Nursing & Diet

As far as gas goes- both of my girls were effected when I ate broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower. I would avoid those. Beans didn't seem to have any effect though. Large amounts of dairy products always caused gas as well- but only if I ate a lot!
-S.

I J.! I am a labor doula and I just gave birth to my second child three months ago myself! :) Congratulations and let me say that I am SO HAPPY that you are nursing your baby, it's the greatest gift you can give your children! As far as diet goes, it's pretty much going to be the same as while you were pregnant. Make sure you get lots of protein and Iron. Drink milk fortified with vitamin D to keep your calcium up. Avocados are high in nutrients and are good for you and baby. Lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats like fish and chicken,but I would stay away from strawberries and honey since those are high allergy foods. I would stay away from things that make YOU gassy because it will make the baby gassy. Things like beans, broccoli, spicy food. ect. On the other hand though, it's good to eat a variety of foods so that your baby gets a wide variety of tastes from the breast milk (makes for a less picky eater later on). Above all...drink LOTS and LOTS of water. If you're interested in increasing your milk supply at any time there area couple of really good teas out there. One is called Mother's Milk by Traditional Medicinals. The other is Woman's Nursing Mom by Yogi Tea (you can find this one at wal mart super stores). You can also take a supplement called Fenugreek. I took that with my first baby, you have to take two pills three times a day for it to do anything and you end up smelling like maple syrup, but it works! :) I used to take fenugreek when I wanted to pump extra breast milk to freeze for making cereal when she started to eat solids. The tea is good for getting the fluids in you if you're not a water drinker (I'm not a water drinker). I brew a pitcher of it with our ice tea maker and drink that every day instead of water. Also, I would go on a daily supplement of fish oil. I have been taking it ever since my baby was born and it prevented me from getting post partum depression. It has the omega 3 fatty acids that you need for good brain power and gives you a sense of well being. I HIGHLY recommend that to any post partum mother. As well as a probiotic to help you with the post partum plumbing issues. GNC has both in stock. Now I'm not a doctor, but these are the things that have worked for me. I hope this helps! Congratulations again!
E.

If I drank milk my baby would have gas and mozzerella cheese was a no no for baby!! Every baby is different so you will have to do some trial and error. I could eat regular cheese, though.

For gas, I had to stay away from cucumbers. That suprised me. Mylicon was a God send for me, and my baby who had really intense gas. Made it go away immediately.
Good luck,
D. S.

Every baby is different, though I noticed that both my girls gas subsided a bit when I stuck to soymilk and not regular milk, and avoided very spicy or garlicky foods. My oldest didn't like tomatoes but my youngest didn't react as badly (she was colicky so it was all a guess, ha!). As far as YOUR diet, you need as many calories as when you were pregnant to keep your supply up, and of course, LOTS of water. Good foods for all of us anytime are "good" fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, protein (lean meats). Also include whole grain/whole wheat wherever possible, and lots of fiber from fruits like apples and cantaloupe. Of course, veggies are great but if they bother your baby you might need to play around. It really IS a lot of trial and error. Some babies have no adverse reaction to mom's diets, some do. Some say no alcohol but I used to have a glass of wine here and there when nursing and my girls were fine... my good friend does that now and it is working for her as well. I hope you find the transition smooth and the nursing easy! Good luck!

Hi!

I think everyone has great advice with keeping it natural. The only thing that I would add is to limit caffeine, which I noticed caused a rash on my new babe. Also, to limit gasiness, take LOTS of pro-biotics, "friendly flora"--by eating cultured yogurt, sour cream, kefir, and other cultured dairy. If you can't do dairy, try taking a good supplement, like New Chapter's All-Flora. This is important for populating your baby's GI tract with friendly bacteria. Your baby will get it through your milk, and you can also break open a capsule in water and rub it on your baby's tongue and gums.

You need to make sure you're getting enough digestive enzymes, which you can get by eating things like raw pickles, or you can take in supplement form. Good brands are from ReNew Life, Rainbow Light...just make sure that they are plant-based and include Lipase.

Good luck!

Hi J.,

Congratulations on your baby!
My baby was also very gassy and quite sensitive to several types of foods (especially milk, brocolis and cabbage, but also others).
The medicines I found didn't work on him until a friend advised me a product called "Gripe Water". It's a natural liquid based on water, fennel, fennugreek and ginger. It worked like magic. I would give my son one teasponn before bed time and he would be able to sleep without gas, whatever my food intake was. Since then, I recommend it to all my friends. The name is Gripe Water, it exists in several brands and I used to find it at Whole Foods.
Otherwise, I would recommend to drink a lot of water and to have a varied and well balanced diet (with the same calorie intake as during your pregnancy - nursing time is not the best time to go on a diet)
Congratulations again!

Basically all the foods that were important during pregnancy are important during nursing. Foods that do double-duty are best, like non-fat dairy because of the protein and calcium. Spinach and other leafy greens, fruits, veggies, etc.

As far as foods to avoid: avoid foods you don't like. I wouldn't worry about gassiness as it relates to food, only because your baby will eventually eat what you eat in your home. If your baby starts to develop a digestive issue you can take it from there, but I find it's best for me not to change what works until there's a problem. Then there's less stress for you. I never avoided the "gassy" foods and my baby never had a problem.

Hello J.,

Bless you and your family, and good for you and you babies your dedication to nursing. As far as helping your little one avoid getting gas, it will take some trial and error. First practice good latching technique to minimize air gulping. A good place to start when it comes to food is: Does it give you gas? If yes and it's something healthy such as broccoli or cabbage limit the intake. Fried foods are often gas producing in people so too they should be limited. Keep a food diary about what you eat and how you and your baby feel.

For foods to make sure you eat. . . Make sure you have a rainbow of colors in your diet over the course of a week. Keep fruits and veggies prepped and ready to eat, cheese and whole grain crackers. Keep a jug of filtered water handy and some herbal teas that you like.

Things to avoid would be white refined sugars and flours and polished (white) rice. These are no good for your body as the nutrients present in the original food has been stripped away. Eat food made from whole grain and whole foods. The closer to the original food the better it is for you.

Oh! don't forget to eat fish high in omega 3 fatty acids or if you don't like fish get a high quality fish oil supplement, Coromega is the brand I use for my kids and it comes in a lemon lime flavor.

Hope this helps.

C.
Fitchburg, MA