Everything you eat during breastfeeding will find its way into your breast milk. This is why you should keep an eye on certain foods that will not add too many benefits to your infant.
There are certain foods that you have to stay away from during breastfeeding. This page explores the top 10 such foods to avoid, especially when nursing, and the reasons to avoid them.
If you really find it hard to eliminate the following foods from your diet, reducing them will help also!
What Foods to Avoid When Breastfeeding?
The following foods cause gas in babies while breastfeeding. Here are the top 11 foods to stay away from while breastfeeding to prevent colic in newborn:
1. Chocolate
Reason to avoid: Chocolate can give you a significant amount of processed sugar that can 'disturb your babys sleep. Plus, this sugar can also be hard to digest. Chocolate has no nutritional value, so the intake of it should be kept to a minimum. If eating chocolate while breastfeeding newborn is in moderation, you should stay on top of such side effects.
2. Spicy Foods
Reason to avoid: Spicy foods can cause not only gas but also other digestive problems in infants, such as heartburn. They are hard to digest even for adults, so you shouldn't take this risk during breastfeeding. The main problem is the presence of capsaicin that will cause acid reflux. These foods can cause colic pain, allergies, and affect your baby's taste as well.
3. Citrus Fruits
Reason to avoid: Some infants are allergic to citrus fruits, which is why they should eat them in the first year. Babies can develop rashes or other skin problems from these fruits so, try to keep them away for the first 18 months. Because of the high level of acid in these fruits, they can cause irritation to your baby's digestive system.
4. Honey
Reason to avoid: Allergy risks plus a lot of sugar intake. Raw honey can come with a dangerous compound called Clostridium Botulinum. This can cause botulism, a disease that can be fatal in a matter of hours.
Note: You will notice that raw honey and organic honey are often confused. This happens because organic honey is a type of raw honey. Even so, there are certain aspects that make these two types of honey differ from each other. Organic honey is raw honey produced in better quality conditions. The nectar used for this honey is of a higher quality and the bees are strictly supervised. The nectar is checked with a critical eye so that it comes from organic sources with no pollution. Also, organic honey is packed by following the FDA standards. While organic honey has to be raw honey, raw honey doesn’t have to be organic honey which is why the two types of honey should be separated. As for botulism risks, organic honey is considered safer than raw honey due to the strict regulations followed by the producers.
5. Strawberries
Reason to avoid: Strawberries can also cause allergic reactions in the first year of life. This is even more important if you have a family history of allergies. They also cause gas and irritation due to their intense flavor.
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