The breast feeders diet?

Question

when you breast feed is it still necessary to keep your "pregnacy diet"

aka no drinking or smoking,no medication and bla bla?

Whats the best diet to make the best milk for my baby?

Answer 1

i was only 17 when i give birth to my first daughter and not knowing whatever i eat my daugther gets it to i never smoked or drunk but one night i craved for a curry and not know my poor wee baby stuffed with cramps i felt awful :(

Answer 2

If you are breastfeeding then first of all drink loads and loads of water to help make breast milk and keep you hydrated.  Then remember whatever goes in your mouth will end up in your breast milk (in varying amounts) including any medication such as anti-histamines (I learnt this after taking one and making my baby sleep for a day - not recommended - very worrying!!!).  

Not too many spicy foods and watch for high fibre foods such as vegetable soup as this impacts on baby's bowel movements.

You'll need to eat more (you'll feel quite hungry anyway).  Try to get your partner to bring you a bowl of cereal in the morning to get you going and keep a glass or bottle of water by your bed at night (and always carry a banana in your bag).

Note: I don't think a wee glass of wine will do a whole lot of harm as it doesn't get as absorbed in breast milk as much as other things can.

All the advice above was given to me by my health visitor so I'm not sure why the thumbs down?

Just watch baby's poops anyway.  They are the best guidance there will ever be.  Mustardy colour with seeds is best indication everything is okay.  Going towards green indicates something not quite right.

Answer 3

Of course its still necessary everything you take your baby takes

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Havi...

Answer 4

You can be a lot more loose than you were when you were pregnant. I ate any and everything when I was breastfeeding. However I do feel like organic is best especially with milk. All the hormones they give cows are terrible. As far as drinking and smoking go. They sell strips on amazon that can test and see if the alcohol has gotten into your milk if it has just pump and dump once, and your baby will be fine. I have heard lots of different things about smoking, but my general philosophy was that once I had quit for be pregnant I never started again. Because I want to be around to see my babies grow up. Don't stress because it will hurt your milk production. And stay away from any kind of decongestants they will dry your milk up. Other than that you will just have to see, all babies are different. Some are bothered by thing like spicy food and some it seems to have absolutely no effects on. The beast thing my doctor ever told me is "read the baby not the book." Good luck! Your are doing the best thing for your baby.

Answer 5

Research has shown that even in parts of the world where women have very limited and/or lacking diets, these women still make perfectly healthy breast milk.

It is always better to have a well-balanced and healthy diet, obviously, but breastfeeding moms don't have quite as many "rules" as pregnant women. The breast is a much better filter than the placenta, so things like alcohol and most medications are generally not a problem.

Here is a great resource about what is "safe" for breastfeeding women...

http://www.kellymom.com/health/index.htm...

Also, here is a link to Dr. Thomas Hale's breastfeeding medication forum. He is considered a leading expert on breastfeeding pharmacology. On this forum, he discusses the safety of numerous medications - most meds are safe for breastfeeding moms...

http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/medicati...

As far as foods to avoid, there are no foods that breastfeeding moms routinely need to avoid unless a baby has an obvious reaction to it.

It is a myth that breastfeeding moms need to maintain a perfect diet in order to make perfect breast milk. As long as you are taking in enough calories and liquid, you should be able to make plenty of good milk.  

Answer 6

It is not necessary to be as "strict" as you were in pregnancy - e.g. you can start to eat things like runny eggs, goats cheese, pate etc that were forbidden in pregnancy. Also many medications are safe if you are breastfeeding that weren't when you were pregnant - I had a c-section and was given codeine based pain relief & other anti-inflammatory drugs not allowed in pregnancy.

Alcohol. well there is no need to totally abstain - the latest advice is that a little alcohol is OK - it is incorrect that alcohol goes into breast milk the same as it does into the bloodstream.

Other than that you MAY feel more hungry (I don't) but you should eat and drink well - keep your fluid intake up.

Eating high fibre foods is fine, breast fed babies have runny poo in any case - you eating fibre won't really impact on that. Spicy foods and garlic are fine too, in fact eating foods like this may actually help you out when weaning.

Your body will make the "best milk for your baby" regardless (unless you starve and dehydrate yourself) so don't worry too much about what you eat.

Answer 7

the best thing to do is avoid alcohol or excessive amounts as your baby will eat what ever it is that you eat or drink.. i imagine on the smoking front that may get passed through to your baby but being a non smoker i am not sure on that one.. its really important to eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg when breastfeeding and drink lots of water..

so yeah i would say it is necessary to stick to your pregnancy diet..but you can eat pretty much what you like.. eat healthy.. and remember that any drugs you take WILL get passed through to your baby if you are breastfeeding..

when i fed my youngest daughter i was ill with a cold.. and i took beechams plus.. and orange coloured tablet..and her poo ended up being bright orange.. after that i didnt take anything unless told to by the doctor..

Answer 8

Stuips questions. Like i haven't got anything better to do with my time.

Answer 9

well you need to not drink or smoke so yeah keep the pregnancy diet... x