Breastfeeding Question!!!?

Question

So I'm expecting my second baby soon and this time I plan on completely breastfeeding because I wasn't physically able to nurse my daughter, anyway, my question is when I start nursing do I completely have to change my eating habits. I'm a real junk food kinda person. I love fried foods, burgers, fries and well things like that. I hate vegetables all of them and I was wondering this earlier. Please answer with the truth and not what is better. I just want to know if I can keep eating like that or am I going to HAVE to change it!

Ok let me clarify, I don't eat junk all the time. I also enjoy some healthy meals. I like chicken and fish whether baked or broiled and stuff like that. Anyway, I guess I was asking if it's ok to eat this stuff once in a while and it not affect the baby.

Answer 1

It depends how your baby will respond to what you eat. The likely culprits for negative reaction (ie. colic, fussiness, stomach upset) to your breastmilk will be: cow's milk, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy and fish.

Once you start breastfeeding, its almost like you are still eating for two people. You will be hungry and thirsty all the time. The key is increasing your calories to compensate for the loss feeding your child. Keep eating thoese hamburgers, fries, onion rings, steaks, potatoes, rice, cake, pies - these are helping you increase your calories for the energy-consuming act of breastfeeding. As I found out, I was able to maintain my pre-pregnancy weight and ate three/four full meals a day while breastfeeding. I was even snacking in between - a snickers here, a peanut butter cup there, a piece of chocolate cake again ... You will have cravings for junk food also. Don't worry. Its normal. As long as your baby is thriving and not reacting to your breastmilk, keep on eating what your stomach craves. Don't forget your prenatal vitamins - yes continue even after baby is born. Have fun!

Answer 2

Keep in mind that at this moment, your baby is being fed by you on your diet. If you drastically change your diet to veggies and health food, your child may suffer adverse effects. Imagine it like someone who drinks coffee everyday, then stops cold turkey and moves to only water. Can you picture the shakes they would have from the withdrawl? That is, to an extent, what you AND your child would be going through.
I'm not going to tell you that burgers and fries are the best thing to eat while your are pregnant or nursing -- or even before and after. In fact, eating such empty calories is frowned upon, because you and your baby aren't getting the proper nutrition you need. Some recent studies also suggest that eating junk food while you are pregnant will increase your child's chance of becoming obese and contracting type-2 diabetes.
Such a quick, cold turkey change in diet would be detrimental for your plan. So wean yourself off the junk food.

Answer 3

YOU do whatever YOU feel is best for YOUR baby!! Dont let ANYONE make you feel "bad" for eating "junk food!" I mean.. lets be real! You gave up your body for NINE months and its not like you are wondering if you can take drugs or drink alcohol while breastfeeding!! You simply want to know if you can still eat "junk food!"

Here is my opinion.... take it day by day. If you eat fried foods and you notice that your baby seems "gassy" or is having diarreah then STOP... b/c its not good for baby! If you eat spicy foods and the same thing happens then STOP! YOU are the mommy and you will KNOW by the diapers and by your baby's "reactions" if her tummy can handle it!!

NOTHING that you eat is going to seriously HURT your baby. If you want to eat junk food and it makes MOMMY happy.. then BABY will be happy!! Just do everything in MODERATION!!

However you DO want to eat healthier so that your baby is getting the right nutrients... so eat at least SOME fruit and veggies even if you have to choke them down! Also.... DONT FORGET to drink as MUCH milk as you can!! Feeding baby seriously depletes your calcium and will cause you LOTS of problems (with bones and ESPECIALLY TEETH!!!!!) Believe me.. I had to get a tooth pulled last Friday basically b/c I dont drink enough MILK!! LOL (and didnt drink enough of it when I breastfed my 2 kids!)

Your body will NATURALLY produce ALL that BABY needs... its what YOU need that your body will NOT produce enough of! ALL of your nutrients are going to BABY now and if you dont replenish that then YOU will be the one to suffer NOT baby! You will get sick more often, feel more tierd and sluggish etc. You need as MUCH energy as you can get.. especially since another "GREAT" thing about being a new mommy is NO SLEEP!! LOL

Also.. remember that you arent eating for 2 anymore! Granted you are breastfeeding BUT if you continue to eat the way you did when you were pregnant then you WILL gain weight now (no matter HOW much your baby eats from you!) If you CAN get into a better diet it will be better for you and you will LOSE a LOT of weight!! By breastfeeding your body naturally loses weight AND tones your belly back (amazing, huh) but by putting lots of fatty foods into your system.. well, your body just wont be able to "keep up" and you will GAIN weight instead of losing it!!

Good luck and CONGRATS on your new baby and the decision to breastfeed!! I LOVED breastfeeding my son and was heartbroken that I couldnt breastfeed my daughter (she was a premie and truthfully... my breasts were too BIG for her to "latch" onto... however I DID pump. It still wasnt the same!! )

One idea... try drinking V8 juice.. personally I LOVE the stuff..but in any case.. it gives you ALL the daily nutrients you need in ONE can and you dont have to choke down all the veggies!! Just an idea! :)

Just remember.. YOU are mommy now and YOU know in your HEART what is best for your baby!!

Answer 4

You know the answer to that. You eat the same way when breastfeeding as you do when you are pregnant. Of course you should eat well, but you don't have to give up all your junk food.
Putting the veggies in something or covering them with a sauce or even dipping them in dressing all still get veggies into you. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin if you find your diet lacking.

Answer 5

Sharkyincanada is right. But maybe you could think ahead to when the baby isn't nursing any more. You can make your own food choices, but your children eat what you give them. And it's only fair to start them off with better food habits than you describe.

When a small child gets fatter than they should, it makes them tend to gain weight all their lives. I am seeing this with my son, (he's now 23) and I feel so bad about his struggles with weight, (he was quite slim as an older child and teen), knowing that my choices when he was 2 yrs old are making it harder for him now.

Congratulations on the new baby, and nursing. Enjoy!

Answer 6

Hello, and congratulations on the new family member.
According to everything that I have learned and experienced, having somewhat of a healthy diet helps. the nutrients and beneficial traits of vegitables will be helpful in the overall experience of the pregnancy, the unborn gets most of the same nutrients, you will feel better, and the overall quality of the breast will increase. The best reason for breastfeeding, in my opinion, is that the natural immunities to colds and stuff like that will be given to the baby.. again congrats... I am a father of two. stay healthy for the babies sake... 8-)

Answer 7

You don't HAVE to change. The milk of a mom on the SAD (standard american diet) is better than formula... but you would be amazed at how much better you feel if you change your diet.

Also, no matter what you offer your kids to eat, theyre going to want to eat what you eat.

How well does your first child eat? Alot of mac'n' cheese, PB&J and chicken nuggets?

I wouldnt change my diet to breastfeed, i would change it (actually i did change it!) to pass healthy eating habits to my child.

Also, breastfed infants get tastes of what you eat through your milk... so eating healthy durring breastfeeding can set them up to like more foods later on.

Go day by day... ask yourself 'what can i have that is better than this burger?'
Ive found that nuts are an excellent alternative to chips when you get a salt craving!
Start slowly...

Answer 8

I would suggest changing it. I didn't really change mine when I started breastfeeding. I did however start to eat a few healthy items such as fruit. Eating different fruit is really good for you and baby. Try eating like bananas, kiwis, apple, oranges, or stuff like that. Other than these, I still junked out and my baby was ok.

Answer 9

eat right when you are nursing. as in pregnancy, the baby takes all your bodies nutrients and you will not be able to feed him healthily if you are simply filling up on fatty foods and empty calories. check in the book "what to expect the first year" for a "best odds diet" while nursing. if you want a healthy baby, you need to be a healthy mommy. cut down the junk food and eat as best as you can for both of you.

Answer 10

Well the baby will get the nutrition first. It would be better if you eat healthier foods because then you wont have brittle nails and your hair may thin out also. Those foods may also cause the baby to have gas. I could not eat smoked sausage while breast feeding because it upset the baby's stomach. There were other things I could not eat because of that also.