What Can I Eat While Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding often comes as a surprise. Many of us approached the end of our first pregnancies thinking that the hard part was almost over. 3 months of sleepless nights and bleeding nipples later, it becomes clear that the idyllic image of the smiling mother with the quietly suckling infant is as false as the pregnant woman in the movies who is smiling one minute and clutching her husband's arm the next saying, "Honey, it's time!" as if going into labor is like turning on a switch. The truth is, breastfeeding can be challenging even for seasoned pros. One of the best things a woman can do is to stick to a healthy breastfeeding diet that will ensure her milk is safe and nutritious.
Best Diet for Breastfeeding
Ultimately, the best diet for breastfeeding is the one that keeps mom at her peak. In other words, if it isn't good for you, it isn’t good for baby. We all have a basic sense of what constitutes good nutrition, and that can often guide you safely through eating for breastfeeding. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. Our guide to what to eat when breastfeeding and what to avoid should fill in any gaps in your own intuition.
Best Breastfeeding Foods
You can easily find a USDA guide to diet for breastfeeding women with an online search. Once you look it over, remember these tips:
- Make grains whole grain whenever possible.
- Eat all the fruits and vegetables you want, but avoid adding sugar or fat-based dips.
- Vitamin A, Calcium, iron, vitamin D and potassium are especially important nutrients for breastfeeding mothers.
- Choose lean protein—don't forget beans, legumes and tofu are good sources of protein too.
- Avoid saturated fats and especially hydrogenated oils.
- Skim milk is just fine for nursing mothers and is the best dairy choice.
- Continue taking pre-natal vitamins on a daily basis.
Food to Avoid While Breastfeeding
There are some obvious no-no's while pregnant or breastfeeding. Clearly, smoking, illicit drug use, and excessive alcohol consumption are a bad idea. There are a few less obvious dangers to breastfeeding mothers as well.
- Trace amounts of herbicides and pesticides can be transferred to your baby through breast milk. Eat organic and local produce when possible, and seek out produce that can be peeled or scrubbed.
- Remove the skin from meat when applicable and avoid processed meats like bacon, hot dogs and sausage.
- Most seafood is safe to eat, but some fish is high in mercury and should be avoided. Shark, tilefish, mackerel, swordfish and some types of tuna are most likely to contain dangerous levels of mercury.
- Recent research suggests that drinking an occasional glass of wine of cocktail while breastfeeding is all right, but many experts still urge that breastfeeding mothers refrain from drinking at all. For most women, the alcohol from a single glass of wine takes 3 to 4 hours to leave the body, so plan accordingly if you do want to indulge.
- A little caffeine is an acceptable part of a breastfeeding diet, but go easy on the coffee. Most experts agree that a single cup per day is best.
- Remember that the foods you eat affect the flavor of your breast milk, so if your baby seems fussy after eating, consider what you have eaten during the day that might have caused the problem. Eat spicy foods and strong flavors sparingly until you're sure that baby can tolerate them.
