goes to show you that you can't say with certainty which foods will or will not cause problems.

Hi A.,

If the only things you are eating are pasta, fruit and cereal, then you're not even getting enough nutrition for yourself. You need enough vitamins and minerals to sustain your health AND your little one's.

If you're concern over certain foods, add them one at a time to your diet. Wait 3 to 4 days and see if there are any repercussions. There are other benefits to meat than protein. You need fats as well. You can get that from olives... Avocado and sweet potatoes are almost perfect foods. Green and yellow vegetables are a must. Just be careful that you add them singly so you can absolutely know what is bothering your little one if there are any problems.

Hope I helped!

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Anne,
Congrats on being committed to breast feeding! I am not a vegetarian, but I did eat a lot of vegetables while breastfeeding my son and never noticed any problems - I ate a ton of zuchinni, squash, onion, asparagus and peppers. My son is allergic to cows milk and eggs, so once we found that out, I had to watch intake of those (I did not completely eliminate, just reduced).
I nursed for 13 months and my advice to you is to eat what you always have and take care of yourself, if it causes a problem for your baby, you will know and it will be short lived, you can play around with your diet from there.
Enjoy motherhood!

Are you vegan? If not, then eggs and cheese are a good options for some protein in your diet. If you are vegan, then you'll have to get a little more creative. Snacking on nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, will give you and the baby protein, nutrients, and good fats. Morning Star has some good frozen vegetarian products that are great. I use the veggie crumbles as a sub for ground beef in most recipes, and their veggie sausage and burgers taste pretty good. They would at least give you some variety.

You can always try adding some beans or a specific veggie to your diet and then wait a few days to see how the baby handles it. If baby seems to be uncomfortable, then discontinue it for awhile. Usually it's only broccoli and similar veggies that can cause gas in adults that a breastfeeding baby might have issues with. Tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, baby spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, etc...all should be fine.

Avocados are fantastic for you and baby, and you can make a tomato, lettuce, and avocado wrap with a tortilla, adding whatever other ingredients you choose to give it some crunch.

Eat like you normally eat for a week and see what happens. I only cut two things out of my diet when I was breastfeeding and my baby was fine. The two things that I cut out were alcohol and caffeine. You are going to need to eat a healthy vegetarian diet for the baby to get the nutrients needed. So eat normal.