Breatfeeding and what you eat....?

Question

I know they say to watch what you eat like spicy food.... But what are some foods to help give my milk a better taste? Also what about increasing my supply... I know it helps to pump and feed as often as possible to increase it, but are there foods out there that can help the process??

Answer 1

Ignore "them." You can eat spicy food.

Mom's cabbage and soda pop do not make babies gassy. Milk just doesn't work that way.

"There are NO foods that a mother should avoid simply because she is breastfeeding. It is generally recommended that you eat whatever you like, whenever you like, in the amounts that you like...

There are many cultures who regularly eat spicy foods and strong-flavored foods, and there is no evidence that a greater percentage of these babies are fussy, gassy, or have other problems with the foods their moms eat...

It is common for nursing moms to be warned away from eating the so-called "gassy foods" such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, etc. However, gassy foods have no more potential to affect your baby than other foods...

However, breastmilk is made from what passes into mom's blood, not what is in her stomach or digestive tract..."

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-foods.html

There are a lot of myths out there, and if every female relative out there tells a new Mum that eating broccoli will make baby fussy, Mum is going to blame the the two stalks of broccoli on her pizza if baby cries a bit the next day, but it's generally NOT TRUE.

If you get a bit of a stomach bother, and had milk yourself, you don't think "Well, it must be some weird weed the cow ate..."

If you are nursing on demand your supply should be fine. There is not a lot of evidence to support drinking a lot of water or eating oatmeal, but it's so commonly thought to be beneficial and it's hardly unhealthy; can't hurt. Beer _has_ been shown to be useful, but de-alcoholized beer had the same effect as the beer; something to keep in mind. (NB that moderate amounts of alcohol are considered compatible with nursing.)

"More Breastfeeding Myths
A breastfeeding mother has to be obsessive about what she eats. Not true! A breastfeeding mother should try to eat a balanced diet, but neither needs to eat any special foods nor avoid certain foods. A breastfeeding mother does not need to drink milk in order to make milk. A breastfeeding mother does not need to avoid spicy foods, garlic, cabbage or alcohol. A breastfeeding mother should eat a normal healthful diet. Although there are situations when something the mother eats may affect the baby, this is unusual. Most commonly, "colic", "gassiness" and crying can be improved by changing breastfeeding techniques, rather than changing the mother's diet."

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=79

Answer 2

Unless you are exclusively pumping I don't think you need to be pumping so much. Just feed your baby by breast whenever they are hungry the first few weeks and then I fed mine every 3 hours unless he was really hungry before that once he was a couple months old. It's important to feed as often as they are hungry in the first 6 weeks though to get your milk supply up.

Just eat healthy to have a good milk supply. Follow the food pyramid and take your prenatal vitamin.
Drink 8 glasses of water a day too.

EDIT:
Oh yeah, if you work outside the home it's good to pump every few hours and then nurse when you are at home to keep up the milk supply and cuz it's good for baby.

Personally I just ate whatever I wanted and drank whatever I wanted (excluding alcohol and excessive caffeine) and I had no problems with milk supply or fussy baby but it depends.

Answer 3

You don't need to pump to increase your milk supply. As long as baby feeds on demand, your milk supply should be fine. If you are going to be away from baby, say to work, or dad wants to feed baby, then you need to pump. The best way to have a good milk supply will be to eat a balanced diet, and to drink LOTS of water. I tried to do a glass of water every time I nursed. Spicy food and some veggies, like cabbage, could give your milk a funny taste and make baby gassy. I have heard if you ate it when you were pregnant, then it is OK when nursing. Your milk will normally have a good taste unless you are eating tons of spicy foods. If you eat garlic by the spoon full, baby will know, but anything in moderation shouldn't change the taste of your milk much. It naturally is sweet tasting!

Answer 4

If you've tried the breastmilk, there's not much (at least to baby) that'll make it taste better. It's super-sweet and that's how they like it. You do need to watch what you eat, but only to a certain extent. Spicy foods may cause some babies to be gassy and irritable, while some babies love it! It also stems back to what you ate while you were pregnant.

To increase your milk supply make sure that you are drinking lots of water, at least 8 glasses a day and eat your oatmeal! Almost any oatmeal will do (even in the form of cookies), just try to eat a few servings a day, it'll really help keep your supply up!

Answer 5

I don't think there are any foods that specifically increase lactation, but it is very important that you maintain a healthy diet (calcium is important!).

I noticed with my son that certain foods I ate while breastfeeding caused him more gas (carbonated soda), etc, so pay attention to how your baby is feeling in relation to what you eat each day.

You're right on the money - the more you pump/feed, the more you make as a general rule. Even going a day without regular feeding/pumping can affect your production.

Congratulations on motherhood, by the way!

Answer 6

Eat what you normally would as most babies are Ok with this .But if your baby is unsettled, unhappy,or has runny poos- think about what you might have eaten. Feeding your baby on demand will help your supply as will not stressing and getting enough sleep(not always easy i know)
As for foods to increase supply ;* glasses of water a day, limit the caffeine, some people swear by peanuts and some by rasberry leaf tea. some reccommend stout(beer) but it doesnt actually work good luck to you

Answer 7

Emily E is right.
Eat what you normally would, as long as it's healthy.

Also, think about it like this: People in India, Thailand, etc. eat lots of spicy foods and their babies don't refuse the milk!

Answer 8

I would avoid spicy and gassy foods. To increase milk supply check out the La Leche site: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/increase.html

Good Luck!

Answer 9

of path. there particularly should not be a difficulty with that which you do not already comprehend approximately. mutually as you have been on the well-being center, the medical doctors ran checks, checked for well-being, etc, once you gave delivery (as you may comprehend) and in the experience that your infant required any form of particular interest, you may have trouble-free. An apple is innocuous. perchance the child replace into drained.

Answer 10

You know what they say to eat a rainbow of fruit's & vegie's.