Not sure how those two relate to each other? For many years, breastfeeding moms have been told not to eat:
- chocolate, caffeine, broccoli, fish, sushi, peanuts or spicy foods.
So, am I to believe that women all over the world eat bland chicken, rice and vegetables with no seasonings if they are breastfeeding? If that was true, I would think the breastfeeding rates would be very low in countries like India, where their diets are rich in flavor. The median duration of breastfeeding in India is 24.5 months (according to the World Breastfeeding Trends initiative, http://www.worldbreastfeedingtrends.org/report/WBTi-India-2012.pdf)
I doubt that these women have changed their diets over the past 2 years. After working in a hospital setting for many years, I’ve witnessed the Indian grandmothers bringing wonderfully spiced foods to the new mothers. Mothers in India continue to eat their “normal” diets during lactation. Their babies learn the flavors and spices of Indian food while drinking mom’s milk. What happens when their children begin to receive complimentary Indian foods? They are given the normal foods that the family is eating, rich in flavor and spices. There are many cultures that regularly eat spicy foods and strong-flavored foods, and there is no evidence that a greater percentage of these babies are fussy, gassy, or have other problems with the foods their moms eat.
Please, take this opportunity to introduce the variety of flavors that you love to eat to your baby NOW through your breastmilk!
There is a large misconception in our culture that mom’s diet will make her baby gassy. This has been proven over and over again with research. Www.kellymom.com states: “breast milk is made from what passes into mom’s blood, not what is in her stomach or digestive track. Neither the gas nor the undigested carbohydrates (whose breakdown can cause gas in mom) pass into mom’s blood, so it is impossible for these things to pass into your milk to make your baby gassy.” Some babies are sensitive to certain foods in a nursing mother’s diet. But there is no evidence that all babies react poorly to certain foods. Each baby is different, and a food that bothers one may not bother another.”
The other big concerns…will eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup hurt my baby if they have a peanut allergy and what’s the deal about chocolate? With all of the trick-or-treat candies out there – what is a mom to do?
According to the March of Dimes (http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/peanut-allergies-children-and-pregnancy.aspx), if a woman is not allergic to peanuts, she can eat peanuts and peanut products while breastfeeding. There is no evidence that avoiding peanuts during breastfeeding helps prevent peanut allergies in the child.
Many mothers are worried about the caffeine content in chocolate. There are only 9 mg of caffeine in 9 Hershey Kisses. There are 150-400 mg of caffeine in coffee, depending on where you get it. Steer clear of Starbucks if you’re trying to cut back! So, enjoy your treats this Halloween! No need to worry about gassiness, fussiness, peanut allergies, or caffeine intake. As we tell all of our moms who contact the BRC with questions about food, we suggest eating foods in moderation. Too much of something isn’t always good.
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