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What to eat when breastfeeding
I'm trying to avoid reading too much online and won't see the pediatrician until late next week, so I thought I'd post here. What kind of diet did you maintain while breastfeeding? I keep hearing it's not as strict as when pregnant, but I've been so SO good for 10 months; I don't want to stray too far away and screw up what the baby gets through breastfeeding. I've not had a sip of caffeine, sushi, or excessive sugar... no hot dogs, very limited on fish, etc. since April. I know many of you ate what you wanted and delivered perfectly healthy babies, but I guess I'm still looking for what's "ideal" while breastfeeding. Any input would be great, or if you have a good link to something online, I'd welcome that, too.
You're too funny...you now know you have milk, but I was worried, too, since I didn't leak at all and my breasts never grew. They still aren't any bigger, but I produce plenty of milk for my little one. I'm not trying to eat healthy, but didn't actually change my diet during pregnancy, either - you're a supermom! :)
..is enough until then.
Sorry my iPhone has a mind of it's own and posted mid post :P
Sorry my iPhone has a mind of it's own and posted mid post :P
Leaking doesn't mean much. Your body will know because of the drop in hormones also from her sucking which stimulates milk production. So as long as you nurse as soon as possible and put her to your breast often your milk will come in between days 3-5 until then they don't need much and the colostrum
I guess I'm worried because I haven't had any leaking at all and as weird as it sounds, even if I "try" to get something to come out, it doesn't. And since I'm having a c-section, I'm totally paranoid that my body isn't going to KNOW to start as soon as the baby is born. Totally stressing over things beyond my control but thinking about it nonetheless.
I bet you will be able to BF. :) I was really worried about being able to but luckily it's working out. Just ask questions and get help if you need and stay positive. Its also a great way to lose weight ;)
Thanks, guys! I planned to continue on a healthy diet since I've gotten pretty good at this while pregnant. I gained 17 pounds total and am hoping to leave on Thursday with most of that gone! If I start walking (which I've been restricted from doing) and eat well, I should be able to actually lose weight fast, especially with breastfeeding. I'm just so paranoid about causing a problem with breastfeeding. We really want to exclusively breastfeed for six months, but time will tell.
I posted this in the BF forum but I figured I'd post it here for everyone to be able to read:
Some nursing moms find they can eat whatever they like. While it's true that some strongly flavored foods may change the taste of your milk, most babies seem to enjoy a variety of breast milk flavors! Generally, the dominant flavors of your diet — whether soy sauce or chili peppers — were in your amniotic fluid during pregnancy. Fetuses swallow a fair amount of amniotic fluid before birth, so when they taste those flavors again in their mother's breast milk, they're already accustomed to them.
Occasionally a baby will be fussy at the breast or gassy after you eat a particular food. If you notice a pattern, avoid that food for a few days. To test whether that food really was the cause, reintroduce it once and see if there's an effect. Mothers report that babies most often object to chocolate; spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper); citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit; strawberries; kiwifruit; pineapple; the gassy veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers); and fruits with a laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes.
A daily cup or two of coffee is fine, but too much caffeine can interfere with your baby's sleep or make him fussy. Remember that caffeine is also found in some sodas, teas, and over-the-counter medicines.
It's also okay to have an occasional alcoholic drink. But having more than one drink increases your blood alcohol level to the point that the alcohol gets into your milk. If you plan on having more than one drink at a time, wait two hours per drink before resuming nursing (or nurse, then have your glass of wine). There's no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and it's still not time to feed your baby. Moderate or heavy drinking is definitely not recommended while breastfeeding. An old wive's tale suggests that dark beer increases milk production, but recent studies suggest this is not true and that alcohol, in fact, reduces milk production.
If your baby has allergy symptoms (such as eczema, fussiness, congestion, or diarrhea), they may be caused by something he's in regular contact with, such as soap, mildew, or foods he's eating himself. Or he may be reacting to foods you eat that get into his system via your breast milk. It usually requires a bit of detective work to figure out exactly what's causing the sensitivity.
If you think that something you're eating is causing problems for your baby, it's usually something you've eaten two to six hours before feeding. The most common culprits include cows' milk products, followed by soy, wheat, egg, nuts, and corn or corn syrup.
Talk to your baby's doctor before you omit any foods from your diet. If avoiding a food could cause a nutritional imbalance (for example, if you eliminate all dairy products), you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on substituting other foods or taking nutritional supplements. Continue taking your prenatal vitamin as long as your baby's fully breastfed to cover any gaps in your own diet.
Some nursing moms find they can eat whatever they like. While it's true that some strongly flavored foods may change the taste of your milk, most babies seem to enjoy a variety of breast milk flavors! Generally, the dominant flavors of your diet — whether soy sauce or chili peppers — were in your amniotic fluid during pregnancy. Fetuses swallow a fair amount of amniotic fluid before birth, so when they taste those flavors again in their mother's breast milk, they're already accustomed to them.
Occasionally a baby will be fussy at the breast or gassy after you eat a particular food. If you notice a pattern, avoid that food for a few days. To test whether that food really was the cause, reintroduce it once and see if there's an effect. Mothers report that babies most often object to chocolate; spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper); citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit; strawberries; kiwifruit; pineapple; the gassy veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers); and fruits with a laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes.
A daily cup or two of coffee is fine, but too much caffeine can interfere with your baby's sleep or make him fussy. Remember that caffeine is also found in some sodas, teas, and over-the-counter medicines.
It's also okay to have an occasional alcoholic drink. But having more than one drink increases your blood alcohol level to the point that the alcohol gets into your milk. If you plan on having more than one drink at a time, wait two hours per drink before resuming nursing (or nurse, then have your glass of wine). There's no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and it's still not time to feed your baby. Moderate or heavy drinking is definitely not recommended while breastfeeding. An old wive's tale suggests that dark beer increases milk production, but recent studies suggest this is not true and that alcohol, in fact, reduces milk production.
If your baby has allergy symptoms (such as eczema, fussiness, congestion, or diarrhea), they may be caused by something he's in regular contact with, such as soap, mildew, or foods he's eating himself. Or he may be reacting to foods you eat that get into his system via your breast milk. It usually requires a bit of detective work to figure out exactly what's causing the sensitivity.
If you think that something you're eating is causing problems for your baby, it's usually something you've eaten two to six hours before feeding. The most common culprits include cows' milk products, followed by soy, wheat, egg, nuts, and corn or corn syrup.
Talk to your baby's doctor before you omit any foods from your diet. If avoiding a food could cause a nutritional imbalance (for example, if you eliminate all dairy products), you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on substituting other foods or taking nutritional supplements. Continue taking your prenatal vitamin as long as your baby's fully breastfed to cover any gaps in your own diet.
I was told that I could continue my pre-pregnancy diet after delivery. The doctor said that the only things that would affect baby was caffiene and of course alcohol. The only way any food would bother baby is if they had an allergy to something that you ate. While I was pregnant I read that when you try a varietys of food while BF then the baby will grow to be more open with various selection of foods rather than being a picky eater. I would just eat what you desire. Of course try and eat healthy because none of us ladies want this baby fat on us forever. I still have 15 lbs to go and it's been 7 weeks since delivery.
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