Foods to avoid when breastfeeding: Limit or omit?

As a breastfeeding mom, your baby’s nutrition and health is your top priority. So when it comes to which foods to eat and which foods to avoid when breastfeeding, the right facts are crucial. Between advice from friends, family traditions, ‘old wives tales,’ and Internet searches, choosing which foods to eat can be daunting (to say the least.) Ultimately, there are certain foods that are up to your judgment as a mother.

Some foods you’ll want to limit and others you’ll need to omit all together. For example, if dairy causes gassiness, you may want to limit it within your diet. Other foods, such as fish high in mercury, need to be omitted entirely. Despite varying opinions on foods that should be on the ‘limit’ list, there are others experts agree are harmful for your baby while breastfeeding. These are the foods (and beverages) you want to be aware of, and avoid while breastfeeding, to keep you and your little one in optimal health. Interestingly, the foods you enjoyed during your pregnancy, such as soy sauce or certain seasonings, can still be consumed while nursing. According to BabyCenter.com, foods and ingredients you included in your diet while pregnant made it to your baby’s system. That means your baby is already used to them. So, other than the list of foods to avoid below, your diet can be similar to what you ate when you were pregnant.

Alcohol If you choose to consume alcohol, make sure you leave two to three hours before breastfeeding, or get rid of the milk. There’s no way to rush this process by ‘pumping and dumping’ either. You just have to wait to ensure no alcohol makes it to your baby.

Caffeine Consuming up to 24 ounces of caffeine is fine – some of us need our morning coffee. However, consuming too much caffeine can cause your baby to have trouble sleeping. A baby who sleeps well is a happy baby (not to mention a happy mommy).

Seafood and Shellfish The FDA urges mothers to be aware of which seafood options they choose and how much they consume. The issue is the mercury content. The FDA suggests a maximum of two meals a week that include seafood or shellfish. Stick to fish lower in mercury such as canned light tuna, salmon, shrimp, pollock, and catfish. Avoid consuming more than two meals with lower mercury fish per week and do not consume any of the following: Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish.

Remember, when it comes to breastfeeding, you can experiment by eating different foods to determine what your baby does and doesn’t like. If your baby is fussy, has diaper rash, or is unable to sleep after eating certain foods, experiment with omitting them for a few days and see if it helps. Other than the above few exceptions, when it comes to foods to avoid when breastfeeding, mother really does know best.