Breastfeed and food intake.. What foods to avoid during this stage?

Question

I'm currently feeding my baby Breastmilk that I pump. I just need to know what kind of foods to avoid when I'm in this stage. I'm starting to think that my baby is Fussy/Colic and I heard that it has something to do with what you eat that might produce Gas. Thanks and God Bless

Answer 1

Colic has nothing to do w/ breastfeeding.

Normally there are no foods that a breastfeeding mother should avoid.

That being said... there are some children who are sensitive to particular foods... sort of like a "pre food allergy". Often times dairy products are the culprit. It's not so much the gas as it is the dairy protein that is passed on from you to your milk and not easily digested by your child.

IF your child has a food sensitivity via your breastmilk, only that particular needs to be avoided. Myths like garlic, spicy foods, broccoli & cabbage are highly unlikely (if not impossibly) the causes. For my daughter, when she was around 2-3 months, she suddenly started being super fussy almost colic like. Through lots of thinking, food journaling, and eliminating dairy to see if that was it, I realized that when I ate too much whole wheat - she would get gassy!! Since your milk does not directly get what is in your stomach, just the nutrients flowing freely in your blood make it to your milk, it was not the fiber in the wheat bothering my daughter - it was the gluten.

So I layed off the whole wheat - ate little of it. I had noticed her most fussy days where if I'd had frosted shredded wheat cereal for breakfast, a sandwhich on whole wheat breat for lunch, then had whole wheat pasta for dinner... those days were so miserable!! We found what our problem was. She was not so sensitive to it that I had to eliminate it completely, though I did at first, but after a month or so I'd have a few slices of ww bread a week, maybe a small serving of ww pasta per week.

Here's a site w/ lots of awesome info, I trust it the most!! It's run by an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant) there is no higher level of breastfeeding education!!
on general dietary stuff:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-foods.html
on food sensitivities:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

good luck!

Answer 2

Colic is usually caused by highly allergenic foods, not foods that give mom gas. Most intestinal gas is created by indigestible parts of foods such as fiber. By definition these foods can not leave mom's digestive track.

The #1 cause of colic in breastfed babies is maternal smoking, I'm going to assume you don't do that. Other common allergens are dairy, soy, wheat, caffeine, peanuts/tree nuts, shellfish etc.

COLIC-CAUSING FOODS IN BREASTFEEDING
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t083301.asp

Colic in the Breastfed Baby
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/02colic_in_bf_baby.html

Answer 3

Check out this link:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-diet.html#avoid

Except for certain type of seafood and particular foods that your baby obviously reacts to, you can eat pretty much everything!

My baby was gassy when born and I kept modifying my diet to see if that was the problem. But nothing helped. Now, I am still breastfeeding my 9 month old baby - he's no longer gassy, and I have made no changes to my diet :-)

Good Luck!

Answer 4

if you think your baby is colicky, you may want to try and elimination diet. Start with a very bland diet, no dairy, no dark green vegis, no caffene, no spicy foods. Add things back in one at a time, and se if the bay has any reaction. If you find the food that is irritating your baby then you have it easy (well, easier, at least). But colic is notorious for not having a real cause. It just happens in some babies.

Answer 5

I had to avoid broccoli. cauliflower, and cabbage. They gave my baby gas.

Answer 6

Anything that causes gas in our bodies- broccoli, onions, garlic, dairy... You should try an elimination diet- LLLI.org has really good info on this.

Good Luck

Answer 7

Don't eat anything with a strong taste, garlic and onions, for example, or broccoli or other things that give YOU gas. The taste is transferred to the breast milk and it does tend to upset the baby's stomach.