Can I Eat Cabbage While Breastfeeding?
There are tons of questions moms have when it comes to breastfeeding. What you can eat while breastfeeding is a common one.
Women often wonder if what they eat might affect their breast milk and their baby.
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Can i eat cabbage while breastfeeding?
Yes! You can eat cabbage while breastfeeding.
It’s a myth that nursing moms need to avoid “gassy foods” such as legumes, garlic, onions, broccoli, and cabbage while breastfeeding.
Just because a food causes gas and gastrointestinal discomfort for the mom, doesn’t mean it’ll cause gas for the baby.
Breast milk is actually made from the mom’s blood, and gas from a person’s stomach and digestive tract doesn’t pass into the blood supply.
Many women restrict foods they eat while nursing without needing to.
You actually can eat WHATEVER you like while breastfeeding unless you notice a clear reaction in your baby to a particular food you ate.
For babies, food sensitivities and allergies often show up in the form of:
Gas
Blood or mucous in stools
Rash/Eczema
Excessive spit up or vomiting
Colic
Diarrhea
Congestion, runny nose
Wheezing, coughing
NOTE: If your baby develops any obvious reactions, consult with your doctor.
The main food known to cause problems in babies is dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream… any food that has milk products in it).
Babies are often sensitive to dairy because the protein found in cow’s milk (called casein) is harder for babies to digest and may cause fussiness, gas, and discomfort.
Intake of diary has been known to cause symptoms in only a small percentage of newborns (between 2-3%).
Other foods that are sometimes a culprit of food sensitivities in babies are: wheat, corn, fish, eggs, or peanuts.
PRO-TIP: If you suspect something in your diet might be affecting your baby, avoid the food or drink for 2-3 weeks to see if it makes a difference in your baby's behavior.
What Foods Should Nursing Moms Avoid While Breastfeeding?
The only food every nursing mother should avoid are fish that contain high mercury levels.
According to the FDA, women who are pregnant and breastfeeding should avoid king mackerel, shark, marlin, tilefish, and bigeye tuna.
Also, nursing moms should limit fish that’s lower in mercury (like salmon, tilapia, trout, catfish) to 8-12 ounces per week.
Did You Know?
YOU CAN’T CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF FAT IN BREAST MILK, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THE TYPE OF FAT.
So be sure to add good, healthy fats to your diet whenever possible.
Studies show that maternal levels of DHA (one of the most important types of omega-3s) DIRECTLY influences the levels of DHA in breast milk.
So take a daily, high-quality DHA fish oil supplement to ensure you and baby are getting enough.
We love THIS gummy DHA supplement, because it tastes like strawberries (and not yucky fish oil).
What Should I Eat While Breastfeeding?
Remember all that healthy eating you did while you were pregnant?
It’s important to continue eating a nutritious, varied diet while you’re breastfeeding.
But we have great news!
With rare exceptions - breastfeeding moms can eat pretty much anything they want!
So there’s no need to go on a special diet just because you’re nursing. You can enjoy pizza, ice cream, and other splurges every so often, but moderation is key.
Eating a healthy, varied, well-rounded diet is important during breastfeeding because it helps fuel your milk production and postpartum recovery.
Vary Up Your Foods
VARYING UP THE FOODS YOU EAT WHILE BREASTFEEDING SERVES A DOUBLE PURPOSE:
1. It ensures you get all the vitamins and nutrients you need to heal postpartum.
2. It flavors your breast milk…
Eating a wide variety of foods will expose your baby to new taste sensations each time they nurse!
Studies show that some flavors in the foods you consume show up in your breast milk within 1-2 hours after eating.
Babies are more likely to accept and enjoy new solid foods after they’re exposed to a wide variety of flavors via breast milk as an infant.
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