Foods To Avoid When Breastfeeding

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Although there is little research evidence on how the alcohol in breastmilk can affect the baby, it has been reported that consuming alcohol even in relatively small amounts may reduce the production of milk. Alcohol may also affect the taste and smell of breastmilk and may therefore cause  irritability and have an impact on the baby's feeding and sleeping patterns. Alcohol has also been said to inhibit the “let-down” reflex and may cause the baby to be drowsy and prevent the baby from feeding well. It is thus prudent to strictly limit your intake of alcohol and perhaps best to avoid consuming it altogether when you are breastfeeding.

Nicotine from cigarette smoke can be passed to a baby through breastmilk. While the long term effects of this is unknown, it is best not to smoke while you are breastfeeding. Smoking poses a health hazard to your baby and  may reduce milk production. It may also increase the incidence of nausea, colicky symptoms, and diarrhea in the baby and decrease the vitamin C content of the milk.

You should speak with your doctor, pharmacist or your child's paediatrician before you take any medication to ensure that they are safe for you and your baby. These include any prescribed or over-the-counter medications.  If you intend to use oral contraceptives, it is also best to discuss this with your doctor so that he can advise you on the different options available. Certain oral contraceptives may also reduce milk supply so you may want to consider alternative methods of contraception such as natural family planning, barrier methods or intra-uterine devices while you are still nursing your baby.

Some studies suggest that drinking too much cow's milk may cause colicky symptoms in some babies. If this is a problem for your baby, try eliminating milk and its by-products from your diet for 5 to 7 days to see if the symptoms disappear. As your baby grows older, you may want to reintroduce milk into your diet because babies often outgrow this reaction to milk. If you eliminate dairy products from your diet over the long term, you need to talk with your doctor about a calcium supplement.

Other foods that may cause fussiness in the breast-fed baby include those that contain food additives and dyes, certain gas-producing foods (such as baked beans), foods containing caffeine (such as tea, coffee, cola and chocolate), garlic, and food heavily laced with spices. To decide if a particular food upsets your baby, eliminate that single food from your diet for 5 to 7 days and see if the symptoms disappear.